Tom Francis, who grew up in Thorpe Morieux, near Bury St Edmunds and Sudbury, nominated for Tony award after leading role in Sunset Boulevard

A Suffolk actor has been nominated for a prestigious award following his leading role in a highly-rated musical.

Tom Francis, formerly of Thorpe Morieux, near Bury St Edmunds and Sudbury, won the Laurence Olivier Award last year for Best Actor in a Musical for his role in the highly-rated West End show Sunset Boulevard, which also starred Nicole Scherzinger.

The talented actor has now earned a 2025 Tony awards nomination for best performance by an actor in a leading role in a musical.

In reaction to the news, Tom said on social media: “I can’t really process what’s happened here today. Thank you everyone for the love.

“I’m so proud of everyone who’s worked on Sunset Boulevard. Thank you thank you thank you.”

The other actors nominated for the award included: James Monroe Iglehart (A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical), Andrew Durand (Dead Outlaw), Darren Criss (Maybe Happy Ending), Jeremy Jordan (Floyd Collins) and Jonathan Groff (Just in Time).

Tom’s nomination follows his recent television debut starring in the fifth and final season of popular Netflix series You, which released on April 24.

Tom, who won Bury’s Got Talent in 2017, used to be part of Bury’s Theatre Royal Youth Theatre before going on to train in musical theatre at Arts Educational Schools (ArtsEd), in London.

He was also previously involved in the town’s Voice Squad and West Suffolk College’s Conservatoire East.