Sarah Paulson Gives Shout Out to Partner Holland Taylor as She Wins Her First Tony: 'Thank You for Loving Me'

Paulson has a new award to add to her shelf, nabbing her first-ever Tony on Sunday, June 16

Sarah Paulson’s return to Broadway is a hit!

The Appropriate star, 49, won her first-ever Tony Award for best performance by a leading actress in a play on Sunday, June 16, in New York City.

Paulson took the stage at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center to accept the trophy for her role in the Branden Jacobs-Jenkins play as Toni, the eldest child of the Lafayette family, who tries to reconnect with her siblings while sorting out her late father’s estate in Arkansas.

"Holland, thank you for loving me," she said to partner Holland Taylor, 81, in her acceptance speech.

She went on to thank the cast and creators of Appropriate, which also earned the 2024 Tony Awards for best revival of a play and best lighting design of a play.

Related: Tony Awards 2024: See the Complete List of Winners, from Merrily We Roll Along to Angelina Jolie and More

"I am standing here tonight because of the mighty talent that is Branden Jacobs-Jenkins," said Paulson. "I will never be able to convey to you my gratitude to you for trusting me.

She continued, "Some nights when I am backstage... I think about the walls of theaters all over this magical town holding the impact of each and every one of you in this room and all of those who came before. And I think how lucky those walls are to bear witness to the relentless interrogation of human experience that we endeavor to explore nightly for each other."

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Related: Sarah Paulson Celebrates Broadway Premiere with Girlfriend Holland Taylor: 'My Person'

This is Paulson’s first Tony nomination and win. She previously clinched a Desk Drama Award for outstanding lead performer in a play and Drama League Award for distinguished performance, for the same role.

The play also marks her first Broadway performance in more than a decade; Paulson previously starred in Collected Stories in 2010 and The Glass Menagerie in 2005.

Written by Jacobs-Jenkins, a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, Appropriate also features Corey Stoll, Michael Esper, Ella Beatty, Elle Fanning and Natalie Gold. It was originally written in 2013 and had numerous productions around the country and internationally, before landing on Broadway in December 2023.

Related: Alicia Keys, Jim Parsons and More 2024 Tony Awards Hopefuls React to Their Nominations: 'This Is Wild'

Earlier this month, Jacobs-Jenkins, 39, spoke with Vogue about Appropriate, including its casting and the audience’s reception.

“Sarah, at her heart and in her origins, is a theater artist — an actual artist, who is interested in pushing envelopes and upending expectations about what people can and cannot do," he said. "So I think, in some ways, she was the perfect person for this play."

Appropriate sold out during its initial run and three-week extension at Broadway's Hayes Theater, prompting the production company to transfer the play to the Belasco Theater for an additional 13-week run through June 23.

Tickets for Appropriate are on sale now at appropriateplay.com.

The 77th Tony Awards, hosted by Ariana DeBose, are airing live on CBS and Paramount+.

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