Harvey Guillén is tossing his hat into the ring to be next in the revolving door of talented actors taking on the role of Mary Todd Lincoln, and we are absolutely all about it.
The What We Do in the Shadows star chatted with PEOPLE and Entertainment Weekly at the Emmy Awards on Sunday night, during which he was asked what surprising acting role he would love to tackle in the future.
There was zero hesitation before he replied, "I just saw Cole [Escola]'s Oh, Mary! And I was like, you know what? I could be Mary Todd Lincoln, I think. Yeah, maybe. So I'm going to put that in the universe."
Oh, Mary! has been a surprise hit since opening on Broadway last July. Escola, who also wrote the play, was the first to step into the titular character's shoes, followed by Betty Gilpin, Tituss Burgess, and, at present, Jinkx Monsoon. Jane Krakowski is next in line, starting her eight-week run in mid-October.
The story itself is a comedy following Mary and Abraham Lincoln (listed as "Mary's Husband" for the sake of the production) in the days leading up to the latter's assassination.
Guillén would be a wonderful choice for the role, and at least one person online jumped to that conclusion long before even he did, putting the suggestion forward back in October:
There's one other name that's been tossed around in recent weeks for the role of Mary Todd Lincoln, and one we have equal hopes for — if only for the bit.
"2 out of 3 judges on America's Kidz Got Singing will now have played Mary Todd Lincoln," understudy Hannah Solow (who will be playing Mary herself ahead of Krakowski's run) wrote in reference to Krakowski and Burgess's roles on 30 Rock. "John McEnroe, get your curls ready."
KinkyBootsMusical.com's page for cast members as of November 17, 2025.