Katy Sullivan becomes first amputee to be Tony nominated

New York, NY -- Katy Sullivan, who is the first bilateral amputee to be nominated for a Tony Award, is not only a successful actor but 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," Sullivan said.

Sullivan lacked access to a community of disabled people while growing up in a medium-sized town in Alabama. 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 early 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 ever to 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, Sullivan said.

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 25, 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.