10 Shocking Celebrity Broadway Winners: Surprise Theater Award Victors at Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards

Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards, launched in 2000, let fans vote online for theater favorites, often crowning celebrity Broadway winners in surprise theater award wins. These honors span leading roles, divas, and breakthroughs, drawing Hollywood to Broadway's lights.

1. Julia Roberts' Unexpected 2006 Triumph

Julia Roberts debuted in Three Days of Rain, Richard Greenberg's drama of family secrets across 1960 and 1995. Her dual roles—a bohemian mother and repressed daughter—earned Favorite Leading Actress in a Play. Bradley Cooper co-starred, winning Featured Actor too, in the Bernard Jacobs Theatre's 119-performance run. Fans packed houses to watch the "Pretty Woman" star go live.

• Key details:
  • Directed by Joe Mantello
  • Opened April 6, 2006
  • Viral backstage acceptance with Cooper

2. Robin Williams Channels a Philosophical Tiger

Robin Williams voiced a cigar-loving tiger in Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo (2011), blending laughs with war's despair for Favorite Leading Actor in a Musical. A shift from "Mrs. Doubtfire", it ran 208 shows at the Richard Rodgers.

3. Jane Fonda Dives into Beethoven's World

Jane Fonda played a dying scholar decoding Beethoven's Diabelli Variations in 33 Variations (2009), taking Favorite Leading Actress in a Play. Her fire echoed "Klute" over 126 Eugene O'Neill performances.

4. Dolly Parton's Diva Energy in 9 to 5

Dolly Parton wrote, scored, and played villain Roz in "9 to 5 The Musical" (2009), nabbing Favorite Diva Performance. The smash hit logged 759 Marquis shows.

• Parton standouts:
  • "Backwoods Barbie" composer
  • Spot-on nasal accent
  • Short but electric stint

5. Chris Evans Trades Capes for Moral Gray Areas

Chris Evans navigated lies as a doorman in "Lobby Hero" (2018), winning Featured Actor in a Play. Kenneth Lonergan's script from "Manchester by the Sea" ran 62 Helen Hayes shows.

6. Carrie Fisher's Solo Confession

Carrie Fisher unpacked "Star Wars" fame, addiction, and bipolar life in "Wishful Drinking" (2010), earning Favorite Solo Performance over 312 Studio 54 runs.

7. Bette Midler's Dolly-fies Broadway

Bette Midler won two for "Hello, Dolly! "(2017)—Favorite Leading Actress in a Musical and Diva Performance—in a $280M Shubert revival.

8. Sally Field's Heart-Wrenching Amanda

Sally Field's desperate Amanda in "The Glass Menagerie" (2017) secured Favorite Leading Actress in a Play, echoing "Norma Rae".

9. Mark Ruffalo's Iceman Marathon

Mark Ruffalo endured "The Iceman Cometh" (2017) as Larry Slade, voted Favorite Leading Actor in over 110 sold-out shows.

10. Bradley Cooper's Pre-Fame Spark

Bradley Cooper's role opposite Roberts in "Three Days of Rain" won Featured Actor in a Play, hinting at "A Star Is Born" charisma.

Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards Keep Delivering Surprises
Kit Connor's three 2025 wins for "Romeo + Juliet" and "Death Becomes Her's" six show the trend continues. Playbill notes these fan picks reveal Hollywood's stage secrets.