Kara Young (actress)

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Kara Young
Kara Young 2025 Tony Awards.jpg
Young at the 2025 Tony Awards
Born
Harlem, New York, U.S.
Alma mater New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts
OccupationActress

Kara Young [1] is an American actress. Known for her dynamic roles on stage both on Broadway and off-Broadway, she has received various accolades, including two Tony Awards, two Drama Desk Awards, an Outer Critics Circle Award, and an Obie Award. Having won the Tony Award in 2024 and 2025, she is the first Black actress to be Tony-nominated in four consecutive years (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025) for Best Featured Actress in a Play and the first African-American actress to win two consecutive Tonys.

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Young studied at the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts before making her stage debut in Patricia Ione Lloyd's play Pretty Hunger (2016) at the Public Theater. The following year, 2017, she joined the LAByrinth Theater Company. She gained acclaim for portraying Viola in the 2022 off-Broadway revival of William Shakespeare's romantic play Twelfth Night at the Classical Theatre of Harlem.

She won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play two consecutive years for playing a naive former servant in the Ossie Davis satirical play Purlie Victorious (2024) and a pregnant lesbian in the Branden Jacobs-Jenkins play Purpose (2025). She was Tony-nominated for her roles as a sandwich maker in Lynn Nottage's play Clyde's (2022) and a caretaker in Martyna Majok's dramatic play Cost of Living (2023).

Early life and education

Young was born and raised in Harlem in New York City. [2] Both of her parents immigrated from Belize. Her father, Klay Young, began working in the Rainbow Room in 30 Rockefeller Plaza in 1992 as a server; he was later promoted to captain. (In 2022, Kara attended a special event there as a Tony Award nominee). [1] Her mother worked in health administration at Bellevue Hospital. [1]

Young had an interest in performing from the age of five, when she learned to mime in an afterschool program at the 92nd Street Y. [3] She briefly went to Gettysburg College and the City College of New York before studying at the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, where she graduated. [2] [4] She studied traditional theater in Thailand for a month in 2008. [2]

Career

Young joined the LAByrinth Theater Company in 2017. [2] She has appeared off-Broadway in plays such as NSangou Njikam's Syncing Ink, Jonathan Payne's The Revolving Cycles Truly and Steadily Roll'd, Stephen Adly Guirgis's Halfway Bitches Go Straight To Heaven (a LAByrinth co-production), Jeff Augustin's The New Englanders, and C.A. Johnson's All the Natalie Portmans. [2] [5] [6] A New York Times review of her starring role in All the Natalie Portmans said that Young "can fit what feels like a mountain of blood, heart, sinew and febrile emotional response into a frame that can't stretch past five feet". [6] Young often plays characters much younger than herself, adolescents or even preadolescents, aided by her small size and wide-set eyes. [2]

In November 2021, Young made her Broadway debut at the Hayes Theater playing a single mother, Letitia, in Lynn Nottage's play Clyde's . [3] The Times called her performance "superb". [7] At the 75th Tony Awards, she was nominated for Best Featured Actress in a Play for Clyde's. [8]

In 2022, Young played a caregiver, Jess, in Martyna Majok's play Cost of Living at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre on Broadway. [9] At the 76th Tony Awards, she was again nominated for Best Featured Actress in a Play for Cost of Living. [10] In 2023 she portrayed Lutiebell Gussie Mae Jenkins in the revival of the Ossie Davis play Purlie Victorious on Broadway, for which she won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play in 2024. [11] In 2025 she won the Best Featured Actress in a Play Tony Award for her work in Purpose, which made her the first black performer to win acting Tony Awards consecutively. Because she was previously nominated for that award, she was also the first black performer to get four (and also to get three) consecutive Tony nominations. [12]

Acting credits

Kara Young at the 2024 Tony Awards Kara Young 77th Tony Awards 2024.jpg
Kara Young at the 2024 Tony Awards

Film

YearTitleRoleDirectorNotesRef.
2018Hair WolfCamiMariama DialloShort film [13]
2020 Chemical Hearts La Richard Tanne [13]
King of KnivesDarlaJon Delgado [13]
2021 After Yang Erin Kogonada Uncredited [13]
2022 Master SaschaMariama Dillo [13]
F^¢k 'Em R!ght B@¢kYolanda Harris Doran Short film [13]
2023Blow Up My LifeCharlie AugustAbigail Horton / Ryan Dickie [13]
2024 We Strangers Mari Winters Anu Valia [13]
2026 Is God Is Aleshea Harris Post-production [14]

Television

YearTitleRoleNotesRef.
2018 Random Acts of Flyness JanelleEpisode: "They Got Some S**t That'll Blow Out Our Back" [13]
2019 The Other Two VMA AnnouncerEpisode: "Chase Performs at the VMAs" [13]
The Punisher Wendy2 episodes [13]
2020 Bite Size Halloween BillieEpisode: "First Date" [13]
2022 The Staircase Yasmine2 episodes [13]
2023 I'm a Virgo Jones7 episodes [15]
2024 Great Performances Lutiebell Gussie Mae JenkinsEpisode: "Purlie Victorious" [16]

Theatre

YearTitleRoleVenueRef.
2016Pretty HungerLea The Public Theater [17]
In the Event of My DeathKateIRT Theatre [18]
2017Syncing InkSweet Tea Alley Theatre
The Flea Theater 		[19]
2018The Revolving Cycles Truly and Steadily Roll'dKarma The Duke on 42nd Street [20]
2019The New EnglandersEisa New York City Center [5]
Halfway Bitches Go Straight to HeavenLil Melba Diaz Linda Gross Theatre [21]
2020All the Natalie PortmansKeyonna Susan and Ronald Frankel Theater [22]
2021–2022 Clyde's Letitia Hayes Theater, Broadway [3]
2022 Twelfth Night Viola Classical Theatre of Harlem [23]
Cost of Living Jess Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, Broadway [9] '
2023–2024 Purlie Victorious Lutiebell Gussie Mae Jenkins Music Box Theater, Broadway [3]
2024The ApiaryZora Tony Kiser Theatre, Off-Broadway [24]
Syncing InkSweet Tea Victoria Theater, Off-Broadway [25]
Table 17Jada MCC Theater, Off-Broadway [26]
2025 Purpose Aziza Hayes Theater, Broadway [26]

Awards and nominations

YearAssociationCategoryWorkResultRef.
2017Innovative Theatre AwardsOutstanding Actress in a Featured RoleIn the Event of My DeathNominated [27]
2020 Antonyo Awards Best Actor in a Play Off-BroadwayAll the Natalie PortmansNominated [28]
Lucille Lortel Awards Outstanding Lead Actress in a PlayNominated [29]
AUDELCO Awards Special Achievement AwardWon [30]
2022 Lilly Awards Stacey Mindich Go Work in Theater AwardWon [31]
Actors' Equity Foundation Awards Clarence Derwent Awards Clyde's Won [32]
Antonyo Awards Best Featured Actor in a Play (Broadway)Nominated [33]
Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play Nominated [34]
Tony Awards Best Featured Actress in a Play Nominated [8]
2023 Obie Awards Performance Twelfth Night Won [35]
Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play Nominated
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play Cost of Living Nominated
Tony Awards Best Featured Actress in a Play Nominated [10]
2024 Drama League Awards Distinguished Performance Purlie Victorious Nominated [36]
Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play Won
Outer Critics Circle Awards Outstanding Featured Performer in a Broadway PlayWon [37]
Tony Awards Best Featured Actress in a Play Won [38]
2025 Lucille Lortel Awards Outstanding Lead Performer in a Play Table 17Won [39]
Drama League Awards Distinguished Performance Purpose / Table 17Nominated
Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play Purpose Won
Dorian Awards Outstanding Featured Performance in a PlayNominated [40]
Outer Critics Circle Outstanding Featured Performer in a Broadway PlayNominated [41]
Tony Awards Best Featured Actress in a Play Won [42]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Paulson, Michael (May 27, 2022). "Why the Biggest Ovation at the Tonys Luncheon Was for a Waiter". The New York Times . Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Vincentelli, Elisabeth (September 16, 2020). "For Kara Young, a Zooming Career Is Followed by a Zoom Role". The New York Times . Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Brunner, Jeryl (December 22, 2021). "Making Her Broadway Debut In 'Clyde's,' Kara Young Is A Force On Stage And Screen". Forbes . Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Notable Alumni". New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  5. 1 2 Green, Jesse (October 2, 2019). "'The New Englanders' Review: Trying Too Hard to Be Special". The New York Times . Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  6. 1 2 Soloski, Alexis (February 25, 2020). "'All the Natalie Portmans' Review: An Imaginary Friend With an Oscar". The New York Times . Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  7. ↑ Green, Jesse (November 23, 2021). "'Clyde's' Review: Sometimes a Hero Is More Than Just a Sandwich". The New York Times . Archived from the original on March 30, 2022. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  8. 1 2 Sherman, Rachel (May 9, 2022). "Full List of the 2022 Tony Award Nominees". The New York Times . Archived from the original on March 12, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  9. 1 2 Cox, Gordon (September 27, 2022). "Why 'Cost of Living' Is on the Broadway Forefront". Variety . Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  10. 1 2 Sherman, Rachel; Cohn, Gabe (May 2, 2023). "Tony Awards Nominations 2023: The Complete List". The New York Times . Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Kara Young 2024 Tony Awards First Impressions". The Tony Awards (Youtube). June 17, 2024.
  12. ↑ Dziemianowicz, Joe (June 9, 2025). "Kara Young on her record-setting Tony Award win for 'Purpose'". New York Theatre Guide.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Kara Young - IMDB". Internet Movie Database . Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  14. ↑ McClintock, Pamela (August 9, 2025). "Orion's 'Is God Is' Lands High-Profile Summer 2026 Release in Theaters (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
  15. ↑ "The Actor Bringing Harlem to Broadway". The Cut. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Purlie Victorious, Starring Leslie Odom Jr. and Kara Young, to Broadcast on PBS May 24". Playbill. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  17. ↑ "PRETTY HUNGER and TEENAGE DICK Set for Public Studio This Spring". BroadwayWorld.com. February 18, 2016. Archived from the original on May 8, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  18. ↑ "The World Premiere of In the Event of My Death". Irttheatre.org. June 8, 2016. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  19. ↑ "Cast, Creatives Set for NSangou Njikam's World Premiere of SYNCING INK at Alley Theatre". BroadwayWorld.com. January 11, 2017. Archived from the original on May 7, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  20. ↑ Wild, Stephi. "Jonathan Payne's THE REVOLVING CYCLES TRULY AND STEADILY ROLL'D Opens Tonight". BroadwayWorld.com. Archived from the original on May 4, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  21. ↑ Rabinowitz, Chloe (November 26, 2019). "HALFWAY BITCHES GO STRAIGHT TO HEAVEN Extends One Week through December 29". BroadwayWorld.com. Archived from the original on May 7, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  22. ↑ Ware, J. Gabriel (April 21, 2022). "More Than a Character: For Actor Kara Young, the Right Role Is Liberating". TheaterMania. Archived from the original on May 4, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  23. ↑ Rabinowitz, Chloe (June 13, 2022). "Cast Announced for TWELFTH NIGHT at Classical Theatre Of Harlem". BroadwayWorld.com. Archived from the original on May 7, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  24. ↑ Hall, Margaret (February 27, 2024). "Kara Young to Join Kate Douglas' The Apiary Off-Broadway".
  25. ↑ Masseron, Meg (May 18, 2024). "Syncing Ink Officially Opens NYC Return May 19".
  26. 1 2 Gans, Andrew (August 8, 2024). "Kara Young-Led Table 17 Extends Off-Broadway Prior to Opening".
  27. ↑ "Nominees Announced for the 2017 Innovative Theatre Awards; Full List!". BroadwayWorld.com. July 26, 2017. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  28. ↑ Cristi, A. A. (June 9, 2020). "TINA, Audra McDonald, Joshua Henry, LaChanze, Arienne Warren and More Nominated for 2020 Antonyo Awards". BroadwayWorld.com. Archived from the original on May 6, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  29. ↑ Rosky, Nicole (May 3, 2020). "The Winners Are In for the 2020 Lucille Lortel Awards- The Full List!". BroadwayWorld.com. Archived from the original on May 4, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  30. ↑ Wild, Stephi (December 4, 2020). "Winners Announced For 2020 AUDELCO Awards". BroadwayWorld.com. Archived from the original on May 6, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  31. ↑ Putnam, Leah (May 13, 2022). "2022 Tony Nominee Kara Young Wins Lilly Award; See the Full Winners List". Playbill. Archived from the original on May 5, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  32. ↑ Rabinowitz, Chloe (May 16, 2022). "Amber Gray, Kara Young & More Receive 2022 Actors' Equity Foundation Awards". BroadwayWorld.com. Archived from the original on May 6, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  33. ↑ Rabinowitz, Chloe. "2nd Annual Antonyo Award Nominations Announced - See The Full List!". BroadwayWorld.com. Archived from the original on February 21, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  34. ↑ Rosky, Nicole. "SIX, KIMBERLY AKIMBO Lead Nominations for 2022 Drama Desk Awards". BroadwayWorld.com. Archived from the original on May 5, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  35. ↑ Rabinowitz, Chloe (February 24, 2023). "FAT HAM, ENGLISH, Kara Young, Saheem Ali & More Win Obie Awards for 2020-2022 Season". BroadwayWorld.com. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  36. ↑ "2024 Drama League Award Nominations announced". Theatermania. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  37. ↑ Culwell-Block, Logan (May 13, 2024). "Stereophonic Leads 2024 Outer Critics Circle Awards, Wins Best Play; See the Full List of Winners". Playbill. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
  38. ↑ Sherman, Rachel (April 30, 2024). "Tony Awards Nominations 2024: The Complete List". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  39. ↑ "2025 Lucille Lortel Awards Winners- Updating Live". May 4, 2025.
  40. ↑ "'Death Becomes Her' leads nominations for Dorian Theater Awards". Broadwaynews. May 14, 2025. Retrieved May 15, 2025.
  41. ↑ "Death Becomes Her Leads 2025 Outer Critics Circle Award Nominations; Read the Full List". Playbill. Retrieved April 30, 2025.
  42. ↑ "2025 Tony Awards: 'Buena Vista Social Club,' 'Death Becomes Her,' 'Maybe Happy Ending' Lead Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter . May 2025. Retrieved May 1, 2025.
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