Tyler Mount Made It on Broadway Before 29, Then Left It—But He’s Living the Dream

"If you know you're supposed to be doing something and you follow that dream without dictating exactly how to get there, the world works out in your favor," says Tyler Mount about the inner-dialogue that's kept him going thus far in his career. Well, having achieved Broadway domination (a.k.a. is nominated for a Tony) and social media stardom (with his wildly-popular video channel, Playbill's The Tyler Mount Vlog) all before turning the age of 29, it's safe to assume that his "motto" really did allow him to flourish--and then some.

Related | Mean Girls and SpongeBob Lead the Tony Nominations This Year

We sat down with the NYC powerhouse ahead of the Tony Awards, where his musical Once On This Island, is nominated for 8 awards, including "Best Musical Revival," making this co-producer one of the youngest Tony nominees in history.

Here, we chat about how he made it, Tony Awards' predictions, and what's next for him as he embarks on his next chapter as he leaves Broadway.

OUT: You're one of the youngest Tony-nominated producers in history and have made a name for yourself both behind-the-scenes and in front of the camera in the Broadway community. How did that come about?

Tyler Mount: I grew up loving the theatre and wanting to be involved in some capacity. I moved to New York City and worked exclusively as a stage manager -- and one of my last Broadway shows that I did was On Your Feet with Gloria Estefan. I was producing my own mini web series with my friends, on my couch drinking wine. And one day Gloria was like--'oh my god, I hear you have a vlog. Can I come on it?' Which, of course, you obviously say yes to. And that changed my life and my trajectory in my career. I was then able to run my vlog fulltime with only Broadway talent. Ultimately Playbill caught wind of it and was interested in having me freelance, which ultimately led for me getting hired fulltime to run their video team.

What happened from there?

TM: What started as a fun little hobby became my full-time career -- and we were broadcast to 168 different countries and to 3 million people, who, for whatever reason, really identified with me and my love of Broadway.

How did this show then lead you back to the stage, which ultimately led to your Tony nomination?

TM: One of those people was a very prominent producers in the industry named Hunter Arnold (who produced shows like Dear Evan Hansen and Kinky Boots). He was looking to turn the producing world on its head. Often times, these big, commercial shows are produced by older, straight white men, who are often just looking for a fun hobby to spend their money on and give their wives something to do. Obviously, that's not the case all the time, but it's very common in the industry. And consequently, people's stories that need to be told aren't told all the time - because you don't have people of color, young people, or members of the LGBTQ community dictating what stories are being told on Broadway.

So he really set out to turn this all on its head. He brought me and several other people onto his team as part of the "Underrepresented Producer Initiative," and he trained us and gave us the skills we needed to be a successful producer on Broadway. And the first project he offered us was Once On This Island. It's the story of a strong, empowered female of color and how she triumphs through diversity, so I jumped at the opportunity, of course.

Well, all of this work paid off because the show was ultimately nominated for eight Tony awards. How do you feel?

TM: With this and it being my first Tony nomination, I'm very pleased with the outcome.

A Tony nomination is the ultimate dream for most people in theatre. How do you feel already getting to this level before turning the age of 30?

TM: If you were to ask me what my dream was as a child, it was to be an actor or performer on Broadway. And it's ironic because I've never been an actor on Broadway, but with that being said, all of those dreams and more have come true. I think it's an incredible testament to if you know you're supposed to be doing something and you follow that dream without dictating exactly how to get there, the world works out in your favor.

Aside from your show, of course, any other Tony predictions?

TM: If I had to take my show out of the running, I would probably say Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. When I was sitting in that theatre, I was like, 'this is a play like I've never seen.' It is worth every dollar and every penny. It transports you to a different world. And also SpongeBob SquarePants. It's the most fun show on Broadway right now. It's not the most poignant show I've ever seen, but It's a beautiful story about inclusion and diversity

Okay, you've certainly conquered Broadway and I hear you're ending your vlog for now. What's next for you?

TM: My dream job was always Playbill. They gave me a great opportunity and a platform to share my me message. My long-term goal has always been something bigger to move in an upwards trajectory in my career. And I really felt like I had done Broadway--worked with many of the key players in the community--but at the same time, I have always craved more. So now I'm leading social strategy and content management for the Bravo network, and looking to see how I can fit in as a digital creator for them.

Don't miss the Tony Awards June 10 at 8 p.m. EST on CBS.