Mark Rylance wins Tony, leaves everyone confused (AP)

NEW YORK – Mark Rylance won his second Tony Award. And, for a second time, left people baffled.

The British-born actor won the leading actor Tony on Sunday for playing Johnny "Rooster" Byron, a charismatic leader of a band of social misfits and outcasts squatting in the English woods, in Jez Butterworth's "Jerusalem."

He strode to the podium and then began talking about walls and molecular structure. "Unlike flying or astral projection, walking through walls is a totally earth-related craft, but a lot more interesting than pot-making or driftwood lamps," he said matter-of-factly.

It was a repeat of three years ago when Rylance similarly confused the Tony audience when he went on stage to collect the top acting prize for his work in "Boeing-Boeing."

"If you go into the woods, the back country, someplace past all human habitation, it is a good idea to wear orange and carry a gun," he told the crowd in 2008. "Or, depending on the season, carry a fishing pole, or a camera with a big lens."

It turns out that both times Rylance was quoting works by Louis Jenkins, an obscure poet from Minnesota. At the 2008 Tonys, Rylance was citing "The Back Country." On Sunday night, the Jenkins poem was "Walking Through a Wall."

Why did he do it? "I feel kind of sad when I win things, to be honest with you," he said backstage before being whisked away. "I always think you should prepare something to say."

Rylance, who was the first artistic director of Shakespeare's Globe in London from 1995 to 2005, told The Associated Press in the days leading up to his second win that sowing confusion is part of the point of the poems.

"I bet most people understood it in many different ways, which was kind of the point of it anyway," he said. "It was the contrast of the poetry of Louis Jenkins and that system of awards — of winners and losers — that intrigued me as a piece of theater, really."

He said he had been preparing three or four things to say if he won. He had been told he had only about 90 seconds to speak, including the walk up the stage. He had definitely ruled out the traditional listing of peoples' names, finding it unengaging.

"No one else will ever do the poems that I do because they're my thing. So it's tempting to give them another wonderful poem," he said. "It won't be a surprise but I don't think that matters."

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Rev. Al Sharpton: 'You Cannot Fight for Freedom Without Fighting for Freedom for Everyone'

At Saturday's 22nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards, the Rev. Al Sharpton presented hip-hop producer, entrepreneur and activist Russell Simmons with the Excellence in Media Award, which is awarded by GLAAD for work done to increase the visibility and understanding of the LGBT community in the media. Simmons has spoken out often on LGBT issues, urging Americans to support full equality.

"Martin Luther King said many years ago, 'You judge a man not by where he stands in the times of convenience but where he stands in the time of controversy,'" Rev. Sharpton said. "It was Russell Simmons that said to the hip-hop industry that you cannot fight for freedom without fighting for freedom for everyone. He said to the civil rights and human rights movement, to all of us, that were limited -- some homophobic -- you can't fight for human rights for some, without fighting for human rights for all."

"It's a great honor, and I'm truly appreciative of the GLAAD Media Awards including me in this special night. I'm humbled by having one of my mentors and heroes, Rev. Sharpton, giving me this award," Simmons said. "It's no secret that faith-based communities, in some cases, have been difficult, and I think that for all of us who step outside of our comfort zone and fight for the rights of others, we are blessed. And Rev. Sharpton [has] stood up in so many ways and has been very special. And to the gay and lesbian community he's a true blessing. I'm honored and appreciative, and I just want to thank everybody. Thank you."

Other major winners included '30 Rock' for Outstanding Individual Episode, Scissor Sisters, 'True Blood' for Outstanding Drama Series, 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' for Outstanding Talk Show Episode and 'Anderson Cooper 360' for Outstanding TV Journalism – Newsmagazine for its "Gay Teen Suicides" special.

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Kristin Chenoweth at GLAAD Awards: 'Love Everyone the Same'

A teary-eyed Kristin Chenoweth accepted the Vanguard Award at Sunday's 22nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles for her work to increase the visibility and understanding of the LGBT community in the media. Last year, Chenoweth, a devout Christian, wrote a lengthy response to a Newsweek article that claimed gay male actors couldn't successfully play straight men, instigating a media debacle that led 'Glee' creator Ryan Murphy to call for a boycott of Newsweek and the article's author to briefly resign from the magazine.

Accepting her award, the actress, who is also an Emmy and Tony Award winner, said, "I want to encourage many people of all faiths to come forward and stand with me. Even if you don't believe in Jesus the way I do, he did teach love -- not just tolerance, but acceptance. I'm lucky I had parents who adopted me at birth, conservative Southern Baptists, who said, 'You will love everyone the same.'"
Watch Sean Hayes present Chenoweth with the 22nd Annual GLAAD Media Award's Vanguard prize:



Last summer, Chenoweth slammed writer Ramin Setoodeh for his claims in an article entitled 'Straight Jacket' that her 'Promises, Promises' co-star Sean Hayes, one of several actors cited in the article, couldn't effectively play a straight man. Setoodeh claimed Hayes performance in 'Promises' "devolves into unintentional camp" when he tried to pick up a woman at a bar, and that when openly gay 'Glee' actor Jonathan Groff "smiles or giggles

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