First-Time Tony Nominee Stephanie Hsu Is Giving Janet Weiss a Queer Little Glow-Up in The Rocky Horror Show

She might have an Academy Award nomination, but 2026 Tony nominee Stephanie Hsu has always been a thespian at heart. For her performance as Janet Weiss in Sam Pinkleton’s revival of The Rocky Horror Show, Hsu is a first-time nominee. She made her Broadway debut originating the role of Karen the Computer in SpongeBob SquarePants and rose to fame playing the lovably awkward Christine Canigula in Be More Chill off-Broadway, reprising the role when the production transferred to Broadway. From theater kid to computer and now Broadway's newest Janet, Hsu has range. She spoke to The Broadway Show host Tamsen Fadal at the Grand Salon at the Waldorf Astoria Residences New York about her nomination and starring in her first-ever revival.

When Pinkleton set out to cast the show, his goal was to assemble a group so eclectic, no one would have thought to piece them together. “I always felt I could find my artistic self in creating new work," Hsu tells Fadal. "But getting to do a revival, what's so special is you have 53 years of history and of research of a bunch of different people's take on something. And with Rocky Horror, you get to sort of funnel all the opinions that people have about this show and then find a way to make it your own.” Hsu is certainly making the traditionally all-American naïf her own, but not without help from her director.

Pinkleton had a vision for Janet as “an awakened sapphic creature, and she's definitely Frank 2.0,” Hsu says. How she achieves this Transylvanian upgrade is a testament to her Tony-nominated performance. “Someone said to me the other day that she was like a grounded clown ingénue and I feel really honored by that,” Hsu says.

Another honor is, of course, the Tony nomination itself. “I really feel the support from the community. I've been doing theater for a long time, really started in basements and off-Broadway, which I'm deeply proud of. Returning to Broadway after a foray into film and TV, I've really felt the community embrace me and I just love this project so deeply. It holds so much of my weird and it feels really special that it's being recognized.”

Hsu aIso ackowledges her famed predecessor in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Susan Sarandon, who she met shortly after being cast. "She is so amazing and I am such a huge fan of hers. To get to continue the legacy of her and Janet was such an honor," Hsu says. "I feel really grateful to be walking in shoes that she's walked in before."

As Hsu sorts out the details leading up to the big night—who is she wearing, bringing and thanking—she flashes back to her most recent Tonys experience, alongside a familiar face. “The last time I was at the Tonys, I presented with Luke Evans and that was the first time I ever met Luke,” she says of her Tony-nominated Rocky Horror co-star. “It's a really beautiful full circle moment that we get to share this together and I'm just really excited.” At the time, who would have imagined them one day sharing a Broadway stage? If Pinkleton’s intention held true, hopefully no one.

GET TO KNOW THE TONY FIRST-TIMERS
Left to Right: MARLA MINDELLE - Titanique | CAISSIE LEVY - Ragtime | CHRISTIANI PITTS - Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) | STEPHANIE HSU - The Rocky Horror Show | SARA CHASE - Schmigadoon!

Watch the June 3 episode of The Broadway Show with Tamsen Fadal, highlighting all five first-time Tony nominees for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical, and check out the complete gallery of photos from our exclusive Broadway.com photo shoot below.

The Broadway Show Credits: Directed by Zack R. Smith | Producers: Paul Wontorek and Beth Stevens | Senior Producers: Caitlin Moynihan and Lindsey Sullivan | Videographers: Jessica Arena, Pablo Esteves, Eddie Lebron, Nick Shakra and Ryan Windess | Audio: Drew James | Gaffer: Alicia Esposito
Photo Credits: Photography by Jenny Anderson | Photo Assistants: Laurel Hinton, Lindsey Kelly and Shawn Salley | Location: The Grand Salon at the Waldorf Astoria Residences New York
Hair and Makeup Credits: Morgan Blaul, L. Monique Rance, Rachel Roberts and Angella Valentine
Styling Credits: Styling: Emma Pritchard | Suit: Et Ochs | Earrings: Alex Monroe Jewellery | Custom Lapel Pin: Dauphines of New York | Socks: Calzedonia | Shoes: Stuart Weitzman

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