Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Solo Performance

Last updated
Outer Critics Circle Award for
Outstanding Solo Performance
Awarded forOutstanding Solo Performance
Location New York City
Presented by Outer Critics Circle
Currently held by Sarah Snook, The Picture of Dorian Gray (2025)
Website OuterCriticsCircle.org

The Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Solo Performance is an honor presented at the Outer Critics Circle Awards, a ceremony established in 1950 for excellence in Off-Broadway and Broadway productions, to actors for quality leading roles in a play, whether a new production or a revival. The award was first presented in the 1994-1995 season.

Contents

John Leguizamo has won the award two times out of three nominations, while Mike Birbiglia has received the most nominations with five (including one win).

Award winners and nominees

1990s

YearActorProjectRef.
1995
James LesceneWord of Mouth [1]
1996
Patti Lupone Patti Lupone on Broadway [2]
1997
Felix A. PireMen on the Verge of a His-panic Breakdown [3]
1998
John Leguizamo Freak [4]
Danny Hoch Jails, Hospitals and Hip Hop
Lewis Black Black Humor
1999
David Hare Via Dolorosa [5]
James Naughton James Naughton: Street of Dreams
Lisa Kron 2.5 Minute Ride
Dan Gordon A Night in November

2000s

YearActorProjectRef.
2000 (tie)
Olympia Dukakis Rose [6]
Mark Setlock Fully Committed
Mark Linn-Baker Chesapeake
Marc WolfAnother American Asking and Telling
2001
Pamela GienThe Syringa Tree [7]
Brian D'Arcy James The Good Thief
Bill Irwin Texts for Nothing
Tovah Feldshuh Tallulah Hallelujah
2002
Elaine Stritch Elaine Stritch at Liberty [8]
John Leguizamo Sexaholix
Kevin Bacon An Almost Holy Picture
Charles Nelson Reilly Save It for the Stage: The Life of Reilly
2003
Frank Gorshin Say Goodnight, Gracie [9]
Tovah Feldshuh Golda's Balcony
Charlayne Woodard In Real Life
Kate Mulgrew Tea at Five
2004
Jefferson Mays I Am My Own Wife [10]
Martin Moran The Tricky Part
Sarah Jones Bridge and Tunnel
Angelica Torn Edge
2005
Billy Crystal 700 Sundays [11]
Heather Raffo Nine Parts of Desire
Gareth Armstrong Shylock
Mercedes Ruehl Woman Before a Glass
2006
Antony Sher Primo [12]
Marga Gomez Los Big Names
Jack HolmesRFK
Steven Fales Steven Fales: Confessions of a Mormon Boy
2007
Nilaja Sun No Child... [13]
Daniel Beaty Emergen-See
Jay Johnson Jay Johnson: The Two & Only!
Ed Harris Wrecks
2008
Laurence Fishburne Thurgood [14]
Chazz Palminteri A Bronx Tale
Stephen Lang Beyond Glory
April Yvette ThompsonLiberty City
2009
Lorenzo PisoniHumor Abuse [15]
Matt SaxClay
Mike Daisey If You See Something, Say Something
Mike Burstyn Lansky
Mike Birbiglia Sleepwalk With Me

2010s

YearActorProjectRef.
2010
Carrie Fisher Wishful Drinking [16]
Anna Deavere Smith Let Me Down Easy
Jim Brochu Zero Hour
Judith Ivey The Lady With All The Answers
2011
John Leguizamo Ghetto Klown [17]
Mike Birbiglia Mike Birbiglia's My Girlfriend's Boyfriend
Michael Shannon Mistakes Were Made
Daniel Beaty Through the Night
2012
Denis O'Hare An Iliad [18]
Stephen Spinella An Iliad
Judy Gold My Life As a Sitcom
David Greenspan The Patsy
2013
Holland Taylor Ann [19]
Martin Moran All The Rage
Fiona Shaw The Testament of Mary
Michael Urie Buyer & Cellar
Bette Midler I'll Eat You Last: A Chat With Sue Mengers
2014
John Douglas Thompson Satchmo at the Waldorf [20]
Alexandra Silber Arlington
Ruben Santiago-Hudson How I Learned What I Learned
Debra Jo Rupp Becoming Dr. Ruth
Jim Brochu Character Man
2015
Jim Dale Just Jim Dale [21]
Cush Jumbo Josephine and I
Joe AssadourianThe Bullpen
Benjamin Scheuer The Lion
Tom Dugan Wiesenthal
2016
James Lecesne The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey [22]
Daphne Rubin-Vega Empanada Loca
Anne Hathaway Grounded
Kathleen Chalfant Rose
Mike Birbiglia Thank God for Jokes
2017
Simon McBurney The Encounter [23]
Judith Light All the Ways to Say I Love You
Ed Dixon Georgie: My Adventures with George Ross
Marin Ireland On the Exhale
Sarah Jones Sell/Buy/Date
2018
Billy Crudup Harry Clarke [24]
Sharon Washington Feeding the Dragon
Eve Ensler In the Body of the World
John Lithgow John Lithgow: Stories by Heart
Alison Fraser Squeamish
2019
Mike Birbiglia The New One [25]
Jake Gyllenhaal A Life
Maddie CormanAccidentally Brave
Carey Mulligan Girls & Boys
Renee Taylor My Life on a Diet

2020s

YearActorProjectRef.
2020 (Hon.) David Cale We're Only Alive For a Short Amount of Time [26]
Laura Linney My Name Is Lucy Barton
Aedin Moloney Yes! Reflections of Molly Bloom
Deirdre O'Connell Dana H.
Michael Benjamin Washington Fires in the Mirror
2021No awards given due to COVID-19 pandemic.
2022
Kristina Wong Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord [27]
Arturo Luís SoriaNi Mi Madre
Jenn Murray A Girl Is a Half-formed Thing
Alex Edelman Just for Us
2023
Jodie Comer Prima Facie [28]
Jefferson Mays A Christmas Carol
Sam Morrison Sugar Daddy
Mike Birbiglia The Old Man and the Pool
Anthony Rapp Without You
2024
Patrick Page All the Devils Are Here [29]
John RubensteinEisenhower: This Piece of Ground
Eddie Izzard Hamlet
Mona PirnotI Love You So Much I Could Die
Robert MontanoSmall
2025
Sarah Snook The Picture of Dorian Gray [30]
Sam Kissajukian300 Paintings
Khawla IbraheemA Knock on the Roof
David Greenspan I'm Assuming You Know David Greenspan
Andrew Scott Vanya

Multiple wins

2 wins

Multiple nominations

5 nominations
3 nominations
2 nominations

References

  1. "Outer Critics Circle Awards 1995". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
  2. "Outer Critics Circle Awards 1996". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
  3. "Outer Critics Circle Awards 1997". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
  4. "Outer Critics Circle Awards 1998". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
  5. "Outer Critics Circle Awards 1999". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
  6. "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2000". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
  7. "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2001". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
  8. "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2002". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
  9. "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2003". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
  10. "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2004". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
  11. "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2005". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
  12. "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2006". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
  13. "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2007". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
  14. "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2008". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
  15. "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2009". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
  16. "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2010". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
  17. "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2011". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
  18. "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2012". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
  19. "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2013". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
  20. "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2014". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
  21. "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2015". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
  22. "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2016". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
  23. "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2017". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
  24. "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2018". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
  25. "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2019". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
  26. "Moulin Rouge! tops the list of 2020 Outer Critics Circle Award Honorees". NewYorkTheaterGuide. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
  27. "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2022". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
  28. "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2023". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
  29. "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2024". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
  30. "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2025". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved August 17, 2025.