PORTLAND – An actor who saw his first play at the Portland Stage Company and has written a play based on his hometown of Presque Isle has been nominated for a Tony Award for his performance in a Broadway musical.

John Cariani, 34, was nominated as best featured actor in a musical for his portrayal of Motel the tailor in the Broadway revival of “Fiddler on the Roof.”

“I’m a little relieved, because over the past few weeks so many people said it might happen,” he said.

“Fiddler” is Cariani’s Broadway debut. He has also worked in movies and television, with a recurring role in “Law & Order.”

The nomination is Cariani’s second major acting honor this spring. He shared the Outer Critics Circle Award for featured actor.

Cariani attributes his theater success to his grounding at the Portland Stage Company, where he saw his first play, “The Cherry Orchard,” in high school.

“I remember thinking for the first time, ‘I think I might want to do this,”‘ he said.

A group of students from Presque Isle went to New York last week and saw Cariani perform. Amanda Nadeau said the trip gave her new appreciation for home.

“To see how much love he has for his home in Presque Isle is just a really wonderful thing to see,” she said. “He was just as down-to-earth as we all were, not like you would think a star would be.”

Cariani’s memories of growing up in Presque Isle inspired his play “Almost, Maine,” which will run this fall on the same stage that sparked his ambition.

“‘Almost, Maine’ is kind of a love letter to that town and to northern Maine,” he said. “Presque Isle is 50 miles or so from the northern terminus of I-95 and it really feels like the end of the world sometimes – in a good way.”

The Tony Awards will be presented June 6.