Video: Tom Francis Shares His Mom's Reaction to SUNSET BLVD Tony Nomination

Tom Francis, who has been nominated for a Tony Award for his acclaimed performance as Joe Gillis in the Broadway production of Sunset Blvd, recently visited TODAY to discuss the nomination and his experience with Jenna Bush Hager and Savannah Guthrie. 

During the interview, he opened up about the day that his mom learned about the honor. "My mom was on this video call with all of us, and she was just telling us about her day," he remembered. "And my brother and sister were like, 'Tom just got nominated for a Tony.' She started crying...it was a really wholesome day."

He also discussed the much-talked-about Act 2 opening when he walks the streets of New York while singing the title song. "It's probably most off-putting when my family or friends try and get in the shot to say hi," he said, adding that his dad will often try to sneak in, thinking he is being inconspicuous. Watch the full interview now.

Based on Billy Wilder's classic Academy Award-winning film, Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard features a book and lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton. Before it premiered on Broadway, the show was first performed in London's West End at the Adelphi Theatre in 1993 starring Patti LuPone, where it ran for almost four years and played to nearly two million people. The American premiere was at the Shubert Theatre in Century City, Los Angeles in December 1993 with Glenn Close as Norma. The musical was an instant success and played 369 performances before moving to Broadway in 1994 with, what was then, the biggest advance in Broadway history, at $37.5 million.

Jamie Lloyd's reimagination of Sunset Boulevard is currently playing at the St. James Theatre. The production has received seven Tony Award nominations, making it the most nominated revival of the season.

Haunted by her memories and dreams, movie star Norma Desmond yearns to return to the big screen. A struggling screenwriter who can't sell his scripts to the Hollywood studios may be her only hope, until their dangerous and captivating relationship leads to disaster. Drenched in champagne and cynicism, Sunset Blvd. focuses the lens on the ambitions and frustrations of its characters and puts their intoxicating need for fame and adoration in stark close-up.

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