2026 Tony Nominee Joshua Henry Looks Back on 11 Broadway Shows, From In the Heights to Ragtime

Joshua Henry has four Tony nominations to his name, including his recent 2026 nod for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical as Coalhouse Walker Jr. in the Lincoln Center Theater revival of Ragtime. He was previously nominated for The Scottsboro Boys, Violet and Carousel. Ahead of the big night on June 7, Henry walked through his extensive resume with Broadway.com Editor-in-Chief Paul Wontorek. With 11 total credits—including in recorded voice only in "Cross the Line" for Bring It On: The Musical—Henry is genuinely joyful walking through Shubert Alley and seeing his friends and colleagues on the posters. Watch the video below to hear him reminisce about the memories made, the lessons learned and the food eaten along the way. "I really measure life in love and food. And art," Henry says.

On making his Broadway debut in the ensemble of In the Heights at the Richard Rodgers Theatre: "When I called my mom [to tell her] that I got this show, I was like, 'Mom, I'm in the ensemble of this show called In the Heights with this guy Lin-Manuel Miranda. If this is the only thing I ever do, I don't need to do any more.'"

On playing Favorite Son in American Idiot at the St. James Theatre: "The singing was wild. Flipping out of the TVs 12 feet above the stage in my underwear and landing, getting dressed on stage—that was fun."

On his first Broadway lead role as Haywood Patterson in The Scottsboro Boys at the Lyceum Theatre: "I was 26. As a young actor, it was great to be able to really show that many sides of me, and also reach into places that I hadn't reached into before. That role prepared me to do big roles like Aaron Burr [on the Hamilton national tour] and Billy Bigelow."

On reuniting with Colin Donnell in Ragtime, after working together in Violet in 2014: "I have one of the most important scenes with him towards the end of Ragtime, and it's just him and I on stage together. It makes me think about when we did Violet and we played Monty and Flick, the two soldiers."

On starring as Noble Sissle in Shuffle Along, or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed at the Music Box Theatre: "It was close to a three-hour show. George C. Wolfe was not shy about trying something. He was like, 'We have the time. Let's do it.'"

On starring as Billy Bigelow in Carousel at the Imperial Theatre: "My son was born at that time, when I was singing 'Soliloquy (My Boy Bill).' So for a while I called him my boy Samson. I have pictures with him on my shoulders on that stage."

On stepping into the role of Dr. Pomatter in Waitress at the Lena Horne Theatre (then the Brooks Atkinson): "Being able to sing Sara Bareilles' songs, some of my favorites like 'You Matter to Me,' with the incredible Ciara Renée was really, really, really special."

On playing Rapunzel's Prince in Into the Woods at the St. James Theatre: "Getting to do the goofiest scenes alongside the late, great Gavin Creel; so much heart in that show. Just the spontaneity, the fun. Backstage we were always sitting in the wings looking at each other, and Gavin would just be like, 'Can you believe how lucky we are that we get to do this? Isn't this crazy?' And that's how I feel."

On his connection to Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theater: "My first time I was there, I was in the top seats watching The Light in the Piazza with Victoria Clark. First trip to New York. So I always play up to the top seat no matter what, because I want to be mindful of the young artists who have dreams like I did."

On his 2026 Tony-nominated turn as Coalhouse Walker Jr. in Ragtime: "Having a dream, having kids, having a life that's separate from the theater—a place where I go to get love and acceptance and belonging—has made a big difference in the way that I play Coalhouse. He goes to some incredibly joyous places and some really dark places, but at the end of the day, I know that I can go home to a family. And that is the dream that Coalhouse is singing about. I see their faces. I feel their heartbeats when I come home."

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