Entertainment

This 'Dawson's Creek' Star Is Nominated For A 2017 Tony

by Amy Mackelden
Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

When it comes to '90s TV, Dawson's Creek remains a classic. Since the show finished its six season run in 2003, members of the cast haven't struggled to get work — or acclaim. In fact, an unforgettable Dawson's Creek star has been nominated for a Tony Award, and fans are going to freak out. You guys, Jen's guardian, Evelyn Ryan, also know as Grams, is up for a Tony Award in 2017, and she totally deserves to win. After all, Grams has always been one of the best loved characters on the famed The WB show.

Mary Beth Peil, who portrayed the stern but fair Grams throughout all six seasons of Dawson's Creek, is a prolific performer. She also played another iconic TV character, appearing on The Good Wife as Alicia Florrick's mother-in-law Jackie, who was essentially Grams but wearing couture and pearls. Alongside her memorable TV work, Peil has had a successful stage career and has also appeared in several movies. So, really, it should be unsurprising that her talent is being recognized again.

Peil is nominated in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical category for her part in new musical Anastasia. The show is based on the classic 1997 animation, about a woman that claims to be a missing Russian princess who was long thought to be dead. Peil plays Anastasia's grandmother, Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, who was famously voiced by Angela Lansbury in the movie. In the emotional role, she gets to showcase the full range of her talents.

This isn't the first time that the actor has been nominated for a Tony Award. In 1985, she received a nomination for her role as Anna in The King & I. Hopefully, 2017 will be the year that Peil takes home a Tony, as everyone can agree that Grams deserves to win.

A Doll's House, Part 2 Indecent Oslo Sweat

Check out the full list below.

BEST PLAY

  • A Doll's House, Part 2
  • Indecent
  • Oslo
  • Sweat

BEST MUSICAL

  • Come From Away
  • Dear Evan Hansen
  • Groundhog Day The Musical
  • Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL

  • Come From Away
  • Dear Evan Hansen
  • Groundhog Day The Musical
  • Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE (MUSIC AND/OR LYRICS) WRITTEN FOR THE THEATRE

  • Come From Away
  • Dear Evan Hansen
  • Groundhog Day The Musical
  • Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
  • Best Revival of a Play
  • August Wilson's Jitney
  • Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes
  • Present Laughter
  • Six Degrees of Separation

BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL

  • Falsettos
  • Hello, Dolly!
  • Miss Saigon

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A PLAY

  • Denis Arndt, Heisenberg
  • Chris Cooper, A Doll's House, Part 2
  • Corey Hawkins, Six Degrees of Separation
  • Kevin Kline, Present Laughter
  • Jefferson Mays, Oslo

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A PLAY

  • Cate Blanchett, The Present
  • Jennifer Ehle, Oslo
  • Sally Field, The Glass Menagerie
  • Laura Linney, Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes
  • Laurie Metcalf, A Doll's House, Part 2

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL

  • Christian Borle, Falsettos
  • Josh Groban, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
  • Andy Karl, Groundhog Day The Musical
  • David Hyde Pierce, Hello, Dolly!
  • Ben Platt, Dear Evan Hansen

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL

  • Denée Benton, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
  • Christine Ebersole, War Paint
  • Patti LuPone, War Paint
  • Bette Midler, Hello, Dolly!
  • Eva Noblezada, Miss Saigon

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAY

  • Michael Aronov, Oslo
  • Danny DeVito, Arthur Miller's The Price
  • Nathan Lane, The Front Page
  • Richard Thomas, Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes
  • John Douglas Thompson, August Wilson's Jitney

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAY

  • Johanna Day, Sweat
  • Jayne Houdyshell, A Doll's House, Part 2
  • Cynthia Nixon, Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes
  • Condola Rashad, A Doll's House, Part 2
  • Michelle Wilson, Sweat

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICAL

  • Gavin Creel, Hello, Dolly!
  • Mike Faist, Dear Evan Hansen
  • Andrew Rannells, Falsettos
  • Lucas Steele, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
  • Brandon Uranowitz, Falsettos

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICAL

  • Kate Baldwin, Hello, Dolly!
  • Stephanie J. Block, Falsettos
  • Jenn Colella, Come From Away
  • Rachel Bay Jones, Dear Evan Hansen
  • Mary Beth Peil, Anastasia

BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A PLAY

  • David Gallo, August Wilson's Jitney
  • Nigel Hook, The Play That Goes Wrong
  • Douglas W. Schmidt, The Front Page
  • Michael Yeargan, Oslo

BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A MUSICAL

  • Rob Howell, Groundhog Day The Musical
  • David Korins, War Paint
  • Mimi Lien, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
  • Santo Loquasto, Hello, Dolly!

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A PLAY

  • Jane Greenwood, Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes
  • Susan Hilferty, Present Laughter
  • Toni-Leslie James, August Wilson's Jitney
  • David Zinn, A Doll's House, Part 2

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MUSICAL

  • Linda Cho, Anastasia
  • Santo Loquasto, Hello, Dolly!
  • Paloma Young, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
  • Catherine Zuber, War Paint

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A PLAY

  • Christopher Akerlind, Indecent
  • Jane Cox, August Wilson's Jitney
  • Donald Holder, Oslo
  • Jennifer Tipton, A Doll's House, Part 2

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MUSICAL

  • Howell Binkley, Come From Away
  • Natasha Katz, Hello, Dolly!
  • Bradley King, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
  • Japhy Weideman, Dear Evan Hansen

BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY

  • Sam Gold, A Doll's House, Part 2
  • Ruben Santiago-Hudson, August Wilson's Jitney
  • Bartlett Sher, Oslo
  • Daniel Sullivan, Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes
  • Rebecca Taichman, Indecent

BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL

  • Christopher Ashley, Come From Away
  • Rachel Chavkin, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
  • Michael Greif, Dear Evan Hansen
  • Matthew Warchus, Groundhog Day The Musical
  • Jerry Zaks, Hello, Dolly!

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY

  • Andy Blankenbuehler, Bandstand
  • Peter Darling and Ellen Kane, Groundhog Day The Musical
  • Kelly Devine, Come From Away
  • Denis Jones, Holiday Inn, The New Irving Berlin Musical
  • Sam Pinkleton, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

BEST ORCHESTRATIONS

  • Bill Elliott and Greg Anthony Rassen, Bandstand
  • Larry Hochman, Hello, Dolly!
  • Alex Lacamoire, Dear Evan Hansen
  • Dave Malloy, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

SPECIAL TONY AWARD FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN THE THEATRE

  • James Earl Jones

SPECIAL TONY AWARD

  • Gareth Fry & Pete Malkin, Sound Designers for The Encounter

REGIONAL THEATRE TONY AWARD

  • Dallas Theater Center
  • Dallas, TX

ISABELLE STEVENSON TONY AWARD

  • Baayork Lee

TONY HONORS FOR EXCELLENCE IN THE THEATRE

  • Nina Lannan
  • Alan Wasser