Keivonn Woodard
Woodard in an interview
Woodard in 2022
Born (2013-02-09) February 9, 2013
NationalityAmerican
OccupationActor

Keivonn Montreal Woodard is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Sam in the HBO post-apocalyptic drama series The Last of Us (2023), for which he received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.

Personal life

Born on February 9, 2013,[1][2] Woodard lives in Bowie, Maryland, with his mother, April Jackson-Woodard; his father, Dwayne Woodard, died in 2021. In addition to acting, he plays hockey.[3][4]

Career

Woodard made his film debut in 2018 with the film Seeds of Hope: The Andrew Jackson Foster Story. He earned wider recognition and critical acclaim for his performance in the HBO post-apocalyptic drama series The Last of Us. Woodard starred as Sam, a survivor who travels with his brother Henry in the episodes "Please Hold to My Hand" and "Endure and Survive".[3][5][6]

Woodard, who is deaf, was hired for The Last of Us after series co-creator Craig Mazin, looking for a young actor fluent in American Sign Language, sent a casting call out via Twitter.[4] For his role in the series, Woodard was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, becoming the youngest nominee in the category at age 10 and the second-youngest Emmy nominee after Keshia Knight Pulliam for The Cosby Show.[1][7] He is the first black deaf actor and second deaf actor overall (after Marlee Matlin) to be nominated for an Emmy Award.[8][9] His performance also earned him a nomination for a Black Reel TV Award.[10]

Woodard is set to appear in Fractal, a short film by Anslem Richardson.[8]

References

  1. 1 2 Hibberd, James (July 12, 2023). "The Last of Us Actor Makes Emmy History as Youngest Ever Honored in Category". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
  2. ↑ Woodard, Keivonn [@keivonnwoodard] (February 9, 2023). "Happy Birthday to me!". Archived from the original on November 2, 2023. Retrieved November 2, 2023 – via Instagram.
  3. 1 2 Loock, Megan (March 29, 2023). "The Last of Us star Keivonn Woodard of Bowie excels on the ice and on camera". Capital Gazette. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
  4. 1 2 Douglas, William (February 12, 2023). "Color of Hockey: 10-year-old deaf player lands role on The Last of Us". National Hockey League. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
  5. ↑ Romano, Nick (February 10, 2023). "The Last of Us stars behind Henry and Sam wanted to do justice to 'heartbreaking' storyline". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
  6. ↑ Jackson, Destiny (February 10, 2023). "The Last of Us Actors Lamar Johnson and Keivonn Woodard on the Emotional Filming of 'Endure and Survive'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
  7. ↑ Coggan, Devan (July 12, 2023). "The Last of Us star Keivonn Montreal Woodard sets Emmy record as youngest nominee in category". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
  8. 1 2 Jackson, Destiny (July 12, 2023). "The Last of Us Guest Star Keivonn Woodard on 'Humbling' Historical Emmy Nomination: 'I Was in Shock' and Making a Familial Connection with His Fellow Nominees". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
  9. ↑ Davis, Clayton (July 12, 2023). "Emmys Diversity Report: Pedro Pascal Makes Latino History, Black Women Set Acting Record". Variety. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
  10. ↑ Complex, Valerie (June 15, 2023). "Black Reel 7th Annual Television Awards Featuring Gender Neutral Categories Announces Nominations; The Best Man: Final Chapters Leads with 18 Noms". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 14, 2023.


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