June Squibb has made history as the oldest person ever to be nominated for a Tony acting award, thanks to her role in Marjorie Prime. At 96, she surpasses the previous record holder, Lois Smith, who was nominated in 2020 at the age of 89.
The veteran actress said she was "thrilled with what this nomination will do for my career" and wished to share it "with everyone who worked so hard to bring Marjorie Prime back to life". Her co-star, Danny Burstein, also became the most nominated male actor in Tony Award history, with Squibb saying she was "over the moon" for him.
Squibb is nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play, alongside Betsy Aidem, Marylouise Burke, Aya Cash and Laurie Metcalfe. In Marjorie Prime, she plays an elderly woman with dementia who uses an AI hologram of her late husband to preserve her memories.
Although she began her career on the stage in the 1950s, including a Broadway debut in the original production of Gypsy in 1959, Squibb only became a household name in later years through films such as Nebraska and Thelma. Amid the news of her nomination, rare photos of her as a young woman have circulated on social media, including throwbacks she has shared on Instagram from her days at the Cleveland Play House and a 1960s production of Silk Stockings.
Speaking about her recent career resurgence, Squibb attributed it to a "greater interest in the aging process" and more roles for older women. She told The Guardian: "There's more work for people my age than ever before." As for retiring, she said: "I do keep wondering: 'Well, gosh, how much longer will I keep doing this?' I have no answer for that. I'm not saying I don't want to retire, but people keep asking me to do things, and so I do them."
