Joe Turner's Come and Gone Tony Nominee Ruben Santiago-Hudson on His Career: 'I Made My Mama Proud'
The Tony winner shares stories of struggle, gratitude and artistic purpose
(Photo by Segio Villarini for Broadway.com)
What to Know
- Tony winner and four-time nominee Ruben Santiago-Hudson earned a 2026 Tony nomination for playing Bynum Walker in Broadway’s revival of August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
- Santiago-Hudson reflected on his decades-long career in theater, saying his success came from perseverance, hard work and “doing the right thing,” while continuing to fight for new creative opportunities on Broadway and beyond
- The acclaimed actor, writer and director revealed that the Smithsonian plans to archive his career achievements, marking a major milestone as he also prepares to write the screenplay adaptation of Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Ruben Santiago-Hudson, a Tony winner for August Wilson's Seven Guitars and four-time nominee, achieved this impressive feat by being himself. “As my buddy, Stephen McKinley Henderson said, ‘Being righteous, just doing the right thing, that doesn't always win,’” he told Broadway.com Editor-in-Chief Paul Wontorek. “I'm proof that it does win. I don't mean awards, but in life.”
Santiago-Hudson earned his latest nomination for playing Bynum Walker in the Broadway revival of Wilson's Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, directed by Debbie Allen and starring Taraji P. Henson and Cedric the Entertainer. This is Santiago-Hudson’s fourth time acting in a Wilson play on Broadway, and he will write the screenplay for Joe Turner when Allen directs the film version.
“It's like coming home again,” Santiago-Hudson said of returning to the work of the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright who was his friend and mentor. “Just living in the words every night and those characters. I mean, I'm in love with all these characters.”
Santiago-Hudson has gotten to play some dream roles throughout his impressive career, but it has not been without struggle. “I have goals, but I'm still fighting," he said. “I'm still fighting for theaters, fighting for investments, fighting to do the work that I want to do.”
While Santiago-Hudson campaigns for future projects, his past shines as bright as new money. “About two, three years ago, I got a call from the Smithsonian, who said they wanted to archive my career,” he recalled. “I said, ‘I'm being punked, right?’ They said, ‘No.’ Then they started talking about what I've done, and it brought tears to my eyes because when you're in the hustle, when you're in the struggles, you're not taking inventory, but I had to take inventory, and I had to start looking at what this career has been, what it has meant to me and what I have meant to it. And I realized, 'Wow, I'm really blessed. I did good. I made my mama proud.'”
Watch the full interview below!
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