When They See Us star Jharrel Jerome paid tribute to the “exonerated five” as he won his first Emmy Award.
The heart-rending Netflix show, directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Ava DuVernay, tells the story of the so-called Central Park Five, who were wrongly accused of rape.
The men, all black or Hispanic, were convicted of a 1989 attack on a white woman in New York City, only to be freed years later when another man admitted to the highly publicised crime.
The #Emmy for Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie goes to @JharrelJerome for @WhenTheyseeUs! This is his first nomination and first #Emmys win! pic.twitter.com/8RyKDr1Uij
— Television Academy (@TelevisionAcad) September 23, 2019
In When They See Us, Jerome stars as Korey Wise, who spent more than a decade in prison for a crime he did not commit.
Jerome, 21, appeared visibly emotional on stage while accepting his award for lead actor in a limited series after seeing off stellar competition, including two Oscar winners.
After thanking his family and DuVernay, he said: “Most importantly, this is for the men that we know as the Exonerated Five.”
The five men – Wise, Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, Raymond Santana Jr and Yusef Salaam – were on their feet applauding the actor throughout his speech.
Jerome won ahead of British stars Hugh Grant and Jared Harris, nominated for A Very English Scandal and Chernobyl respectively, as well as Benicio del Toro (Escape At Dannemora), Mahershala Ali (True Detective) and Sam Rockwell (Fosse/Verdon).