New Curious Incident Star Tyler Lea on His Plant Obsession and the Book Alex Sharp Gave Him

Age: 27

Hometown: Pinehurst, NC

Current Role: A powerhouse Broadway debut in the Tony-winning The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time as Christopher Boone, a 15-year-old on the autism spectrum, who confronts harsh family realities.

Stage Cred: After graduating from University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Lea appeared off-Broadway in The Family Room at the ArcLight Theater and in Shakespeare’s R+J at San Diego’s Cygnet Theatre.

"I went to vacation bible school. We had to do a play there. I chickened out and ran off the stage and sat with my mom. I was crying, and I hated it. Once we got home, I felt so guilty that they didn’t get to see me in the play that I did my part for them."

"Alex [Sharp] is a great guy. He gave me The Alchemist; he liked to read it during his run. He also wrote me a letter about Christopher. There’s definitely pressure from following a Tony winner, but the more important thing is that the character is beloved by whoever sees the show."

"Christopher is an everyman. People are inspired by him because everyone has something that makes them feel different. Christopher's way more confident than I am. He believes in himself way more than I do. Finding that is the heart of the role."

"I really like terrariums. I feel so nerdy, but it’s relaxing to have my plants. My dad was always into that kind of stuff. Our backyard was always landscaped with awesome plants. My green thumb comes from that. So my yard up here is my terrarium."

"My mom was basically hyperventilating when she came to my dressing room after seeing it. But she might have been more excited for Henry Winkler when he came. She used the whole 'My son’s in the show, can I have a picture with you?'"

"I worked in in-room dining services. I had the breakfast shift. I actually worked at the Steak ‘n Shake outside the Ed Sullivan Theatre for a hot second. That was a scary time. But I’m living a dream right now."