Alex Sharp, 25, won this year’s Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play and has dedicated his award to young people who stand out or who feel misunderstood.
“This play is about a young person who is different and who is misunderstood and I just want to dedicate this to any young person out there who feels misunderstood or who feels different and answer that question at the end of the play for you, does that mean I can do anything? Yes it does,” he said.
Newcomer Sharp won his first Tony for his role of Christopher in the play-adaptation of the international best-seller The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by British novelist Mark Haddon. The play follows Christopher, a teenager with an Asperger-like syndrome, as he tries to solve the mystery of who killed his neighbor’s dog.
A Curious Incident cleaned up at Sunday’s award ceremony, winning Best Play and Best Lighting Design of a Play. The Best Direction of a Play award also went to director Marianne Elliott.
See all the winners from the 2015 Tony Awards here.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- How Donald Trump Won
- The Best Inventions of 2024
- Why Sleep Is the Key to Living Longer
- Robert Zemeckis Just Wants to Move You
- How to Break 8 Toxic Communication Habits
- Nicola Coughlan Bet on Herself—And Won
- Why Vinegar Is So Good for You
- Meet TIME's Newest Class of Next Generation Leaders
Write to Helen Regan at helen.regan@timeasia.com