Cherry Jones

Jones decided to become an actress after seeing Colleen Dewhurst's portrayal of Josie Hogan in the 1972 production of "A Moon for the Misbegotten", a role she would later play in 2001, for which she received a Tony nomination.

Out of the closet since the beginning of her professional career in 1980, Cherry has been an outspoken advocate for gay rights ever since. She made theatre history on the Tony awards show when she thanked her partner after accepting the 'Best Actress' trophy for "The Heiress." Others have since followed suit.

She was awarded the 1992 Joseph Jefferson Award for Actress in a Principal Role in a Play for "The Good Person of Setzuan" at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.

She was nominated for a 1994 Joseph Jefferson Award for Actress in a Principal Role in a Play for "The Night of the Iguana" at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.

Won Broadway's 1995 Tony Award as Best Actress (Play) for a revival of "The Heiress." She was nominated in the same category two other times: in 1991 for "Our Country's Good," and in 2000 for a revival of Eugene O'Neill's "A Moon for the Misbegotten.".

She won her 2nd Tony in 2005. She won for Leading Actress in a Play for her role as "Sister Aloysius" in John Patrick Shanley's hit play, "Doubt, a parable".