Theatre audiences are inspired daily by the works of Broadway’s brightest, but did you ever wonder what iconic performances inspired your favorite Broadway star to get there? BroadwayBox got all spiffed up and headed to the JW Marriot to chat with the 2014 Drama Desk nominees to find out from them: What was the film, TV show or theatre piece that inspired you to become an actor?

When we caught up with After Midnight’s Tony winner Adriane Lenox and screen and stage star Sophie Okonedo (who makes a stunning debut in A Raisin in the Sun) both ladies acknowledged the power of seeing screen icon Bette Davis.

Adriane Lenox (Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, After Midnight)

“I used to watch all those old black and whites, and I still do; I love Turner Classic Movies. And people like Bette Davis, Debbie Reynolds, Lucille Ball and Susan Hayward—I just wanted to do what they were doing. And I’ve been doing it since I was a little kid. I started singing and acting in church, and then I did it high school and college. It’s what I’ve always been doing all my life because of those films.”

Sophie Okonedo (Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play, A Raisin in the Sun)

“On Saturday afternoons they used to have vintage movies on and they did a whole season of Bette Davis. I watched every film and that was one of my turning points. I was a massive Bette Davis fan, and I remember thinking, ‘this is it.’”