British comic star James Corden took home the 2012 Tony for Best Actor in a play for One Man, Two Guvnors, winning the award over heavyweight American stars stars Philip Seymour Hoffman, James Earl Jones, John Lithgow and Frank Langella. Listing the competition by name, including “my favorite actor in the world, Philip Seymour Hoffman,” Corden said, “To be an a list with you is enough. I am overwhelmed.”
Earlier in the telecast, Corden had showed off his gift for physical comedy, rolling (literally) across the Beacon Theatre stage during a segment devoted to the best play nominees. Holding his Tony, Corden declared, “I’m sorry, this is ridiculous," adding with a laugh, "It's good that it's not hot in here!"
The charming Brit ended his speech with an emotional salute to his fiancée, Julia Carey. “She’s my baby mama and I can’t wait to marry her. Seriously, I would not be holding this if it was not for her. She made me say ‘us’ instead of ‘I,’ and ‘we’ instead of ‘me,’ and I love her.”