Gillian Anderson and Sir Ian Mckellen have scored top acting nominations for the 2019 Olivier Awards.
The X-Files star has been nominated for Best Actress for her portrayal of Margo Channing, the role made famous by Bette Davis, in the stage adaptation of 1950 film All About Eve. She faces tough competition from Sophie Okonedo, who recently won the Evening Standard Theatre Award for Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra, as well as Eileen Atkins for The Height Of The Storm, Katherine Parkinson for Home, I’m Darling, and Patsy Ferran for Summer And Smoke.
McKellen landed a Best Actor nomination for his lead role in Shakespeare’s King Lear, and will go up against Adam Godley, Ben Miles and Simon Russell Beale, who are jointly nominated for The Lehman Trilogy, plus Arinze Kene (Misty), Kyle Soller (The Inheritance), and David Suchet (The Price).
The Inheritance, directed by Stephen Daldry, was the most-nominated play with eight, while Come From Away and Company, a gender-switched revival of the Stephen Sondheim musical, came top with nine nods each.
Some of the nominations for Company included Best Musical Revival as well as acting mentions for lead actress Rosalie Craig and her supporting stars Patti LuPone, Richard Fleeshman and Jonathan Bailey.
Other nominees for Best Musical Revival were Caroline, Or Change and The King and I, which helped score nominations for its lead stars Ken Watanabe, Kelli O’Hara, and Ruthie Ann Miles.
Besides Come From Away, the Best New Musical nominees included Fun Home, Six, and Tina – The Tina Turner Musical, which earned star Adrienne Warren a nomination for Best Actress in a Musical.
The Inheritance is up for Best New Play alongside The Lehman Trilogy, Misty, and Sweat, while King Lear, The Lieutenant Of Inishmore, The Price and Summer And Smoke will compete for Best Revival.
Comedian Jason Manford will host the awards show on 7 April (19) at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
The main list of nominees is as follows:
Best New Play:
The Inheritance
The Lehman Trilogy
Misty
Sweat
Best Revival:
King Lear
The Lieutenant Of Inishmore
The Price
Summer And Smoke
Best New Musical:
Come From Away
Fun Home
Six
Tina – The Tina Turner Musical
Best Musical Revival:
Caroline, Or Change
Company
The King And I
Best New Comedy:
Home, I’m Darling
Nine Night
Quiz
Best Actor:
Adam Godley, Ben Miles and Simon Russell Beale – The Lehman Trilogy
Arinze Kene – Misty
Ian McKellen – King Lear
Kyle Soller – The Inheritance
David Suchet – The Price
Best Actress:
Gillian Anderson – All About Eve
Eileen Atkins – The Height Of The Storm
Patsy Ferran – Summer And Smoke
Sophie Okonedo – Antony And Cleopatra
Katherine Parkinson – Home, I’m Darling
Best Actor in a Supporting Role:
Keir Charles – Quiz
Adam Gillen – Killer Joe
Adrian Lukis – The Price
Malcolm Sinclair – Pressure
Chris Walley – The Lieutenant Of Inishmore
Best Actress in a Supporting Role:
Susan Brown – Home, I’m Darling
Monica Dolan – All About Eve
Cecilia Noble – Nine Night
Vanessa Redgrave – The Inheritance
Best Actor in a Musical:
Marc Antolin – Little Shop Of Horrors
Kobna Holdbrook-Smith – Tina – The Tina Turner Musical
Zubin Varla – Fun Home
Ken Watanabe – The King And I
Best Actress in a Musical:
Sharon D. Clarke – Caroline, Or Change
Rosalie Craig – Company
Kelli O’Hara – The King And I
Adrienne Warren – Tina – The Tina Turner Musical
Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical:
Jonathan Bailey – Company
Clive Carter – Come From Away
Richard Fleeshman – Company
Robert Hands – Come From Away
Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical
Patti LuPone – Company
Ruthie Ann Miles – The King And I
“The Queens” – Six
Rachel Tucker – Come From Away
Sir Peter Hall Award for Best Director:
Christopher Ashley – Come From Away
Stephen Daldry – The Inheritance
Marianne Elliott – Company
Rebecca Frecknall – Summer And Smoke
Sam Mendes – The Lehman Trilogy
