Cole Escola is the writer and star of the hit Broadway and West End comedy Oh, Mary!, which opened in 2024 to critical acclaim. The production earned Escola two Tony Award nominations, including a win for Best Actor in a Play, and they were also named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. They recently starred as Mary Todd Lincoln in Oh, Mary! at the Trafalgar Theatre in London, for four weeks only from 20 July until 15 August 2026.
The West End production also won Best New Comedy at the Olivier Awards 2026.
Alongside their stage success, Escola has built a strong career on screen, with appearances in Difficult People, At Home with Amy Sedaris, Search Party, and Life & Beth. Their film credits include Please Baby Please and Wild Nights with Emily, while their voice work features in animated series such as Big Mouth, Human Resources, Frog and Toad, and Teenage Euthanasia.
More credits
Film: Please Baby Please, Wild Nights with Emily,
TV: King of Drag, Jeopardy!, Fantasmas, The Girl on the Bus, Life & Beth, Would I Lie to You?, What We Do in the Shadows, At Home with Amy Sedaris, Mozart in the Jungle, Difficult People, Nurse Jackie, Smash and Jerrery & Cole Casserole.
Animated series: Human Resources (voice), Digman! (voice), Frog and Toad (voice), Big Mouth (voice), Baby Shark’s Big Show! (voice), Teenage Euthanasia (voice)
Awards and Nominations
Theatre (Oh, Mary!)
- Tony Award (2025) – Best Actor in a Play (Winner), Best Play (Nominee)
- Pulitzer Prize for Drama (2025) – Finalist
- Drama Desk Award (2024) – Sam Norkin Off-Broadway Award (Winner)
- Drama League Award (2024 & 2025) – Distinguished Performance (Nominee), Outstanding Production of a Play (Winner & Nominee)
- Off-Broadway Alliance Award (2024) – Best New Play (Winner)
- Outer Critics Circle Award (2024) – John Gassner Award for New American Play (Winner), Outstanding Lead Performer (Winner)
- Theatre World Award (2024) – Winner
- Obie Award (2024) – Performance (Winner)
- GLAAD Media Award (2025) – Outstanding Broadway Production (Winner)
Television & Screen
- Writers Guild of America Awards – At Home with Amy Sedaris (Nominee 2020, Winner 2021), Hacks (Winner 2022, Comedy Series & New Series)
- Queerty Award (2022) – Best TV Performance for Search Party (Nominee)
Related News
Jane Krakowski to star in Oh, Mary! as production extends into June 2027
See first-look production photos of Lolly Adefope in Oh, Mary! at the Trafalgar Theatre
Stage Door Secrets: in the rehearsal room with the new cast of Oh, Mary! in the West End
New images of Lolly Adefope in rehearsals for Oh, Mary! ahead of West End debut
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