Carrie Coon

2013 rolled around and suddenly everyone’s talking about this powerhouse actress lighting up Broadway as Honey in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”—and honestly, it’s not hard to see why. The Tony committee took notice too, nominating her for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play. Playing Honey isn’t exactly a walk in the park. You’ve got to juggle fragile innocence with some pretty raw vulnerability, all while holding your own in a play that’s basically a masterclass in emotional warfare. She totally nailed that blend of jittery anxiety and heartbreaking sincerity. The production itself was a fresh take on Albee’s classic, but her performance as the wide-eyed, often-overlooked Honey? Kind of stole the show, if you ask me. Not every day you see someone turn a supporting role into something unforgettable. Tony nod well deserved, no question.

So, when I look back, I always laugh because I tell everyone, “Oh, I never thought I’d end up an actor,” and then my parents just roll their eyes and say, “Really? You sure about that?” I always saw myself as this quiet, shy little kid, but apparently, I was just bossy and loud and probably already putting on some kind of show. So, maybe deep down, I was always aiming for the spotlight, who knows. Thing is, I’ve never felt super glued to acting. The world’s huge, right? So many things to do and places to explore. Acting’s cool, but it’s not the only thing that makes me tick. I’m not stressing about it. Still, it’s a blast for now. Sometimes I forget how long I’ve even been at it—feels like this random adventure I started back in grad school. It was just supposed to be something on the side, but now, somehow, it’s taken over as the main gig. Wild how that happens.