Cole Escola, channeling Bernadette Peters, thanked fellow nominees in their speech for their history-making Tony Awards win for "Oh, Mary!"

Star-playwright Cole Escola won the Best Actor in a Play Tony for their riotously funny work in the outlandish comedy “Oh, Mary!,” marking the first time a nonbinary performer has scored a Tony win for any play category for acting.

Cole Escola accepts the Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play award for "Oh, Mary!" from Sarah Paulson and Jean Smart during The 78th Annual Tony Awards on June 08, 2025. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions)

Oregon native Cole Escola made history at the Tony Awards as the first openly nonbinary person to win best leading actor in a play for "Oh, Mary!"

The two-time Tony winner reacted to the one-time Tony winner, who paid homage to Peters with their ensemble on Sunday.

Cole Escola won Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play at the 78th Annual Tony Awards on June 8, 2025 at Radio City Music Hall.

Peters wore a similar frothy blue gown to the 1999 ceremony, where she won the award for best leading actress.

Several Hollywood A-listers earned their first Tony nominations, including George Clooney for "Good Night, and Good Luck," Mia Farrow for "The Roommate," Bob Odenkirk for “Gleng