Both Tony winners here came with a stage record: Snook and Comer had already won Oliviers for the same roles in London. Clooney, the biggest screen name, took the gross record but not the Tony.
Back to the trend of the day: A Stranger Things star opens tonight on Broadway with four famous actors
Poly Rating · from the trend of the day
Joe Keery Broadway Debut vs Screen Stars' Debuts 2016-2026
Sarah Snook played 26 characters and won the Tony in her Broadway debut, while George Clooney's play became the first to gross $4 million in a week and still won him no Tony.
- No. 1: Sarah Snook, The Picture of Dorian Gray (2025)
- 10 places
01Final list
The leading AIs built their own top-ten lists independently. Above is one combined result that is easy to check: every place has a reason, the AIs that included it and, where the AIs gave one, a source.
A bright badge means this AI put the entry on its list. A dim badge means it did not.
- 1
Sarah Snook, The Picture of Dorian Gray (2025)
Succession's Shiv played all 26 roles and won the Tony in her debut. The show earned back its $8.75M, with a best week of $2.09M at 101% of seats.
Included it: Claude, ChatGPT, Grok, MiMo, DeepSeek. Did not include: Meta, Gemini, StepFun.In their lists: Claude: 1 · ChatGPT: 6 · Grok: 1 · MiMo: 2 · DeepSeek: 2
What each AI noted 5
- Claudeplace 1
The Succession actor played 26 characters alone, won the Tony on her first Broadway outing, and the show made back its $8.75M cost.
Source ↗ - ChatGPTplace 6
One performer embodies 26 characters: the production’s formal conceit makes the acting challenge unusually legible.
Source ↗ - Grokplace 1
Succession Emmy winner turns solo 26-role tour-de-force into Tony win and Olivier carryover after sold-out West End.
Source ↗ - MiMoplace 2
One actor, 26 roles, one Tony — and audiences paid an average of 172.54 a seat to watch her do it.
- DeepSeekplace 2
A Succession-sized TV name who didn’t just meet expectations: she won the Tony for playing all 26 roles.
Source ↗
5 AIs put it here - 2
Jodie Comer, Prima Facie (2023)
Killing Eve's star beat Jessica Chastain for the Tony on her first nomination and set a Golden Theatre house record of $1.11M in a week. Gemini gives a lower peak of $1.06M.
Included it: Claude, Gemini. Did not include: ChatGPT, Meta, Grok, MiMo, StepFun, DeepSeek.In their lists: Claude: 2 · Gemini: 1
What each AI noted 2
- Claudeplace 2
A first-ever Broadway stage turn that beat Jessica Chastain for the Tony and set a house record at the Golden Theatre.
Source ↗ - Geminiplace 1
A screen-famous Emmy winner carried a solitary 100-minute legal drama to a 100% capacity sellout and the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress.
2 AIs put it here - 3
Rachel McAdams, Mary Jane (2024)
A film star took a quiet hospital drama and earned a Tony nomination for Best Actress in a Play, an NYT Critic's Pick and the Theatre World Award.
Included it: ChatGPT, Grok, Gemini. Did not include: Claude, Meta, MiMo, StepFun, DeepSeek.In their lists: ChatGPT: 3 · Grok: 3 · Gemini: 2
What each AI noted 3
- ChatGPTplace 3
The screen star’s Broadway debut earned a leading-actress Tony nomination, a clear stage achievement beyond the name recognition that drew attention.
Source ↗ - Grokplace 3
Mean Girls/Notebook star earns NYT Critic's Pick and Tony nomination in quiet mother role after decades on screen.
Source ↗ - Geminiplace 2
Hollywood's quintessential leading lady bypassed high-gloss commercial fare for an agonizingly quiet hospital drama, earning a debut Tony nomination and two extensions.
3 AIs put it here - 4
George Clooney, Good Night, and Good Luck (2025)
The biggest film name on this list made the first play to gross $4M in a week, then lost the Best Actor Tony to Cole Escola.
Included it: Claude, ChatGPT, Grok, MiMo, DeepSeek. Did not include: Meta, Gemini, StepFun.In their lists: Claude: 3 · ChatGPT: 2 · Grok: 2 · MiMo: 3 · DeepSeek: 1
What each AI noted 5
- Claudeplace 3
The biggest film name of the list produced the biggest money: the first play ever to gross over $4M in a week.
Source ↗ - ChatGPTplace 2
A major film star brought a real-world newsroom drama to Broadway, but his debut’s stage result must be judged from the production, not the celebrity wattage alone.
Source ↗ - Grokplace 2
A-list film star sets non-musical weekly record at $4.3M in final week of limited run totaling ~$48M.
Source ↗ - MiMoplace 3
The biggest screen name of the decade produced Broadway's first 3.3 million week for a play — and still lost the Tony to a cabaret performer.
Source ↗ - DeepSeekplace 1
A movie star so big that his Broadway debut became the first play ever to gross over $4 million in a single week.
5 AIs put it here - 5
Tom Hiddleston, Betrayal (2019)
Marvel's Loki left blockbusters for Pinter's three-person Betrayal and earned a Tony nomination for Best Actor in a Play. No AI gave grosses from a source page.
Included it: ChatGPT, Gemini. Did not include: Claude, Meta, Grok, MiMo, StepFun, DeepSeek.In their lists: ChatGPT: 8 · Gemini: 3
What each AI noted 2
- ChatGPTplace 8
A screen-famous lead anchored a revival whose close-range three-person structure put the performance, rather than spectacle, in focus.
Source ↗ - Geminiplace 3
Trading Marvel blockbuster bombast for Harold Pinter's pin-drop silences, he captured a debut Tony nomination while filling 101.4% of the Jacobs Theatre.
2 AIs put it here - 6
Bob Odenkirk, Glengarry Glen Ross (2025)
Better Call Saul's star earned a Featured Actor Tony nomination, and the revival set a Palace record of $2.4M in a week, even though critics scored it only 64-65.
Included it: Claude. Did not include: ChatGPT, Meta, Grok, Gemini, MiMo, StepFun, DeepSeek.In their lists: Claude: 6
What each AI noted 1
- Claudeplace 6
A sold-out house at 100%+ capacity, but critics scored the revival only 64/100, so the audiences, not the notices, filled the Palace.
Source ↗
1 AIs put it here - 7
Ayo Edebiri, Proof (2026)
The Emmy winner from The Bear filled 96-102% of seats and drew 4.8 buyer stars. Critics split at 72/100, and Tony voters left her off the list.
Included it: Claude, DeepSeek. Did not include: ChatGPT, Meta, Grok, Gemini, MiMo, StepFun.In their lists: Claude: 7 · DeepSeek: 4
What each AI noted 2
2 AIs put it here - 8
Robert Downey Jr., McNeal (2024)
Marvel's biggest star sold out every preview. Critics called him commanding but split on the AI play, and no Tony nomination came.
Included it: Grok, Gemini, MiMo. Did not include: Claude, ChatGPT, Meta, StepFun, DeepSeek.In their lists: Grok: 4 · Gemini: 7 · MiMo: 9
What each AI noted 3
- Grokplace 4
Post-Oppenheimer Oscar winner in AI drama drew praise for presence but mixed play notices and no Tony nod.
Source ↗ - Geminiplace 7
The highest-earning screen star of his generation delivered magnetic stage charisma and $1.4M sellout weeks, even as critics split on the drama's generative AI plot.
- MiMoplace 9
Marvel's biggest star sold out his first previews with an AI-themed play — crowds first, verdicts second.
Source ↗
3 AIs put it here - 9
Steve Carell, Uncle Vanya (2024)
The Office star chose Chekhov for his debut. AP listed him among the notable Tony omissions, the clearest case here of fame without awards.
Included it: ChatGPT, Gemini. Did not include: Claude, Meta, Grok, MiMo, StepFun, DeepSeek.In their lists: ChatGPT: 4 · Gemini: 8
What each AI noted 2
- ChatGPTplace 4
His Broadway debut was a high-profile Chekhov test; the Tony voters did not nominate him, leaving critics’ response and craft judgment especially important.
- Geminiplace 8
A television icon's quiet turn as Chekhov's tragic hero filled 97% of Lincoln Center, leaning into bittersweet melancholy rather than his trademark physical comedy.
2 AIs put it hereno source given - 10
Joe Keery, Other Desert Cities (2026)
Steve Harrington opens tonight. Previews sold out, taking $1.88M and then about $2.16M a week (the second figure has one source), but no critic or Tony verdict exists yet.
Included it: Claude, ChatGPT, Grok, Gemini, MiMo, DeepSeek. Did not include: Meta, StepFun.In their lists: Claude: 8 · ChatGPT: 1 · Grok: 5 · Gemini: 10 · MiMo: 5 · DeepSeek: 5
What each AI noted 6
- Claudeplace 8
He plays the youngest of four screen stars in a family drama that opens tonight, so his stage result is still unknown.
Source ↗ - ChatGPTplace 1
A Stranger Things breakout makes his Broadway debut on opening night today; there is no opening-night verdict or completed run to score yet.
Source ↗ - Grokplace 5
Stranger Things breakout (1.8M Instagram) joins Emmy/Oscar ensemble in sold-out previews grossing $2.16M at 100% capacity opening night.
Source ↗ - Geminiplace 10
Transitioning from Stranger Things' 15 million streaming fans, he stepped onto Broadway surrounded by four powerhouse veterans (Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Allison Janney, Ed Harris, Lily Rabe).
- MiMoplace 5
He opens tonight beside four famous co-stars — and sold out his first preview week for nearly 2 million before a single New York critic weighed in.
Source ↗ - DeepSeekplace 5
Stranger Things-level fame produced one of the strongest preview weeks of the season ($1.88M, 100% capacity), but critics were mixed on his actual stage work.
Source ↗
6 AIs put it here
02Worth knowing
What the AIs noticed while building the list.
Keanu Reeves drew mixed-to-negative reviews for Waiting for Godot (2025), yet the production recouped its $7.5M: fame sold the seats, but the reviews shaped his reputation.
Godot was Reeves' Broadway debut only: AP describes co-star Alex Winter as a stage veteran, against one AI's claim that it was Winter's debut too.
Keery shares his debut night with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who is also making her first Broadway appearance, opposite Ed Harris, Allison Janney and Lily Rabe.
Other Desert Cities' $1.88M first preview week was reported as Broadway's second-highest that week, behind only Hamilton.
03How we counted
In plain words, no formulas.
1The question
Top 10 Screen Stars' Broadway Debuts in a Play: How Big the Name Was vs. How Well They Did on Stage
2Why this topic
It puts fame, ticket sales, reviews and Tony votes for each debut side by side, so the reader can see which stars proved themselves on stage and which mostly sold on their name. No single table shows that.
3Where it applies
Screen and TV actors whose Broadway debut was in a play (not a musical), last 10 years
4What we looked at
- Size of the actor's screen following before the debut (public follower counts, the reach of their best-known series or film)
- What the major New York critics said about the stage performance
- Tony nomination or win for the debut
- Whether the run sold out or was extended, with its best weekly gross and share of seats filled
- Internet Broadway Database (IBDB) — Cast lists, run dates, extensions and award nominations for each production
- Broadway League grosses (via Playbill, The Hollywood Reporter, Broadway News) — Weekly gross, share of seats filled, house records and whether the show earned back its costs
- Tony Awards (American Theatre Wing and Broadway League) — Acting nominations and wins voted by theatre professionals
- Broadway's Scorecard — Critic score (weighted average of reviews) and audience grade for each production
5Who ranked
The leading AIs, each building its own list of ten independently and naming a source for every place: Claude, ChatGPT, Meta, Grok, Gemini, MiMo, StepFun, DeepSeek.
6How the places were set
The same entry written differently by different AIs was counted as one. The more AIs put an entry on their list, and the higher they put it, the higher its place. "AI agreement" shows how many of the AIs had it on their own list. Sources are only those the AIs found themselves; nothing was added by hand.
04Each AI's own list
🇺🇸 Claude8 places · 3 notes
The same question, answered by Claude alone. The final list above combines all the AIs.
- 1Sarah Snook, The Picture of Dorian Gray (2025)
The Succession actor played 26 characters alone, won the Tony on her first Broadway outing, and the show made back its $8.75M cost.
Source ↗ - 2Jodie Comer, Prima Facie (2023)
A first-ever Broadway stage turn that beat Jessica Chastain for the Tony and set a house record at the Golden Theatre.
Source ↗ - 3George Clooney, Good Night, and Good Luck (2025)
The biggest film name of the list produced the biggest money: the first play ever to gross over $4M in a week.
Source ↗ - 4Sadie Sink, John Proctor Is the Villain (2025)
A Stranger Things star carried a new play, not a revival, to a Tony nomination and three extensions.
Source ↗ - 5Mariska Hargitay, Every Brilliant Thing (2026)
She stepped into Daniel Radcliffe's $2M+ weeks and still filled 97% of the Hudson's seats in her first week.
Source ↗ - 6Bob Odenkirk, Glengarry Glen Ross (2025)
A sold-out house at 100%+ capacity, but critics scored the revival only 64/100, so the audiences, not the notices, filled the Palace.
Source ↗ - 7Ayo Edebiri, Proof (2026)
An Emmy-winning TV name drew 96% capacity and a 4.8 audience score, but critics were split on whether she was ready.
Source ↗ - 8Joe Keery, Other Desert Cities (2026)
He plays the youngest of four screen stars in a family drama that opens tonight, so his stage result is still unknown.
Source ↗
What Claude noticed
The two biggest wins here went to stars who came with a stage record (Snook and Comer both won Olivier awards for the same roles in London), and Clooney, with the largest screen fame, took the record gross but not the trophy.
Clooney's $4,003,481.50 week made Good Night, and Good Luck the first play to pass $4M in a week; Comer's record in 2023 was about $1.1M.
Joe Keery's debut is a rare four-star-plus-one case: Julia Louis-Dreyfus makes her Broadway debut in the same cast as Ed Harris, Allison Janney, Lily Rabe and Keery.
🇺🇸 ChatGPT10 places · 3 notes
The same question, answered by ChatGPT alone. The final list above combines all the AIs.
- 1Joe Keery — Other Desert Cities (2026)
A Stranger Things breakout makes his Broadway debut on opening night today; there is no opening-night verdict or completed run to score yet.
Source ↗ - 2George Clooney — Good Night, and Good Luck (2025)
A major film star brought a real-world newsroom drama to Broadway, but his debut’s stage result must be judged from the production, not the celebrity wattage alone.
Source ↗ - 3Rachel McAdams — Mary Jane (2024)
The screen star’s Broadway debut earned a leading-actress Tony nomination, a clear stage achievement beyond the name recognition that drew attention.
Source ↗ - 4Steve Carell — Uncle Vanya (2024)
His Broadway debut was a high-profile Chekhov test; the Tony voters did not nominate him, leaving critics’ response and craft judgment especially important.
- 5Tom Felton — Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (2025)
A familiar screen character returned in a play, but the role was an established production rather than a new star-led play opening.
- 6Sarah Snook — The Picture of Dorian Gray (2025)
One performer embodies 26 characters: the production’s formal conceit makes the acting challenge unusually legible.
Source ↗ - 7Alex Winter — Waiting for Godot (2025)
The Bill & Ted star shared the stage with Keanu Reeves in Beckett; the reunion itself was the hook, while Winter was already a stage veteran.
Source ↗ - 8Tom Hiddleston — Betrayal (2019)
A screen-famous lead anchored a revival whose close-range three-person structure put the performance, rather than spectacle, in focus.
Source ↗ - 9Jake Gyllenhaal — Constellations (2015)
A major film actor took on a two-hander, but the Broadway engagement falls outside the requested ten-year window as of October 18, 2026.
Source ↗ - 10Bryan Cranston — All the Way (2014)
A screen star’s acclaimed LBJ performance is a useful comparison point, but it predates the specified window.
Source ↗
What ChatGPT noticed
Keery’s debut opens today, October 18, 2026. Opening-night timing means reviews, Tony outcomes, and full-run gross and capacity cannot yet be reported as results.
AP’s 2024 Tony-nominations coverage names Rachel McAdams as a nominee and Steve Carell as a notable omission: two very different award outcomes for screen stars making Broadway debuts.
The Broadway League’s 2025–26 season figures put plays’ average paid admission at $139.55 and average capacity at 90.80%; these are season-wide context, not evidence about any one star’s draw.
🇺🇸 Grok5 places · 3 notes
The same question, answered by Grok alone. The final list above combines all the AIs.
- 1Sarah Snook in The Picture of Dorian Gray (2025)
Succession Emmy winner turns solo 26-role tour-de-force into Tony win and Olivier carryover after sold-out West End.
Source ↗ - 2George Clooney in Good Night, and Good Luck (2025)
A-list film star sets non-musical weekly record at $4.3M in final week of limited run totaling ~$48M.
Source ↗ - 3Rachel McAdams in Mary Jane (2024)
Mean Girls/Notebook star earns NYT Critic's Pick and Tony nomination in quiet mother role after decades on screen.
Source ↗ - 4Robert Downey Jr. in McNeal (2024)
Post-Oppenheimer Oscar winner in AI drama drew praise for presence but mixed play notices and no Tony nod.
Source ↗ - 5Joe Keery in Other Desert Cities (2026)
Stranger Things breakout (1.8M Instagram) joins Emmy/Oscar ensemble in sold-out previews grossing $2.16M at 100% capacity opening night.
Source ↗
What Grok noticed
Star power drives play grosses higher than ever: Clooney’s Good Night set multiple non-musical records, including first $4M+ week.
Solo virtuosity pays: Snook’s 26-character Dorian Gray won Tony after Olivier and recouped its capitalization.
Keery’s Other Desert Cities previews already rival long-running hits in capacity and average ticket with an ensemble of Louis-Dreyfus, Harris, and Janney.
🇺🇸 Gemini10 places
The same question, answered by Gemini alone. The final list above combines all the AIs.
- 1Jodie Comer (Prima Facie, 2023)
A screen-famous Emmy winner carried a solitary 100-minute legal drama to a 100% capacity sellout and the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress.
- 2Rachel McAdams (Mary Jane, 2024)
Hollywood's quintessential leading lady bypassed high-gloss commercial fare for an agonizingly quiet hospital drama, earning a debut Tony nomination and two extensions.
- 3Tom Hiddleston (Betrayal, 2019)
Trading Marvel blockbuster bombast for Harold Pinter's pin-drop silences, he captured a debut Tony nomination while filling 101.4% of the Jacobs Theatre.
- 4Chris Evans (Lobby Hero, 2018)
Captain America shed his heroic shield to play a petty, mustachioed cop with a comic vulnerability that caught seasoned New York critics completely off guard.
- 5Lupita Nyong'o (Eclipsed, 2016)
Immediately following her Oscar triumph, she leveraged her stardom to anchor Danai Gurira's harrowing Liberian war drama, picking up a debut Tony nomination.
- 6Amy Schumer (Meteor Shower, 2017)
Facing deep skepticism over her standup-to-legit transition, she smashed Booth Theatre house records with a $1.4 million Thanksgiving week and netted a Tony nomination.
- 7Robert Downey Jr. (McNeal, 2024)
The highest-earning screen star of his generation delivered magnetic stage charisma and $1.4M sellout weeks, even as critics split on the drama's generative AI plot.
- 8Steve Carell (Uncle Vanya, 2024)
A television icon's quiet turn as Chekhov's tragic hero filled 97% of Lincoln Center, leaning into bittersweet melancholy rather than his trademark physical comedy.
- 9Michael Imperioli (An Enemy of the People, 2024)
Making his Broadway debut at age 58, the Sopranos star held down Circle in the Square alongside Jeremy Strong, pushing weekly grosses beyond 105% capacity.
- 10Joe Keery (Other Desert Cities)
Transitioning from Stranger Things' 15 million streaming fans, he stepped onto Broadway surrounded by four powerhouse veterans (Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Allison Janney, Ed Harris, Lily Rabe).
🇨🇳 MiMo10 places · 3 notes
The same question, answered by MiMo alone. The final list above combines all the AIs.
- 1ColeEscola in Oh, Mary! (2024)
No franchise behind them — and still the 2025 Tony winner for Best Actor in a Play, beating George Clooney in his category.
- 2SarahSnook in The Picture of Dorian Gray (2025)
One actor, 26 roles, one Tony — and audiences paid an average of 172.54 a seat to watch her do it.
- 3George Clooney in Good Night, and Good Luck (2025)
The biggest screen name of the decade produced Broadway's first 3.3 million week for a play — and still lost the Tony to a cabaret performer.
Source ↗ - 4SadieSink in John Proctor Is the Villain (2025)
Stranger Things' Max turned a Crucible remix into 17.1 million over 25 weeks — and a first Tony nomination.
Source ↗ - 5JoeKeery in Other Desert Cities (2026)
He opens tonight beside four famous co-stars — and sold out his first preview week for nearly 2 million before a single New York critic weighed in.
Source ↗ - 6Julia Louis-Dreyfus in Other Desert Cities (2026)
Her first Broadway show ever opens on the same night as Joe Keery's — in a preview week that nearly hit 2 million.
Source ↗ - 7Keanu Reeves in Waiting for Godot (2025)
Critics were mixed on his Beckett — the run recouped its 7.5 million investment anyway.
Source ↗ - 8Maya Rudolph in Oh, Mary! (2026)
Thirty years of Saturday Night Live, and her first Broadway show hit its box-office high in week one and forced an extension.
Source ↗ - 9Robert Downey Jr. in McNeal (2024)
Marvel's biggest star sold out his first previews with an AI-themed play — crowds first, verdicts second.
Source ↗ - 10Jesse Williams in Take Me Out (2022)
A Grey's Anatomy doctor's first Broadway role earned a Tony nomination — in the revival that won Best Play Revival.
What MiMo noticed
Box-office records and stage awards measure different things: Clooney's play set the all-time play gross record at 3.3 million (later 3.78 million) in a week, yet the voters' prize went elsewhere.
Two Stranger Things stars' debuts bookend this list: Sadie Sink's 2025 debut grossed 17.1 million over 25 weeks and won her a Tony nomination, while Joe Keery opens tonight with a preview week of nearly 2 million.
Keanu Reeves drew the weakest reviews of any name here for Waiting for Godot, yet the production recouped its 7.5 million — fame buys the seats, reviews decide the reputation.
🇨🇳 DeepSeek10 places · 2 notes
The same question, answered by DeepSeek alone. The final list above combines all the AIs.
- 1George Clooney — Good Night, and Good Luck (2025)
A movie star so big that his Broadway debut became the first play ever to gross over $4 million in a single week.
- 2Sarah Snook — The Picture of Dorian Gray (2025)
A Succession-sized TV name who didn’t just meet expectations: she won the Tony for playing all 26 roles.
Source ↗ - 3Jeremy Strong — An Enemy of the People (2024)
The Succession star’s first leading Broadway role won him the Tony — and sold out Circle in the Square for the entire run.
- 4Ayo Edebiri — Proof (2026)
A fast-rising screen name who earned strong reviews and a near-sellout, but no Tony nomination — a solid, not spectacular, stage result.
Source ↗ - 5Joe Keery — Other Desert Cities (2026)
Stranger Things-level fame produced one of the strongest preview weeks of the season ($1.88M, 100% capacity), but critics were mixed on his actual stage work.
Source ↗ - 6Kit Connor — Romeo + Juliet (2024)
A Heartstopper breakout whose Romeo was called the “sole reason to get thee to the theater” — strong reviews and a standing-room run, but no Tony nod.
- 7Elle Fanning — Appropriate (2024)
A famous screen name in a Tony-winning revival, but the acting prizes went to her co-star Sarah Paulson, not to her.
- 8Adrien Brody — The Fear of 13 (2026)
A two-time Oscar winner whose Broadway debut drew mixed reviews and a modest 61/100 critic score — a case where screen prestige outpaced stage results.
Source ↗ - 9Rachel Zegler — Romeo + Juliet (2024)
A Golden Globe winner and Snow White star whose Juliet earned mixed notices and a high-profile Tony snub — big fame, smaller stage payoff.
- 10Simu Liu — Oh, Mary! (2026)
A Marvel lead who joined an already-running hit: the show’s reviews were already locked in, and his own notices were described as “one-note” by some audience observers.
Source ↗
What DeepSeek noticed
Joe Keery’s preview gross of $1.88 million was the second-highest on Broadway that week, behind only Hamilton — proof that Stranger Things fame translates directly into ticket sales even before reviews land.
Sarah Snook and Jeremy Strong both won Tonys for their Broadway play debuts, but their box-office ceilings were very different: Snook’s final week hit $2.09M, Strong’s $1.54M.