Katy Sullivan becomes first amputee to be Tony nominated
14Katy Sullivan is the first bi-lateral amputee to be nominated for a Tony Award. But her success does not stop with her acting career - she is also a record-setting Paralympian.
"I always had this sense of, why not me? Or just wait, let me try. I was never babied. I was never treated like I was made of glass. If I fell down, I had to figure out how to get up, and my family really gave me this sense of fight," said Sullivan.
Growing up in a medium-sized town in Alabama meant that there was not a disabled community that Sullivan could look up to. But that did not stop her from pursuing her dreams of being on television and the Broadway stage. Nominated for her role of Ani in Cost of Living, Sullivan grew with the show from the phases of workshops and tours in many cities around the world all the way to the bright lights of Broadway.
Katy's stylist, Stephanie Thomas, reached out to her network to connect Katy with Christian Siriano, and he agreed to make her a custom dress for the Tony Awards ceremony.
"Being the first amputee to ever be nominated for a Tony was such a huge part of my story and this historic moment that the custom dress is designed to accentuate that," described Sullivan.
Beyond the Broadway stage, Sullivan has appeared in many TV shows, including My Name is Earl, Last Man Standing, NCIS New Orleans, Legit, and most recently, Dexter: New Blood. She's witnessed the growth of how disability is portrayed in media through her roles over the years. In Dexter: New Blood, her character's disability was not part of the story because the Showrunner wanted the series to feel like the real world and for people to see the complex character past their disability. She hopes disability representation in media continues to head in that direction.
"The idea of being an athlete was so out of the realm of possibility." said Sullivan.
When it came to her athletic career, Sullivan only started running when she was given her first pair of blades at twenty-five, and she happened to be fast! This led to Sullivan competing in the 2012 Paralympic Games, finishing sixth in the world for the 100 meters and setting an American record that day.
"Just believe in yourself because you know what you can and cannot do," said Sullivan.
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