The Last of Us star Keivonn Montreal Woodard has made Emmy history as the youngest actor to be nominated for the Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series category.
The 10-year-old newcomer was honoured for his guest starring role on HBO’s hit drama, an adaptation of the popular PlayStation video game.
Woodard – who is deaf – made his acting debut as young apocalypse survivor Sam on the series, which follows survivors Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) in the aftermath of a viral outbreak that decimates the world.
Other actors nominated in the category included Succession’s Arian Moayed and James Cromwell, as well as Woodard’s The Last of Us co-stars Nick Offerman, Murray Bartlett and Lamar Johnson, the latter of whom played Sam’s older brother Henry.
The four acting nods added to the show’s total Emmy nominations – a whopping 24.
On an earlier episode of HBO’s The Last of Us podcast, showrunner Craig Mazin praised Woodard, saying that the child star was “a joy to have around, and a total dream”.
“I have never been in a circumstance where a kid, who has never really acted on film before, shows up and is so naturally good at it,” he admitted.
Keivonn Montreal Woodard in ‘The Last of Us’— (Liane Hentscher/HBO)
This year’s Primetime TV nominees were announced on Wednesday (12 July) on a livestream by Community star Yvette Nicole Brown and Television Academy chair Frank Scherma.
Following the nominations, Wednesday star Jenna Ortega was also celebrated by fans for her record-breaking Emmy nod. The former Disney star became the youngest Latina actor to be nominated for an acting Emmy.
Ortega will go head-to-head against Christina Applegate (Dead to Me), Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs Maisel), Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary) and Natasha Lyonne (Poker Face) for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.
The host of the 75th Emmy Awards – premiering live on Fox on Monday 18 September, beginning at 8pm EST/5pm PST – has yet to be announced.
Find the full list of Emmy 2023 nominations here, and the biggest talking points from the nominee announcements here.
