Television star Timothy Simons will deliver the 2026 commencement address at the University of Maine, his alma mater, the school announced Tuesday.

Simons, 47, will address graduating students at two ceremonies, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, on May 9 in the Alfond Arena on the Orono campus.

Simons grew up in Readfield and attended Maranacook High School, but only discovered his passion for acting in college, where he studied theater.

“That’s where my love of theater and acting first started,” Simons said. “I can kind of connect every dot of where I am now to being at UMaine and stumbling across the theater department there.”

Simons is perhaps best known for his role as Jonah Ryan in the acclaimed HBO political comedy “Veep.” He was nominated for a Critics Choice Award earlier this year for his role as Sasha in the Netflix rom-com series “Nobody Wants This.”

Since leaving UMaine, Simons has helped to establish the Sandra E. Hardy Theatre Scholarship Fund, which supports theater students, in honor of his late former professor.

“We’re excited to welcome Timothy back to campus,” President Joan Ferrini-Mundy said in a news story from the university. “His story is a wonderful reminder of how discovering a passion at UMaine can shape a lifetime. Our graduates will see in his journey how curiosity, creativity and community can open pathways to meaningful careers.”