Tony Awards Close-Up: SIX DEGREES Star Corey Hawkins is Counting the Reasons for His Awards Season Joy

Starring alongside acting greats like Allison Janney and John Benjamin Hickey, Tony nominee Corey Hawkins has held his own in one of the standout performances of the season in Six Degrees of Separation. Below, watch as he explains his whirlwind journey and why the project has been a dream come true.

Hawkins first gained recognition with his breakout performance as iconic music producer and hip hop legend Dr. Dre in F. Gary Gray's N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton. Produced by Legendary and distributed by Universal Pictures, the film spent three consecutive weeks in the #1 spot at the box office and is the highest-grossing music biopic in history, making over $201 million worldwide. Hawkins stars as Eric Carter in the new iteration of Fox's "24" franchise, "24: Legacy," alongside Miranda Otto and Jimmy Smits. On stage, Hawkins most recently starred on Broadway as Tybalt in David Leveaux's revival of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, opposite Orlando Bloom and Condola Rashad. He also starred in Hurt Village at Signature Theatre, and Suicide Incorporated at The Roundabout.

Inspired by a true story, the play follows the trail of a young con man, Paul (Hawkins), who insinuates himself into the lives of a wealthy New York couple, Ouisa and Flan Kittredge (Janney and Hickey), saying he knows their son at college. Claiming he's the son of actor Sidney Poitier, Paul tells them he has just been mugged and all his money is gone.

The American Theatre Wing's 71st Annual Tony Awards will air live from Radio City Music Hall on the CBS Television Network on Sunday, June 11, 2017 (8:00-11:00 PM, ET/delayed PT), hosted by Tony winner Kevin Spacey.