Tonys 2015: Alex Sharp wins best actor in a play

Broadway first-timer Alex Sharp won the Tony Award for lead actor in a play Sunday night. The actor was considered a front-runner in the category for his role in “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.”

Other nominees in the category included Steven Boyer in “Hand to God,” Ben Miles in “Wolf Hall Parts One & Two,” Bradley Cooper in “The Elephant Man” and Bill Nighy in “Skylight.”

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In the drama, which earned six Tony nominations in all, the 26-year-old Sharp plays 15-year-old Christopher Boone, an autistic boy with a brilliant talent for mathematics.

“Curious Incident” is based on Mark Haddon’s 2003 bestselling novel; it was adapted for the stage by Simon Stephens and directed by Marianne Elliott.

The London-born Sharp is a graduate of the Juilliard School. His intense role in “Curious Incident” earned him the 2015 Drama Desk Award for outstanding actor in a play and the 2015 Outer Critics Circle Award for outstanding actor in a play.

Twitter: @debvankin