Chess Nominee Nicholas Christopher Says Lea Michele and Aaron Tveit Lifted Him Through Tony Season

For Nicholas Christopher, the Tony nomination still doesn’t quite feel real. “You don’t do it for the awards, you don’t do it for the recognition, you do it for the art,” the first-time nominee tells Broadway.com Editor-in-Chief Paul Wontorek with a laugh. “But then they call your name on Tony morning and you’re like, ‘This is what I’ve been waiting for!’”

Christopher earned his nomination for playing the conflicted chess master Anatoly in the Broadway revival of Chess, the buzzy musical revival co-starring Lea Michele and Aaron Tveit. The production, which recently announced it will close on June 21, became one of the season’s most passionate fan obsessions, with theatergoers loudly predicting Christopher’s nomination months before it happened.

It’s hard to stay just focused on the work, Christopher admits of the growing hype around his performance. But he says what he’ll remember most from this whirlwind award season is the generosity of his co-stars, sharing disappointment that they didn’t receive acting nominations.

“I think what’s going to be most memorable is the selfless support that Lea and Aaron are giving me right now,” he says. “Both of them have really shown their true, beautiful humility.”

Christopher says Tveit reached out with advice from his own Tony-winning experience. “Aaron lending his support of saying, ‘I’ve been through this before, so if you need anything…’” he recalls. As for Michele, “Lea just has this endless generosity of spirit in a way that surprises me more and more every day.”

As Chess heads toward its final performance, Christopher says the experience has reminded him to stay grounded amid the chaos of Tony season, saying he aims to “allow this to fill me up but not dictate who I am.”

Watch the full interview below!

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