Jonathan Groff Says Lea Michele Saw Him Win His First Tony with Their “Spring Awakening” Cast at Watch Party

Groff and Michele, who are close friends, starred together in 'Spring Awakening' on Broadway in 2006

Lea Michele was cheering Jonathan Groff on from afar as he won big win at the 2024 Tony Awards.

On Sunday, June 16, Groff said in the press room that his close friend and former Spring Awakening costar watched the ceremony from her house, along with some of their other former cast members in the 2006 Broadway musical.

"They're all watching, or Gideon [Glick] and Lea and [John Gallagher Jr.] are all watching at Lea's house," Groff, 39, told reporters following his win for best performance by a leading actor in a musical, for his role in the revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along.

He also noted how he and his Spring Awakening castmates have "all reconnected," shouting out their 2021 reunion during a one-night-only show honoring the production's 15th anniversary.

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Related: Lea Michele Had Feelings for Jonathan Groff Before He Identified as Gay: 'Why Can't You Love Me?'

During his acceptance speech on Sunday night, Groff made a point to shout out his time on Spring Awakening, which led to his first-ever Tony nomination. (While Sunday marked his first win, he was also previously nominated for Hamilton.)

"Thank you to everyone involved in Spring Awakening, who not only made that dream come true but also inspired me to come out of the closet when I was 23," he said in the speech. "I’m now 39, and musical theater is still saving my soul."

In the press room, Groff said, "There's been a lot of reflecting and remembering and appreciating of that Spring Awakening experience," as the show "changed my life" personally and professionally.

"I found who I was at that time, and ... it felt essential to mention everybody involved in that show because it was so meaningful to me," he added. "And also because Merrily ... invites us all to touch that part of ourselves that we had inside of us when we were doing Spring Awakening."

Related: 2024 Tony Awards: Daniel Radcliffe's Emotional Win, JAY-Z's Surprise Performance and a Full Recap of Broadway's Big Night

After taking the stage to accept his first-ever Tony Award on Sunday, Groff thanked his family for "always allowing my freak flag to fly without ever making me feel weird about it."

Through tears, the actor also addressed his Merrily castmates Daniel Radcliffe and Lindsay Mendez, saying, "You are more than old friends — you are soulmates. And I’m looking forward to watching each other change for the rest of our lives."

Earlier in the evening, Radcliffe, 34, also clinched his first-ever Tony Award for best performance by a featured actor in a musical, opposite Groff and Mendez, 41, the latter of whom was nominated in the category of best performance by a featured actress in a musical.

Tickets for Merrily We Roll Along, playing through July 7, are on sale at merrilyonbroadway.com.

The 77th Tony Awards aired live on CBS and Paramount+.

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