Timothy Simons, a 2001 graduate of the University of Maine, is hoping to hear his name called Sunday, Jan. 4, when the Critics Choice Awards are handed out.
Simons earned a nomination for best supporting actor in a comedy series for his role as Sasha in the Netflix show “Nobody Wants This.”
The 31st annual Critics Choice Awards, which will be held at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California, will air live at 7 p.m. on E! and USA Network.
A native of Readfield, Maine, Simons studied theater at UMaine and was active in campus productions. He is best known for his breakout role as Jonah Ryan on HBO’s political satire “Veep.”
Simons has credited his hands-on experience at UMaine with helping him build a foothold in the industry. In fact, he told Maine Alumni Magazine that a campus work study job gave him practical skills that helped him find steady work in theater while establishing his acting career.
“One of the great things about UMaine was that I had a work-study job in the scene shop, and those skills really served me well through a decade of Chicago and L.A.,” Simons said. “I knew carpentry. I could do set load-in. When I first got to L.A., I jumped in on a set load-in at a fellow UMaine alum’s play. That led to jobs. I could pay the bills by doing things in the theater world, on or off stage.”
Simons continues to give back to UMaine, helping establish the Sandra E. Hardy Theatre Scholarship Fund. He has also worked with the University of Maine Foundation on fundraising appeals to his fellow theatre alumni.
Contact: David Nordman, david.nordman@maine.edu
