Leave it to Sterling K. Brown to deliver some seriously moving words about his milestone moment.
The This Is Us actor took home his first Golden Globe Award Sunday night at the annual ceremony. While the win alone was enough to bring a smile to the beloved star's face, it was the unexpected historical significance of the win that truly wowed him. Brown is the first African American actor to win the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Drama series in the show's 75-year history.
"I didn't realize until just a couple of days ago that if I won, I would've been the first African American male to win Best Lead Actor in a Dramatic Series. It's 75 years, so you figure like somebody has won this award before, but it was me," he told E!'s Jason Kennedy behind the scenes after the win. The significance of the achievement was certainly not lost on Brown.
"I've never been the first to do anything...I've been like the fourth black Student Council president at my school, but to be the first is kind of amazing—like the Jackie Robinson of the Golden Globes in this particular category. I'm like, 'Wow!' I'll take it."
The longtime actor went on to explain how his role as Randall Pearson has been particularly meaningful to him in his career. "The fact that Dan Fogelman crafted someone who is African American on purpose right—like it wasn't just like, 'Maybe we can plug in a black guy or a Latino guy, but this guy was written to be African American and I've benefitted a great deal from color-blind casting, but how much sweeter is it to be seen? To be seen, to be appreciated, to be respected for what I bring to the table as an African American male, as an African American actor."
As he continued, "It is when we dismiss someone's humanity that it becomes easy for us to eradicate them, so the fact that this man Randall Pearson is so real and is so beloved by his family, his white family, his black family—I think when people see him in their homes and recognize his humanity then the next time they see someone who looks like him, it becomes that much more difficult to dismiss that individual. That makes me happy."
While Brown has yet to let the milestone "wash over" him, he anticipates the time will come when he's home with his wife about to go to bed. Overall, the star is basking in the glow of this significant moment.
"This is a moment in the sun, which feels incredibly warm and inviting and lovely," he told Kennedy. "I hope it lasts for a long time."