In 2020, 89-year-old Lois Smith became the oldest actor to ever score a Tony nomination for her performance in The Inheritance. The record was previously held by 88-year-old Cicely Tyson for The Trip to Bountiful in 2013.
If June Squibb, age 96, cracks the Tony lineup this year for Marjorie Prime, she’d put Smith’s record to shame, beating it by seven years.
In Jordan Harrison’s play, Squibb plays an elderly widow at the end of her life who embraces technology in the hopes of preserving her memory. When the play originally debuted off-Broadway in 2015, the aforementioned Lois Smith received a Drama Desk nomination for Distinguished Performance for her portrayal of the same titular role.
Second Stage Theater’s main stem premiere had a limited run this past winter. Critics agreed that Squibb’s performance is worthy of a Tony nom. Johnny Oleksinski (New York Post) found her “astonishing.” Adam Feldman (Time Out) thought she gave “a remarkable performance that combines frostiness and fogginess into a firm coat of rime.” And Chris Jones (New York Daily News) felt she was “implacably excellent.”
According to Gold Derby’s current predictions, Squibb has an 89% chance of making the lineup for Best Featured Actress in a Play for Marjorie Prime. She’s sitting right behind Laurie Metcalf (Death of a Salesman) at 98%, and ahead of Betsy Aidem (Liberation), Cynthia Nixon (also for Marjorie Prime), and Kara Young (Proof).
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If, as expected, Squibb secures the bid when nominations are announced on May 5, she would join the following performers on the list of oldest Tony-nominated actors:
- Lois Smith, age 89, for The Inheritance in 2020 — win
- Cicely Tyson, age 88, for The Trip to Bountiful in 2013 — win
- Estelle Parsons, age 86, for The Velocity of Autumn in 2014
- Angela Lansbury, age 84, for A Little Night Music in 2010
- Angela Lansbury, age 83, for Blithe Spirit in 2009 — win
While this would be Squibb’s first Tony nod, she is no stranger to awards, receiving Oscar, Golden Globe, Critics Choice, and Actor Award nominations for Nebraska (2013). She is also a two-time Independent Spirit Award nominee for Nebraska and last year’s Thelma.
