'The Last Of Us' Guest Star Keivonn Woodard Opens Up About Historic 'Humbling' Emmy Nomination: 'I Was Shocked', Bonds Family With Fellow Nominees
'The Last Of Us' Guest Star Keivonn Woodard Opens Up About Historic 'Humbling' Emmy Nomination: 'I Was Shocked', Bonds Family With Fellow Nominees
July 12, 2023 7:40 p.m.
For 10-year-old actor Keivonn Woodard, life is nothing but dumb net. Literally. As the Emmy nominations were read Wednesday morning, Woodard was attending a basketball summer camp program while his mother, April Jackson-Woodard, was at home watching her son make history television.
Winning an Emmy nomination for Guest Actor in a Drama Series, for his role as Sam In HBO's hit drama The Last of Us, Woodard becomes the youngest actor ever recognized in the category and the first black deaf actor in Television Academy history to earn a nomination. p>
Still dressed in his basketball clothes, alongside his mother, Woodard told Deadline that he was 'shocked' when he first learned of the news and was aware of the 'significance and huge impact' as a young deaf black boy of being honored with the nomination . As for setting an example for other actors in similar communities like himself, Woodard had some encouraging words: "I think everyone should just do their best when trying to act and just show up for the auditions. Don't worry, go ahead and try to do your best. Yeah, it was tough with the facial expressions and learning to [interpret the script for American Sign Language], but I think it's really important to also learn how to listen to your production team and collaborate with them. I entered, and so did you."
For Jackson-Woodard, the importance and weight of his son's nomination did not really smitten that the flood of text messages came in, first by first-time Emmy-nominated actress Bella Ramsey, who plays Ellie on the show, and then by showrunner and writer Craig Mazin who simply said, "Keivonn has to have a tuxedo."
"People kept messaging, and I cried immediately because I never thought or dreamed this would happen to my son. You know, I never even thought about it. Jackson-Woodard...
For 10-year-old actor Keivonn Woodard, life is nothing but dumb net. Literally. As the Emmy nominations were read Wednesday morning, Woodard was attending a basketball summer camp program while his mother, April Jackson-Woodard, was at home watching her son make history television.
Winning an Emmy nomination for Guest Actor in a Drama Series, for his role as Sam In HBO's hit drama The Last of Us, Woodard becomes the youngest actor ever recognized in the category and the first black deaf actor in Television Academy history to earn a nomination. p>
Still dressed in his basketball clothes, alongside his mother, Woodard told Deadline that he was 'shocked' when he first learned of the news and was aware of the 'significance and huge impact' as a young deaf black boy of being honored with the nomination . As for setting an example for other actors in similar communities like himself, Woodard had some encouraging words: "I think everyone should just do their best when trying to act and just show up for the auditions. Don't worry, go ahead and try to do your best. Yeah, it was tough with the facial expressions and learning to [interpret the script for American Sign Language], but I think it's really important to also learn how to listen to your production team and collaborate with them. I entered, and so did you."
For Jackson-Woodard, the importance and weight of his son's nomination did not really smitten that the flood of text messages came in, first by first-time Emmy-nominated actress Bella Ramsey, who plays Ellie on the show, and then by showrunner and writer Craig Mazin who simply said, "Keivonn has to have a tuxedo."
"People kept messaging, and I cried immediately because I never thought or dreamed this would happen to my son. You know, I never even thought about it. Jackson-Woodard...
