Katie Holmes opened up about an embarrassing moment during a live Broadway performance that left her flustered in front of her castmates and the audience. Appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on November 27, the 45-year-old actress shared details of the mishap while discussing her role as Mrs. Webb in the Broadway revival of Our Town.
Holmes reflected on her usual pre-show rituals and how skipping one led to an unexpected onstage blunder. “One time I didn’t do it, and I was in the middle of a scene and I just said the whole line except the last word, and I couldn’t remember it,” Holmes admitted. “I made something up, but it didn’t make sense.”
The actress recounted her growing embarrassment, noting how she became acutely aware of her fellow cast members’ reactions. “I got so red because Jim Parsons, who’s delightful, he’s onstage most of the time because he’s the stage manager. And so I’m like, ‘Oh my God. Jim knows. He’s watching. And Ephraim [Sykes] knows because I was saying it to him, and then Richard Thomas. Oh God.’”
Overwhelmed and eager to escape the moment, Holmes rushed to finish the scene. “[I] got off stage, and Jim gave me a hug after,” she shared. “He was like, ‘I’ve never seen anyone say their lines so fast and remove themselves.’” Despite her castmates’ understanding, Holmes couldn’t shake her own self-criticism. “Nobody cared, but I cared,” she added. “I’m like, ‘This is Broadway!’”
The anecdote offered a humorous and relatable glimpse into the pressures of live theater, where even seasoned performers like Holmes can find themselves caught off guard. Her candid reflection highlights the camaraderie among cast members and the high standards performers often set for themselves on Broadway’s iconic stages.