Nicole Scherzinger Reacts to Tony Nom, Talks ‘Surreal’ Met Gala Debut (Exclusive)

“Sunset Blvd.” star Nicole Scherzinger is celebrating her nomination for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical at the 78th Annual Tonys Meet the Nominees press event.

“Extra’s” Mona Kosar Abdi spoke with Nicole, who was “very grateful” for the nomination for her role as Norma Desmond.

She shared, “I couldn’t be happier because this is what I’ve always dreamed of since I was a little girl, you know, to perform and to do theater and musical theater ever since I saw ‘Miss Saigon,’ and this is over 30 years in the making. One of my best friends from my youth performing arts school in Louisville, Kentucky, Sarah Gettlefinger, reminded me, she’s like, ‘Don’t you remember we used to cut pep rallies to work on our art and our theater and our craft at that young age?’ And I was like ‘You’re right.’ So it’s beautiful to be here and I just feel so fulfilled.”

Scherzinger recalled feeling "just really grateful and happy" when she got the news. She said, "I think it was my director Jamie Lloyd that FaceTimed me from London, and like I said, I’ve come a long way from little Nicole and where I come from and very humble beginnings and I’ve gone through a lot of nos and a lot of rejections to get here, and I think why I’m so grateful is I’m really proud of the show and the work that we’re doing.”

She continued, “It’s very meaningful and it’s a different type of show that is, you know, as Norma says, breaks all the rules, and it’s pioneering in its own way and transformative in its own way, and I’m proud of the work that we have done and that I have put into it for two years. I realize now that everything that I’ve gone through in my life was for a reason and a purpose because it’s helped me to really shape and be able to take on this role from a truly raw and authentic, truthful place.”

As for what keeps her going with the rigorous Broadway schedule, she said, “I always say, I’ve never been more exhausted but more fulfilled. It’s what I asked for, it’s what I prayed for, and I’m ready to show up 110% every time. It’s that gratitude, it’s keeping perspective."

She added, “I got a lot of love to give inside and a lot to give and I get to give that every night and day sometimes, eight shows a week, and I love it! I’m kind of like, I’m very proud of my heritage. I’m of Hawaiian, Ukrainian, Filipino descent and I think it’s just in my blood. Honey, we know how to work. We are workers and we’re warriors.”

Nicole also just attended her first Met Gala on Monday. She gushed, “I’ve always dreamed of going to the Met and then I got to be dressed by Prabal Gurung and be invited and get to wear this custom-tailored beautiful dress and jacket and it just made me feel like, ‘Oh, Norma Desmond has arrived at her Met Gala,' and it felt so surreal and it was crazy.”