Cole Escola is clarifying their headline-making quip about “four more years” in response to Nicole Scherzinger’s triumph at Sunday’s Tony Awards.
On Tuesday, the “Oh, Mary!” star shared an Instagram story in which they shrugged off the implication their comment was intended as a jab at Scherzinger, who currently stars in the revival of “Sunset Boulevard” on Broadway.
“When I made that joke … when I said, ‘Four more years, four more years,’ I meant it like, ‘Well, she won, she’s who we’ve got for the next four years,’ as if I think winning Best Lead Actress in a Musical is the same as winning a presidential election,” Escola explained.
They went on to note: “But you know, people just want to pit us Broadway gals against each other, and I think it’s sad. I really think it’s sad.”
CBS Photo Archive via Getty Images
On Sunday, Escola became the first openly nonbinary actor to win the Tony for Best Actor in a Play for their acclaimed performance in “Oh, Mary!” on Broadway. Scherzinger, meanwhile, emerged as the winner of closely watched Best Lead Actress in a Musical race for her “Sunset Boulevard” performance.
Upon learning of Scherzinger’s win, Escola quipped to reporters in the Tonys press room, “Four years. Four more years!”
Many were quick to interpret the remark as a nod to the controversy that ensued after Scherzinger, a devout Catholic, commented on an Instagram photo of comedian Russell Brand in a “Make Jesus First Again” hat last fall, as well as other social media posts that appeared to support President Donald Trump.
Scherzinger later issued an apology, noting she’d “made the mistake of not realizing that they could be easily interpreted as being politically related and I apologize to anyone who understandably reached that conclusion.”
“Many presumptions are being drawn, which do not reflect who I am, what I stand for, or who I voted for,” she added. “Many of the marginalized communities feeling hurt and concerned by the results of the presidential election are people I care about most. I stand with them, as I always have, throughout my life and career. If you know me, you know that.”
In fact, Escola and Scherzinger seem to be on friendly terms, and happily posed together for photos at a Tonys after-party.
Read the full article here
