Ali Stroker
Tony Award-Winning Actress
United States
Ali Stroker is the first actress in a wheelchair to earn a degree from the New York University Tisch Drama Department, appear in a Broadway show, and receive a Tony Award. She won the 2019 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance as Ado Annie Carnes in Oklahoma!
Ali garnered widespread media attention for her Tony Award acceptance speech, which delivered the message that having a disability should not stop you from fulfilling your dreams: “This award is for every kid who is watching tonight who has a disability, who has a limitation, or a challenge, who has been waiting to see themselves represented in this arena. You are.”
Ali, who sustained a spinal cord injury in a car accident when she was just two years old, set her sights on becoming an actress and singer at an early age. After completing college, she was a finalist in on the reality TV show The Glee Project and debuted on Broadway in the 2015 rock musical revival of Spring Awakening.
In addition to her acting and singing career, Ali devotes time to advocating for accessibility and disability representation in the arts. She has been named the headliner for The Viscardi Center’s 2020 Reach for a Star Luncheon, which benefits extracurricular activities and clubs at the Henry Viscardi School that help students with severe physical disabilities explore their talents.