Ariana DeBose, Michael R. Jackson & Andrew Garfield Among Time 100 Most Influential People

A slew of stage stars were named on this year's Time 100, Time magazine's list of the most influential people in the world. The list was announced on May 22 and includes names like A Strange Loop Tony nominee and Pulitzer Prize winner Michael R. Jackson, Oscar winner and upcoming Tony host Ariana DeBose, Tony winner Andrew Garfield, current Plaza Suite star Sarah Jessica Parker and more. Each artist was honored with a tribute written by a fellow trailblazer. Read the notes below!

Tony and Emmy-winning actor Billy Porter praised Jackson for the power of A Strange Loop. "When I saw Michael R. Jackson’s musical A Strange Loop off-Broadway, I saw myself in the lead character of Usher. It was the first time I had ever seen a contemporary musical investigate this particular human being—from his feelings of unworthiness to his relationship with his Tyler Perry–loving, churchgoing mother. I felt so inspired... To have a musical about a Black, overweight, out queer man is the change. And this year, it’s the one with the most Tony nominations. So Michael: thank you for being brave and bold, from the bottom of my heart."

Tony winner Kristin Chenoweth shared her love for DeBose, who she recently shared the screen with on Schmigadoon!. "Ariana DeBose is what I call a quadruple threat: she’s not only a dancer, an actress, and a singer, but also kind. I first became aware of her when I saw her as the Bullet in Hamilton. The role requires her to move in slow motion—and so creative was she! It took such physical strength. I leapt. I could barely leave the theater: I wanted to see her slow-motion movement again. More recently, we were both cast in the TV show Schmigadoon! I got to know the woman: silly, funny, not afraid of what anyone thinks. No fear. She inspired me to be the best I could be at my role. As the first openly queer woman of color to win an Oscar for acting, for West Side Story, she’s a trailblazer. I think she’ll one day win an EGOT. Ariana’s as authentic as they come, and whatever she does next, I will be cheering from fifth-row center. They’ll have to throw me out for screaming for her and clapping so loud. So go for it, baby girl!" 

Oscar-winning filmmaker Martin Scorsese penned his admiration for Garfield, who starred in the director's 2016 film Silence. "Casting the lead in my adaptation of Silence was not easy: the role was demanding on every level. When Andrew Garfield came to audition, I could see right away that he understood the character of Rodrigues. He gave all of himself to the role. In preparation, he actually completed the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, which is quite an undertaking. Once we started work, I understood that Andrew could get to any emotional level the story called for, sometimes immediately. I developed a sense of confidence and trust in him that I’ve found all too rarely. Quite often, when we were getting ready to shoot one of the many emotionally difficult scenes that Andrew and I had painstakingly worked on for months, I found myself checking in with him, seeing that he had gotten himself into the zone, and then just leaving him be. Sometimes I just listened. I knew that he was giving the moment exactly what it needed. He’s a remarkable artist, one of the greats of his generation."

Tony, Grammy and Emmy winner Cynthia Nixon gave insight on her longtime co-star Sarah Jessica Parker. "When Sarah Jessica Parker and I first met in 1977, she was roller-skate-skinny, in two long braids and nondescript kids’ clothing. She was smart, disciplined, humble and clearly super talented. She was studying ballet, and the grace from that was evident then, as now, in every part of her body. Grownup Sarah Jessica has style for days and is daring when it comes to fashion. She likes to play with clothes but doesn’t play it safe.  She isn’t tall, but she is a giant—as a performer, producer and businesswoman. And she is, quite simply, beloved. We love her glamour, her vulnerability, her fearless oh-so-skilled physical comedy, her sexiness, and her sweetness. But most of all, we love the essence of who she is. Myself included."

Check out the full list here.