'I Wanted to Tell My Mom': Mia Farrow Talks First Tony Award Nomination at 80 for The Roommate

When the 2025 Tony Award nominations were announced, Mia Farrow wasn't watching a livestream or refreshing her social media feeds—she was simply washing her hair. So when her publicist, Marie Bshara, called with the surprising news that Farrow had earned her first-ever Tony nomination for her acclaimed performance in the now-closed play The Roommate, she was stunned.

"I didn’t even know what I said," Farrow recalled. "Then after I hung up the phone, I thought, 'Can I tell anyone?' I wanted to tell my mom. Of all the people in my life, she would’ve been the happiest."

Farrow's love for theater began early, nurtured by her mother, late actress Maureen O’Sullivan. As a teenager, Farrow spent evenings backstage while her mother starred in Never Too Late at Broadway’s Playhouse Theatre. "She was staying in a hotel, so we had some really good food," Farrow reminisced with a laugh. It was during one of those backstage visits that Farrow impulsively accompanied an understudy friend to an audition—and unexpectedly landed a role in an off-Broadway production of The Importance of Being Earnest. That whim ignited a career spanning six decades, iconic screen roles and finally, at age 80, her first Tony nod.

In Jen Silverman's The Roommate at the Booth Theatre, Farrow starred opposite Broadway legend and three-time Tony winner Patti LuPone. Farrow portrayed Sharon, a reserved Iowa woman adjusting to an empty nest, while LuPone played Robyn, a charismatic newcomer with a mysterious past. Their chemistry infused the play with warmth, humor and humanity. "I never thought about awards," Farrow said candidly. "Patti said early on, 'Forget the Tonys!' and I thought, 'Sure, I wasn’t even thinking about it.' We were just getting through each night."

Yet Farrow’s heartfelt, nuanced performance resonated deeply with audiences—including her son, Pulitzer-winning journalist Ronan Farrow, who attended multiple performances. "He just thinks I’m the best actor in the world," Farrow said, smiling warmly. "He started talking Tonys and I told him, 'Please, don’t.' I didn’t want to disappoint him. But this really was a big deal for me."

Though she’s best known for her film career, theater has always been Farrow’s passion. Her stage credentials include training with the Royal Shakespeare Company, off-Broadway productions and summer stock performances in Ohio. "I think I’m more comfortable on the stage," Farrow admitted. "I feel it more. It was a joy."

Her joy during The Roommate was amplified by her friendship with LuPone. The pair had a charming pre-show ritual: checking the audience, sharing a prayer and hugging backstage. LuPone always peeked out to make sure her beloved "gay boys" were in attendance so the jokes would land. "I hope I have gay boys too," Farrow laughed. (You absolutely do, Mia.)

The play’s limited run created an intimate, almost surreal bubble for Farrow. "I was in a hotel, then the dressing room, then the stage, then back to the hotel," she recalled. "I didn’t drink caffeine, no wine—just tried to stay healthy and present." And she eagerly took LuPone's notes: "Patti said to try hitting one line harder. I did, and the laugh got bigger. That’s theater."

Approaching Tony night as a first-time nominee, Farrow remains humble and slightly overwhelmed. "To sit at a table with all those people, artists who risk their careers every time they open a play, it’s extraordinary," she reflected. "The Broadway community is the kindest, most supportive group I’ve ever known. In a time when our country feels so fragile, doing that play every night felt like an act of hope."

What's next? Farrow shrugged: "I don’t plan. Life doesn’t work that way. But if the right play came along, yes. It takes a lot. You give your whole life to it for a while. But yes."

On Tony night, she'll be nervous about posing on the red carpet—"I'm a bit introverted," she confessed—but she'll be there. And for audiences who've cherished her for decades, Farrow's presence at the Tonys is more than a thrill—it’s a celebration long overdue.