DUBAI: US actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II won his first Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie, for his role in HBO’s ‘Watchmen,’ this week.
“Oh, man. Thank you so much to the Academy. I’m so excited right now,” the 34-year-old actor, who was born to a Muslim father, said as he accepted his award.
Set in the alternate history laid out in the acclaimed graphic novel of the same name by Alan Moore (but years on from the events of the source material, and with different characters), Damon Lindelof’s show was complex, layered, sometimes confusing, but ultimately rewarding.
Like Lindelof’s first hit, “Lost,” viewers were often required to bend their minds around some pretty major leaps of logic to follow this tale of masked police officers tackling masked vigilantes who are treated as outlaws. Along the way, the provocative show also made some intense observations about race relations.
During his speech, Abdul-Mateen II explained how he sees the film.
“‘Watchmen’ was a story about trauma. It was a story about the lasting scars of white domestic terrorism,” he said.
“It was a story about police corruption and brutality, but in the midst of all that, it was also a story about a god who came down to Earth to reciprocate, to a Black woman, all the love she deserved. He did all that in the body of a Black man, and I’m so proud that I was able to walk into those shoes. So, I dedicate this award to all of the Black women in my life,” Abdul-Mateen II added.
