Did anyone ever win a Tony for their theatre debut?

[Leadingplayer]

The Shia thing got me thinking....can anyone think of a film/Tv star who won a Tony for their first professional stage appearance?

[Wynbish]

Scarlett Johansson?

[WhizzerMarvin TrinaJasonMendel]

Scarlett Johansson
Catherine Zeta-Jones
Anna Maria Alberghetti

[Wynbish]

Nevermind

[Leadingplayer]

Scarlet and Zeta-Jones had both done professional theatre before.

[WhizzerMarvin TrinaJasonMendel]

Neither had performed on Broadway before though, and thus were never eligible for a Tony.

Alberghetti was very young when she made her debut and won, and never appeared on Broadway after.

[Leadingplayer]

I guess I was looking for a Shia type situation that ended better...where a movie star came to Bway and actually did very well. (maybe Ben Foster will do that!)

[ratherbewhaling]

Ellen Barkin is primarily known for film/tv, had never done a broadway show before The Normal Heart (well, she was in a two night benefit performance but I'm not sure that counts) and won the tony. (she had been in a few off broadway shows as well)

[Bueo]

Hugh Jackman,

but that is me kind of cheating

[After Eight]

"can anyone think of a film/Tv star who won a Tony for their first professional stage appearance? "

Like Johansson and Zeta-Jones, Anna Maria Alberghetti had had professional stage experience prior to her debut on Broadway. She had appeared on the stage in Rose-Marie.

[DeNada]

The only situation I can think of is Keira Knightley being nominated for Best Actress at the Oliviers for The Misanthrope - although she didn't win.

[grumpyoptimist]

Was "How To Succeed" John Larroquette's stage debut? I know it was his Broadway debut but not certain if he had done non-Broadway stage before...

[After Eight]

^

He had appeared previously in an absolutely horrible off-Broadway play entitled Oliver Parker.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

From what I gather, the majority of film actors (like, real actors as opposed to action movie types) have appeared in a play at some point, even if it wasn't professional. A lot of LA actors do plays to get seen by casting people. Shia Lebeuf and Ben Foster apparently have never done a play like, ever, which I find kind of alarming...

[henrikegerman]

Maybe Natalia Makarova for On Your Toes (excluding her fabled dance career from "theatre"). Maybe the Billy Elliot boys.

[jetts7]

Hugh Jackman for "The Boy from Oz"

[finebydesign]

Reba should have been nominated for her replacement in Annie. Whoopi's Tony was her first show right?

[Wynbish]

Hugh Jackman? Really?

If we're expanding it to "won a Tony for Broadway/New York debut", that would be a sizeable list.

[ratherbewhaling]

Whoopi won a Tony for producing Millie

[SonofRobbieJ]

I feel like no one has read this question correctly.

Theatre debut. No Broadway debut. Like...first time setting foot on a stage. Let's add 'professional,' so as to discount high school theatre.

[taboo123]

Wilson Heredia RENT.. that count?

[Wynbish]

I feel like no one has read this question correctly.

Theatre debut. No Broadway debut. Like...first time setting foot on a stage. Let's add 'professional,' so as to discount high school theatre.

And not just anyone. A film/TV star.

[finebydesign]

I went younger:

Frankie Michaels
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankie_Michaels

Daisy Eagan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daisy_Eagan

Wikipedia doesn't mention them being plucked out of obscurity but maybe they were just cattle called?

[henrikegerman]

"Whoopi won a Tony for producing Millie"

Not Whoopi's first theater credit. It wasn't her first Broadway show. She had appeared previously in "Whoopi Goldberg" in 1984 and in "... Forum" (replacing Nathan Lane) in 1996.

[Joviedamian]

For Hugh Jackman--it only relates to Broadway. Jackman has done a great amount of stage work before, in London and Australia.

[Michael Bennett]

Not really a tv/film star but Jazz/Recording star Dee Dee Bridgewater won a Tony for THE WIZ which was her first theatrical role ever.