Jonathan Groff’s Emotional Tony Award Speech Leaves Viewers in Tears

Jonathan Groff left viewers in tears as he delivered an emotional speech after winning his first Tony award on Sunday night.

The actor, 39, took home the award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical thanks to his part in the show Merrily We Roll Along.

And when he took to the stage to accept it, the Glee alum broke down as he paid tribute to all of the people who had helped him along the way – from his parents, who ‘allowed his freak flag to fly,’ to ‘everyone involved’ in his first role in the show Spring Awakening more than a decade ago, who ‘made his dream come true’ and inspired him to ‘come out of the closet’ at age 23.

He credited musical theater with ‘saving his soul’ and called being a part of the ‘incredible community’ the ‘greatest gift and pleasure of his life’ – and his powerful words brought some fans to tears.

Many people took to X, formerly Twitter, afterwards to share their thoughts on the heartwarming speech, and some admitted that they were ‘sobbing.’

Jonathan Groff left viewers in tears as he delivered an emotional speech after winning his first Tony Award on Sunday night

The actor, 39, took home the award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical thanks to his part in the show Merrily We Roll Along

‘Just started crying, oh my God,’ one person said, while another confessed, ‘I sobbed watching his speech.’ 

‘Is someone cutting onions here?’ someone else jokingly asked.

‘I;m definitely not crying. Nope. Not at all,’ read a fourth tweet. 

A fifth said, ‘The MAN you are, Jonathan Groff. I bow to you, this was the sweetest and most honest speech I have ever seen.’

‘I love him more every time I see him,’ a different user gushed.

‘Really wish I could see this show with those three leads.’

‘Jon’s speech was so inspiring and humble,’ someone else agreed. 

‘I loved how he spoke about the impact of Broadway on his life and the importance of using your platform to uplift others. 

‘It’s a great reminder for all of us in the industry, especially the newcomers who are just [starting].’ 

‘I just watched Jonathon on Doctor Who and immediately fell in love. This speech makes me love him even more,’ another person wrote. 

‘What an amazing, beautiful, talented, caring, kind human being this man is. I am now a forever fan.’

Many people took to X, formerly Twitter, afterwards, and some admitted that they were ‘sobbing’ over his powerful words

During the speech, a clearly overwhelmed Jonathan read from a piece of paper as he thanked numerous people – starting with his mom and dad. 

‘Thank you for letting me dress up as Mary Poppins when I was three, thank you for letting me act out scenes from I Love Lucy on my 10th birthday, thank you for always allowing my freak flag to fly without ever making me feel weird about it,’ he said.

‘Even if they didn’t always understand me, my family knew the lifesaving power of fanning the flame of a young person’s passions without judgment.

‘I walk through life with an open heart because you let me know that I could,’ he added as he began to choke up. ‘Thank you, I love you.’

The star continued by thanking the teachers he had as a child, who he said pushed him to become an actor.

‘I moved to New York 20 years ago and I got a job waiting tables, and became a volunteer for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, and all I wanted was to be was to be a part of this community,’ the star said.

‘Thank you to everyone involved in Spring Awakening, who not only made that dream come true, but also inspired me to come out of the closet when I was 23. I’m now 39, and musical theater is still saving my soul.’

Jonathan thanked his parents for ‘allowing his freak flag to fly’ and ‘everyone involved’ in his first role in the show Spring Awakening for inspiring him to ‘come out of the closet’ 

He credited musical theater with ‘saving his soul’ and called being a part of the ‘incredible community’ the ‘greatest gift and pleasure of his life’

He described his costars, Daniel Radcliffe and Lindsay Mendez, as his ‘soulmates.’ The camera than cut to them in the audience, and they were both also crying

He also credited the many people involved in Merrily We Roll Along for ‘allowing him the chance to accept, respect, and express both the lightest and darkest parts of myself.’

He described his costars, Daniel Radcliffe and Lindsay Mendez, as ‘more than old friends,’ but rather, as his ‘soulmates,’ as the tears began to flow.

The camera than cut to them in the audience, and they were both also crying. 

‘I’m looking forward to watching each other change for the rest of our lives,’ Jonathan gushed.

‘And finally, I just want to say, when I was a kid in Pennsylvania, I used to record the Tony Awards on a VHS tape and watch the performances over and over again.

‘And to actually be able to be a part of making theater in this city, and to be able to watch the work of this incredible, incredible community has been the greatest gift and pleasure of my life. Thank you so much for this honor.’