A teen actor from Maryland is up for an Emmy for his very first role.
Asante Blackk, a 17-year-old recent graduate of North Point High School in Waldorf, was nominated Tuesday for his role in "When They See Us," the Ava DuVernay-directed Netflix series on the Central Park Five.
Blackk was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for his powerful depiction of Kevin Richardson, one of five black and Hispanic teens convicted of a brutal 1989 attack on a jogger in New York's Central Park. The men were exonerated in 2002, after evidence linked a serial rapist to the crime.
On social media, Blackk seemed stunned by the honor.
"Life crazy," he wrote. "Woke up to find out i’m nominated for an emmy. for my first ever project. at 17 years old. wow. i love y’all. thank you so much."
Blackk, the oldest of five siblings, acted in school productions as a child and was particularly inspired by a children's theater workshop at Howard University, he told News4 earlier this year. He said being an actor is his dream.
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"I just love being in the space of acting — just being able to transform into a character and tell stories that people need to hear," he said.
Photos: Famous Howard University Alumni and Former Students
Blackk said he plans to take a year off from school and then study acting at Rutgers University.
