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Tony and Grammy Award-winner J. Harrison Ghee is turning a personal health journey into a call to action for National Minority Donor Awareness Month, encouraging people to learn about organ donation, register as donors and talk with their families about their wishes. Ghee is currently on the kidney transplant waiting list, having publicly sharing a kidney disease diagnosis last year.
The news comes as Ghee prepares for a milestone onstage. After taking a final bow Aug. 30 as Hermes in “Hadestown” on Broadway, Ghee joins the first North American national tour of Cole Escola’s Tony Award-winning comedy “Oh, Mary!” this fall, starting as Mary’s Husband on September 19 in Hartford, Connecticut, before stepping into the title role of Mary Todd Lincoln on January 19, 2027, in Chicago. In doing so, Ghee becomes the first actor in the show’s history to play both roles. Ghee was diagnosed with kidney disease in 2022 but kept the diagnosis private, sharing it publicly for the first time in 2025.
“For a long time, I thought I could manage my diagnosis on my own, but healing isn’t a solo act,” Ghee said. “I’m currently on the transplant waiting list, and I’m grateful for my care team and everyone who’s shown up for me. My body has taught me how to listen to it, and I’m carrying that with me as I step into this next chapter of my career.”
There is a significant need for donors nationwide. More than 100,000 people are on the national transplant waiting list, and more than 60% of them are from multicultural communities. Ghee, who is Black, directly reflects that need. Black Americans make up 27% of people on the waiting list but only 13% of organ donors, according to the Office of Minority Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Organ allocation is based solely on medical criteria, such as blood type, tissue match, urgency and time on the list, not on a person’s public profile.
Observed each August, National Minority Donor Awareness Month promotes donor education and registration in multicultural communities. Donors from a range of racial and ethnic backgrounds make it easier to find strong matches, which can improve outcomes for patients waiting for a transplant, also according to the Office of Minority Health.
Tony Award and Grammy Award winner J. Harrison Ghee made history as the first nonbinary actor to win in a leading individual performance category for creating the role as Daphne/Jerry in ”Some Like It Hot,” which also garnered them Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle awards. Also on Broadway, Ghee starred as Hermes in “Hadestown,” Lola in ”Kinky Boots,” created the role of Andre Mayhem in ”Mrs. Doubtfire” and co-starred opposite Harry Connick, Jr. as Johnny Hooker in ”The Sting.” Ghee captured audiences as The Lady Chablis in the musical premiere of ”Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” and starred in the Off-Broadway smash “Saturday Church” as Black Jesus/Pastor Lewis. On television, Ghee played the title role in “Robyn’s Story” on the hit FOX anthology series ”Accused,” starred as Kwame in Netflix’s ”Raising Dion,” and guest starred on NBC’s “Stumble” and HBO’s ”High Maintenance.”
An outspoken advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community, Ghee has been involved with many organizations, including Broadway Cares and God’s Love We Deliver, among others.
