In August of 1990, Yusef Salaam, then 15 years old, told the judge at his sentencing hearing that he looked at “this legal lynching as a test by my God Allah.” On Wednesday, nearly 23 years later, Salaam — an exonerated man, poet, author, and activist — has been declared the winner of a New York City Council primary in his home district of Harlem.
Salaam was one of the Central Park Five, a group of teens wrongfully convicted for the rape and assault of a jogger in New York City’s Central Park in...
Salaam was one of the Central Park Five, a group of teens wrongfully convicted for the rape and assault of a jogger in New York City’s Central Park in...
- 7/5/2023
- by Nikki McCann Ramirez
- Rollingstone.com
Ava DuVernay penned a heartfelt tribute to late actor Michael K. Williams on Instagram Monday. Williams starred in the 2019 Netflix crime drama miniseries When They See Us, which DuVernay co-wrote and directed, and the pair had mutual admiration and respect for one another. In a 2020 video conversation with Vanity Fair, Williams also credited DuVernay with helping him get clean.
Williams, who also starred in The Wire and Boardwalk Empire, died Monday inside his Brooklyn home at the age of 54. A cause of death was not immediately revealed, pending the results...
Williams, who also starred in The Wire and Boardwalk Empire, died Monday inside his Brooklyn home at the age of 54. A cause of death was not immediately revealed, pending the results...
- 9/7/2021
- by Althea Legaspi
- Rollingstone.com
Spoiler Alert: Do not read if you have not yet watched the second episode of “The Stand,” streaming now on CBS All Access.
Jovan Adepo has developed a niche portraying iconic characters on the small screen. He starred as the adult-age Antron McCray in Netflix’s fact-based “When They See Us” in 2019, and brought Lionel Jefferson back to life that same year for “Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s ‘All in the Family’ and ‘The Jeffersons.'” Earlier this year he earned his first Emmy nomination for depicting the harrowing backstory of Will Reeves (aka Hooded Justice) in HBO’s “Watchmen.” And now he has taken on the role of musician Larry Underwood in CBS All Access’ adaptation of Stephen King’s “The Stand.”
What draws you to adaptations in which your character is one that already has such a rich history and life outside of...
Jovan Adepo has developed a niche portraying iconic characters on the small screen. He starred as the adult-age Antron McCray in Netflix’s fact-based “When They See Us” in 2019, and brought Lionel Jefferson back to life that same year for “Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s ‘All in the Family’ and ‘The Jeffersons.'” Earlier this year he earned his first Emmy nomination for depicting the harrowing backstory of Will Reeves (aka Hooded Justice) in HBO’s “Watchmen.” And now he has taken on the role of musician Larry Underwood in CBS All Access’ adaptation of Stephen King’s “The Stand.”
What draws you to adaptations in which your character is one that already has such a rich history and life outside of...
- 12/24/2020
- by Danielle Turchiano
- Variety Film + TV
Flix FlashbackIn #WatchWithTNM this week, we discuss the series on five innocent boys who were wrongfully accused and convicted of a heinous crime decades ago.Nikhita VenugopalFacebookOver the past several weeks, protests have raged across the United States and in many parts of the world following the killing of 46-year-old George Floyd, an unarmed black man, at the hands of a white police officer in Minneapolis. The anger over Floyd’s death wasn’t born of a single incident, but generations of systematic racism and excessive force by the police against black and brown Americans. Michael Brown, Sandra Bland, Freddie Grey, Walter Scott, Breanna Taylor, and so many more lives have been lost to the status quo. The story of five innocent boys who were wrongfully accused and convicted of a heinous crime decades ago is a part of that narrative. Korey Wise, Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana and Yusef Salaam,...
- 6/26/2020
- by Nikhita Venugopal
- The News Minute
Flix FlashbackIn #WatchWithTNM this week, we discuss the series on five innocent boys who were wrongfully accused and convicted of a heinous crime decades ago.Nikhita VenugopalFacebookOver the past several weeks, protests have raged across the United States and in many parts of the world following the killing of 46-year-old George Floyd, an unarmed black man, at the hands of a white police officer in Minneapolis. The anger over Floyd’s death wasn’t born of a single incident, but generations of systematic racism and excessive force by the police against black and brown Americans. Michael Brown, Sandra Bland, Freddie Grey, Walter Scott, Breanna Taylor, and so many more lives have been lost to the status quo. The story of five innocent boys who were wrongfully accused and convicted of a heinous crime decades ago is a part of that narrative. Korey Wise, Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana and Yusef Salaam,...
- 6/26/2020
- by Nikhita Venugopal
- The News Minute
Oscar-nominated director Ava DuVernay will host a live discussion of her critically-acclaimed Netflix series “When They See Us,” which tells the story of “The Exonerated Five” — Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana Jr. and Korey Wise — the five young men who were wrongfully convicted of the rape and assault of a woman in Central Park in 1989.
Commemorating the one year anniversary of the release of the four-part drama series, DuVernay will watch the first episode and chat along with audiences in real time.
The virtual watch party also follows the news that DuVernay’s production company Array Now has officially launched Array 101, an educational initiative aimed to bridge the gap between Hollywood and social justice by providing educational resources to help audiences explore the historical context of the story and work through the emotional questions it brings up. Featured on the site, is a detailed breakdown of the...
Commemorating the one year anniversary of the release of the four-part drama series, DuVernay will watch the first episode and chat along with audiences in real time.
The virtual watch party also follows the news that DuVernay’s production company Array Now has officially launched Array 101, an educational initiative aimed to bridge the gap between Hollywood and social justice by providing educational resources to help audiences explore the historical context of the story and work through the emotional questions it brings up. Featured on the site, is a detailed breakdown of the...
- 5/31/2020
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
A year after the release of her Emmy-winning Netflix series When They See Us, filmmaker Ava DuVernay is continuing to share the story of the Exonerated Five while also furthering the conversation around social justice.
In a new online education initiative called Array 101, launched by DuVernay's multiplatform media company and arts collective Array, learning guides will be created for the company's films and television series.
The first to receive a guide is DuVernay's Netflix miniseries recounting five teenagers — Kevin Richardson, Antron Mccray, Raymond Santana Jr., Korey Wise, and Yusef Salaam — who were wrongfully convicted ...
In a new online education initiative called Array 101, launched by DuVernay's multiplatform media company and arts collective Array, learning guides will be created for the company's films and television series.
The first to receive a guide is DuVernay's Netflix miniseries recounting five teenagers — Kevin Richardson, Antron Mccray, Raymond Santana Jr., Korey Wise, and Yusef Salaam — who were wrongfully convicted ...
- 5/28/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Exclusive: One lawsuit against the Emmy- and Peabody Award-nominated When They See Us miniseries has already been tossed out of court. Now, Netflix and Ava DuVernay are aiming to get the defamation action by ex-Central Park Five prosecutor Linda Fairstein dismissed too.
“Plaintiff’s claims fail under the First Amendment as a matter of law,” say the three-pronged filings Monday by the Oscar-nominated director, the streamer and co-defendant Wtsu producer/writer Attica Locke.
“Material falsity is essential to any defamation claim and is an element Plaintiff must establish,” says the motion to dismiss put in the federal court docket today. It comes in response to ex-Assistant District Attorney for New York County Fairstein’s wide spread damages and apology-seeking initial complaint of March 18.
“Here, the Series is an artistic dramatization of controversial and contested historical events. Plaintiff’s complaint that the Series’ portrayal of her is “false” because it ‘depict...
“Plaintiff’s claims fail under the First Amendment as a matter of law,” say the three-pronged filings Monday by the Oscar-nominated director, the streamer and co-defendant Wtsu producer/writer Attica Locke.
“Material falsity is essential to any defamation claim and is an element Plaintiff must establish,” says the motion to dismiss put in the federal court docket today. It comes in response to ex-Assistant District Attorney for New York County Fairstein’s wide spread damages and apology-seeking initial complaint of March 18.
“Here, the Series is an artistic dramatization of controversial and contested historical events. Plaintiff’s complaint that the Series’ portrayal of her is “false” because it ‘depict...
- 5/19/2020
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
You may not recognize Marsha Stephanie Blake’s name, but you’ll almost certainly recognize her face from the Netflix miniseries, When They See Us. In the series, Marsha portrayed Linda McCray, the mother of Antron McCray who was one of the teens wrongfully imprisoned for the assault and rape of a jogger in Central Park. Immediately after its release, When They See Us became one of Netflix’s most talked about released. Many of the series’ cast members have gotten more attention since When They See Us first aired, and Marsha Stephanie Blake is one of them. Here are 10 things you
10 Things You Didn’t Know about Marsha Stephanie Blake...
10 Things You Didn’t Know about Marsha Stephanie Blake...
- 4/2/2020
- by Camille Moore
- TVovermind.com
Almost a year after the Emmy winning When They See Us launched on Netflix, the streamer and director Ava DuVernay have been sued by former Central Park Five prosecutor Linda Fairstein for defamation.
DuVernay may be radio silent today on this, Netflix ain’t having any of it.
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“Linda Fairstein’s frivolous lawsuit is without merit,” a spokesperson for the streamer said Wednesday morning after the ex-Assistant District Attorney for New York County filed her damages and more seeking suit in federal court in Florida. “We intend to vigorously defend When They See Us and Ava DuVernay and Attica Locke, the incredible team behind the series,” Netflix added.
In language reminiscent of a WSJ op-ed she wrote back in June 2019, Fairstein says that...
DuVernay may be radio silent today on this, Netflix ain’t having any of it.
More from Deadline'Fauda' Season 3 Gets Netflix Premiere DateDAWN Stocks Vs FANGs? Netflix Straddles BothNetflix Is A Joke Fest Postponed Amid Coronavirus Shutdowns
“Linda Fairstein’s frivolous lawsuit is without merit,” a spokesperson for the streamer said Wednesday morning after the ex-Assistant District Attorney for New York County filed her damages and more seeking suit in federal court in Florida. “We intend to vigorously defend When They See Us and Ava DuVernay and Attica Locke, the incredible team behind the series,” Netflix added.
In language reminiscent of a WSJ op-ed she wrote back in June 2019, Fairstein says that...
- 3/18/2020
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Jharrel Jerome was one of the big winners at Sunday's Critics' Choice Awards. The 22-year-old actor took the stage to accept the award for best actor in a limited series or movie made for television, accredited to his role as Korey Wise in Netflix's When They See Us. He took a moment in the spotlight to thank everyone who played a part in his success, notably the Exonerated Five, who inspired the series.
"This is for the Exonerated Five, no matter what," Jerome said, accepting his first-ever Critics' Choice award. "This is for Korey Wise, Antron McCray, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, Kevin Richardson." He went on to thank his mother, father, aunt, and sister before giving a special shout-out to director Ava DuVernay - who, earlier in the night, delivered a powerful speech while accepting the best limited series honor for When They See Us. Calling DuVerney an "amazing,...
"This is for the Exonerated Five, no matter what," Jerome said, accepting his first-ever Critics' Choice award. "This is for Korey Wise, Antron McCray, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, Kevin Richardson." He went on to thank his mother, father, aunt, and sister before giving a special shout-out to director Ava DuVernay - who, earlier in the night, delivered a powerful speech while accepting the best limited series honor for When They See Us. Calling DuVerney an "amazing,...
- 1/13/2020
- by Brea Cubit
- Popsugar.com
Ava DuVernay received a standing ovation at Sunday's Critics' Choice Awards after When They See Us took home the award for best limited series. The drama tells the harrowing true story of the Central Park Five, and in her speech, DuVernay made sure to give Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise the praise they deserve and make a powerful statement about prison reform.
"People who are poor and innocent are behind bars, while the rich and guilty walk free and gain power."
"This series began with a tweet from Raymond Santana, and now he, Antron, Kevin, Yusef, and the mighty Korey Wise stand for something larger than they ever imagined," DuVernay said. "If you watched their story and felt something in that moment, I invite you consider doing something. There's no right thing to do. Do what you feel where you are, but don't let...
"People who are poor and innocent are behind bars, while the rich and guilty walk free and gain power."
"This series began with a tweet from Raymond Santana, and now he, Antron, Kevin, Yusef, and the mighty Korey Wise stand for something larger than they ever imagined," DuVernay said. "If you watched their story and felt something in that moment, I invite you consider doing something. There's no right thing to do. Do what you feel where you are, but don't let...
- 1/13/2020
- by Monica Sisavat
- Popsugar.com
After receiving criticism, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) announced through her campaign that she will be returning funds donated to her by Central Park Five prosecutor Linda Fairstein. Fairstein has been criticized harshly as recent events, including Ava DuVernay’s When They See Us, which dramatized the lives of the men accused and exonerated of the murder, have led to a reexamination of the case.
The Central Park Five case centers around Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise, whose convictions for the murder of a jogger...
The Central Park Five case centers around Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise, whose convictions for the murder of a jogger...
- 1/5/2020
- by Peter Wade
- Rollingstone.com
[Editor’s Note: This interview contains spoilers for “Watchmen” Episode 6, “This Extraordinary Being.”]
If there was trepidation about stepping into the spotlight of a high-profile television series and serving as the catalyst for the show’s whole universe, you’d never know it from talking to Jovan Adepo.
Episode 6 of HBO’s “Watchmen” series, titled “This Extraordinary Being,” featured the actor as the third iteration of Will Reeves, mysterious grandfather of protagonist Angela Abar (Regina King), previously seen as a young boy fleeing the Tulsa Race Massacre and, more prominently, as an old man in a wheelchair played by Louis Gossett Jr. After Angela overdoses on Will’s Nostalgia pills, both she and the audience are thrust into his memories, experiencing his life as a police officer in New York, an attempted lynching at the hands of fellow officers, and, ultimately, his decision to become Hooded Justice, the first superhero.
“This Extraordinary Being” is an origin story, not...
If there was trepidation about stepping into the spotlight of a high-profile television series and serving as the catalyst for the show’s whole universe, you’d never know it from talking to Jovan Adepo.
Episode 6 of HBO’s “Watchmen” series, titled “This Extraordinary Being,” featured the actor as the third iteration of Will Reeves, mysterious grandfather of protagonist Angela Abar (Regina King), previously seen as a young boy fleeing the Tulsa Race Massacre and, more prominently, as an old man in a wheelchair played by Louis Gossett Jr. After Angela overdoses on Will’s Nostalgia pills, both she and the audience are thrust into his memories, experiencing his life as a police officer in New York, an attempted lynching at the hands of fellow officers, and, ultimately, his decision to become Hooded Justice, the first superhero.
“This Extraordinary Being” is an origin story, not...
- 11/25/2019
- by Libby Hill
- Indiewire
For most of the “When They See Us” shoot, director Ava DuVernay worked with two or three cameras, but when it came to shooting the tense courtroom seen where Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise are put on trial, DuVernay shot with four cameras. Editor Spencer Averick says, “We needed reactions from the parents, the legal team, the kids and the judge because there’s a lot going on.”
Episode two in the four-part series picks up as the boys get ready for trial and the judge has ruled the admission tapes as admissible evidence. With the DNA evidence, inconclusive and the defendant having no recollection of the attack, the lawyers for the boys believe — with the boys being coerced into confessing — that the case is weak.
It’s decided the young boys are to have separate trials, and as we see from the episode,...
Episode two in the four-part series picks up as the boys get ready for trial and the judge has ruled the admission tapes as admissible evidence. With the DNA evidence, inconclusive and the defendant having no recollection of the attack, the lawyers for the boys believe — with the boys being coerced into confessing — that the case is weak.
It’s decided the young boys are to have separate trials, and as we see from the episode,...
- 11/22/2019
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
Sunday’s Primetime Emmy Awards was an evening of exciting wins, great fashion and, of course, great speeches. The speeches spanned the emotional spectrum from being genuinely heartfelt and touching to absolutely hilarious and full of wit. With the ceremony now in the rearview mirror, let’s take a look at the five best acceptance speeches we heard during the show.
Comedy Supporting Actress: Alex Borstein, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”
Borstein gave one of the best speeches last year and she followed it up with another knockout this year. She started by taking a swig from a minibar bottle with her “Family Guy” co-star Seth MacFarlane and then built on her material from last year by saying that she wasn’t wearing underwear and that her seat should be destroyed. She then brought up her mother and grandmother, both immigrants, and her grandmother who escaped being shot by a guard...
Comedy Supporting Actress: Alex Borstein, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”
Borstein gave one of the best speeches last year and she followed it up with another knockout this year. She started by taking a swig from a minibar bottle with her “Family Guy” co-star Seth MacFarlane and then built on her material from last year by saying that she wasn’t wearing underwear and that her seat should be destroyed. She then brought up her mother and grandmother, both immigrants, and her grandmother who escaped being shot by a guard...
- 9/23/2019
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
The Exonerated Five, whose lives were depicted in Ava DuVernay's powerful Netflix miniseries, When They See Us, graced the Microsoft Theater at the 2019 Emmys. The series entered the Emmys ring this year with a breathtaking 10 nominations, including ones in the limited series and lead actor categories. In the latter section, Jharrel Jerome, who plays Korey Wise, would pick up a win, ending his speech by paying homage to the men whose stories of resilience became the show's foundation.
In 1989, a media blitz dubbed five Black and Latino teenage boys - Wise, Raymond Santana, Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, and Yusef Salaam - the "Central Park Five," a label that would become entrenched with a history of injustice and racism. In April 1989, a young woman named Trisha Meili was brutally raped and beaten while jogging in Central Park one night. Using intimidation tactics, the police cornered the teenagers into confessing that...
In 1989, a media blitz dubbed five Black and Latino teenage boys - Wise, Raymond Santana, Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, and Yusef Salaam - the "Central Park Five," a label that would become entrenched with a history of injustice and racism. In April 1989, a young woman named Trisha Meili was brutally raped and beaten while jogging in Central Park one night. Using intimidation tactics, the police cornered the teenagers into confessing that...
- 9/23/2019
- by Stacey Nguyen
- Popsugar.com
“When They See Us” star Jharrel Jerome took home they Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series on Sunday and shouted out the “Exonerated Five” while accepting his award from the stage.
The story of Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise, the five men who were falsely convicted for the 1989 sexual assault of jogger in Central Park was dramatized in the Netflix limited series from director Ava DuVernay, and all five men were in attendance for Jerome’s win.
“This is for the men who we know as the Exonerated Five,” Jerome said, to a round of applause from the audience.
Also Read: 'When They See Us' Cast Speaks Out on Injustice: 'America Is Allowing This to Happen'
Jerome portrayed Wise in the miniseries to critical acclaim. His nomination was one of 16 for the drama, which was also up for Outstanding Limited Series.
The story of Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise, the five men who were falsely convicted for the 1989 sexual assault of jogger in Central Park was dramatized in the Netflix limited series from director Ava DuVernay, and all five men were in attendance for Jerome’s win.
“This is for the men who we know as the Exonerated Five,” Jerome said, to a round of applause from the audience.
Also Read: 'When They See Us' Cast Speaks Out on Injustice: 'America Is Allowing This to Happen'
Jerome portrayed Wise in the miniseries to critical acclaim. His nomination was one of 16 for the drama, which was also up for Outstanding Limited Series.
- 9/23/2019
- by Reid Nakamura
- The Wrap
When They See Us’ Jharrel Jerome paid tribute to the “exonerated” Central Park Five as he accepted the Emmy for outstanding lead actor in a limited series or movie.
Jerome’s award for the first pick up of the evening for Netflix. He beat Escape At Dannemora’s Benicio del Toro, Fosse/Verdon’s Sam Rockwell, True Detective’s Mahershala Ali, A Very English Scandal’s Hugh Grant and Chernobyl’s Jared Harris.
Jerome plays Korey Wise, one of five teenage boys of color wrongly convicted in the notorious Central Park Jogger case of 1989 in the four-part Netflix drama.
Jerome received his award to a standing ovation. “I feel like I should be in the Bronx right now,” he said. He thanked his fellow actors, his mother and Ava DuVernay. “Most importantly, this is for the men that we know as the exonerated five,” he added.
The five that he...
Jerome’s award for the first pick up of the evening for Netflix. He beat Escape At Dannemora’s Benicio del Toro, Fosse/Verdon’s Sam Rockwell, True Detective’s Mahershala Ali, A Very English Scandal’s Hugh Grant and Chernobyl’s Jared Harris.
Jerome plays Korey Wise, one of five teenage boys of color wrongly convicted in the notorious Central Park Jogger case of 1989 in the four-part Netflix drama.
Jerome received his award to a standing ovation. “I feel like I should be in the Bronx right now,” he said. He thanked his fellow actors, his mother and Ava DuVernay. “Most importantly, this is for the men that we know as the exonerated five,” he added.
The five that he...
- 9/23/2019
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Emmy-nominated director Ava DuVernay was joined on the Emmys red carpet by some very special guests tonight. Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise, also known as the Central Park 5 and the Exonerated 5, walked the carpet with the woman who told their story with the Netflix miniseries When They See Us. DuVernay explained to E!'s Giuliana Rancic that it was Santana who reached out to her to ask that she consider telling their story, and then he introduced her to each of the rest of the men. "Cut to four years later and now we're here in tuxedos! It's crazy," she says. "It's a blessing, it's a...
- 9/22/2019
- E! Online
The Exonerated Five made their Emmys debut during the awards show Sunday.
Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, Korey Wise, Raymond Santana and Yusef Salaam attended the awards show with When They See Us writer-director Ava DuVernay. The Netflix limited series, which tells the true story of The Central Park Five being wrongly convicted of rape in the 1989 Central Park jogger case, is nominated for 16 awards.
E! Live From the Red Carpet's Giuliana Rancic spoke to DuVernay and the Exonerated Five before the ceremony kicked off.
DuVernay began the interview by discussing how she became inspired to make When They See ...
Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, Korey Wise, Raymond Santana and Yusef Salaam attended the awards show with When They See Us writer-director Ava DuVernay. The Netflix limited series, which tells the true story of The Central Park Five being wrongly convicted of rape in the 1989 Central Park jogger case, is nominated for 16 awards.
E! Live From the Red Carpet's Giuliana Rancic spoke to DuVernay and the Exonerated Five before the ceremony kicked off.
DuVernay began the interview by discussing how she became inspired to make When They See ...
- 9/22/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Whoopi Goldberg is set to star alongside Jovan Adepo (When They See Us), Owen Teague (Mrs. Fletcher), Brad William Henke (Orange is the New Black) and Daniel Sunjata (Rescue Me) in The Stand, an adaptation of Stephen King’s novel at CBS All Access. They join previously announced cast members James Marsden, Amber Heard, Odessa Young and Henry Zaga. Goldberg and King made the announcement this morning on ABC’s The View.
Written by Josh Boone and Ben Cavell, The Stand is King’s apocalyptic vision of a world decimated by plague and embroiled in an elemental struggle between good and evil. The fate of mankind rests on the frail shoulders of the 108-year-old Mother Abagail (Goldberg) and a handful of survivors. Their worst nightmares are embodied in a man with a lethal smile and unspeakable powers: Randall Flagg, the Dark Man.
Goldberg’s Mother Abagail is a prophet who...
Written by Josh Boone and Ben Cavell, The Stand is King’s apocalyptic vision of a world decimated by plague and embroiled in an elemental struggle between good and evil. The fate of mankind rests on the frail shoulders of the 108-year-old Mother Abagail (Goldberg) and a handful of survivors. Their worst nightmares are embodied in a man with a lethal smile and unspeakable powers: Randall Flagg, the Dark Man.
Goldberg’s Mother Abagail is a prophet who...
- 9/11/2019
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Netflix’s “When They See Us” burst into the Emmy race with 16 nominations, including Best Limited Series. Directed by Ava DuVernay, it tells the true story of the Exonerated Five, who were wrongfully convicted of raping a jogger in New York City in 1989. Gold Derby recently spoke with several of the show’s contenders, including stars Jharrel Jerome, Niecy Nash, Asante Blackk, Michael Kenneth Williams and Marsha Stephanie Blake, plus composer Kris Bowers, as well as editors Terilyn Shropshire and Michelle Tesoro. Scroll down and click on any name below to be taken to their full interview.
See ‘When They See Us’ Emmy voter event: Ava DuVernay and cast say there was no way they could turn down this story [Listen]
The show was a particular challenge for Jerome, who was the only actor in the cast to play one of the accused as a young teenager and also as an adult.
See ‘When They See Us’ Emmy voter event: Ava DuVernay and cast say there was no way they could turn down this story [Listen]
The show was a particular challenge for Jerome, who was the only actor in the cast to play one of the accused as a young teenager and also as an adult.
- 9/6/2019
- by Zach Laws
- Gold Derby
The big question looming over this year’s Emmy race for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie: Can Patricia Arquette pull off a double win?
The Oscar winner is nominated here for her work as manipulative mom Dee Dee Blanchard in Hulu’s true-crime saga The Act, and she’s also in the running for Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for Showtime’s Escape at Dannemora, so there’s a chance she could head home on Emmy night holding a trophy in each hand. But not so fast: Five other contenders will be looking to play spoiler as well.
The Oscar winner is nominated here for her work as manipulative mom Dee Dee Blanchard in Hulu’s true-crime saga The Act, and she’s also in the running for Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for Showtime’s Escape at Dannemora, so there’s a chance she could head home on Emmy night holding a trophy in each hand. But not so fast: Five other contenders will be looking to play spoiler as well.
- 8/29/2019
- TVLine.com
Marsha Stephanie Blake just received her first Emmy nomination for “When They See Us” in the Best Limited Series/Movie Supporting Actress category. In the series, she plays Linda McCray, mother of Antron McCray, who was one of the boys convicted in the Central Park Five case.
Blake recently chatted with Gold Derby senior editor Rob Licuria about the surprise of her Emmy nomination, playing Linda and what she hopes people will take from watching “When They See Us.” Watch the exclusive video interview above and read the complete transcript below.
See‘When They See Us’ Emmy voter event: Ava DuVernay and cast say there was no way they could turn down this story [Listen]
Gold Derby: Marsha, congratulations on your Emmy nomination. That’s so exciting.
Marsha Stephanie Blake: Yes! Thank you!
Gd: Talk us through the morning of.
Msb: The morning of (laughs). That’s an interesting morning.
Blake recently chatted with Gold Derby senior editor Rob Licuria about the surprise of her Emmy nomination, playing Linda and what she hopes people will take from watching “When They See Us.” Watch the exclusive video interview above and read the complete transcript below.
See‘When They See Us’ Emmy voter event: Ava DuVernay and cast say there was no way they could turn down this story [Listen]
Gold Derby: Marsha, congratulations on your Emmy nomination. That’s so exciting.
Marsha Stephanie Blake: Yes! Thank you!
Gd: Talk us through the morning of.
Msb: The morning of (laughs). That’s an interesting morning.
- 8/27/2019
- by Kevin Jacobsen
- Gold Derby
In April 1989, the lives of five young men of color were irrevocably and horrifically changed. Wrongly accused of raping a white female jogger, they were first arbitrarily rounded up by police simply for being in the area, then pushed into false confessions that would ultimately land them a collective name that resonates in the memory of America: The Central Park Five.
Sentenced to five to 15 years, Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise lost so much more than their youths, and their fates were set in no small part by full-page ads in the New York papers calling for their death penalty—paid for by one Donald Trump, real estate developer.
Widespread misunderstanding of the slang ‘wilin’ out’—which essentially just means heading out as a group to have a good time—added to the miasma of racism that condemned the young men. It was quickly...
Sentenced to five to 15 years, Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise lost so much more than their youths, and their fates were set in no small part by full-page ads in the New York papers calling for their death penalty—paid for by one Donald Trump, real estate developer.
Widespread misunderstanding of the slang ‘wilin’ out’—which essentially just means heading out as a group to have a good time—added to the miasma of racism that condemned the young men. It was quickly...
- 8/21/2019
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Michael K. Williams received one of the eight acting Emmy nominations for “When They See Us,” in Best Limited Series/TV Movie Supporting Actor. It’s the actor’s third nomination in the category, making him one of six men to have nabbed at least three bids. But if Williams wants to win, he’ll have to pull off a rare feat because not many of them have converted their nominations into victories.
Williams joins Beau Bridges, John Gielgud, John Malkovich and Joe Mantegna as three-time Best Limited Series/TV Movie Supporting Actor nominees, while Brian Dennehy holds the category record with four bids. Only two of them have won here: Bridges, who is the category’s only two-time champ and Malkovich, who prevailed for “Death of a Salesman” in 1986.
See Michael K. Williams on why ‘When They See Us’ is so personal: ‘This could have easily been me’ [Exclusive Video Interview]
While...
Williams joins Beau Bridges, John Gielgud, John Malkovich and Joe Mantegna as three-time Best Limited Series/TV Movie Supporting Actor nominees, while Brian Dennehy holds the category record with four bids. Only two of them have won here: Bridges, who is the category’s only two-time champ and Malkovich, who prevailed for “Death of a Salesman” in 1986.
See Michael K. Williams on why ‘When They See Us’ is so personal: ‘This could have easily been me’ [Exclusive Video Interview]
While...
- 8/17/2019
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Netflix welcomed a packed house of Emmy voters to an event honoring their limited series “When They See Us” on August 11. The panel discussion took place at Paramount Studios in Hollywood and was moderated by J.J. Abrams. It featured writer-director-producer Ava DuVernay, stars Jharrel Jerome, Niecy Nash, Aunjanue Ellis, Marsha Stephanie Blake and Asante Blackk, and composer Kris Bowers — all Emmy nominees for their work in the fact-based drama. Listen to the full 53-minute Q&a above.
See Asante Blackk interview: ‘When They See Us’
“When They See Us” tells the true story of the Exonerated Five (formerly known as the Central Park Five): Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana, Yusef Salaam and Korey Wise. In 1989 the five teenagers were wrongfully accused of raping a white jogger in New York City. They were convicted and spent years behind bars and as registered sex offenders until their sentences were finally...
See Asante Blackk interview: ‘When They See Us’
“When They See Us” tells the true story of the Exonerated Five (formerly known as the Central Park Five): Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana, Yusef Salaam and Korey Wise. In 1989 the five teenagers were wrongfully accused of raping a white jogger in New York City. They were convicted and spent years behind bars and as registered sex offenders until their sentences were finally...
- 8/16/2019
- by Zach Laws
- Gold Derby
In the late 1980s, “When They See Us” star Michael Kenneth Williams wore the dark puffy jackets, designer jeans and sneakers that were popular in his community. “But when ‘wilding’ started going on in New York City, that was the attire for them as well,” says Williams, who changed the way he dressed out of fear in the wake of the Central Park jogger case. Now, the four-time Emmy nominee goes for clean, classic clothes with “a little pop.” “I like to bring a little bit of my personality and my flair to the tradition.”
2014
Being nominated for a second time with the SAG Award-winning ensemble of HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire” — as well as with the cast of 2013 film “12 Years a Slave” — left Williams with the stressful decision of with which production to sit. “I found myself bouncing from table to table,” he recalls. He got his navy Ralph Lauren...
2014
Being nominated for a second time with the SAG Award-winning ensemble of HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire” — as well as with the cast of 2013 film “12 Years a Slave” — left Williams with the stressful decision of with which production to sit. “I found myself bouncing from table to table,” he recalls. He got his navy Ralph Lauren...
- 8/15/2019
- by Jasmin Rosemberg
- Variety Film + TV
“It wasn’t on my radar at all,” proclaims Marsha Stephanie Blake about her surprise Emmy nomination for “When They See Us.” Blake could not believe the news when she found out, thinking it might have been a mistake. “I thought [show creator] Ava [Duvernay] had accidentally texted me and I was like ‘oh no she made a mistake and she’s going to realize she made a mistake and it’s going to be so mortifying’,” the actress laughs. Watch our exclusive video interview with Blake above.
“I’ve been an actor for about 20 years,” Blake says. “It’s just so nice to receive this kind of recognition; but also for the Five, and the mother that I play Linda McCray, it means everything to me that people are recognizing their story as worthy of being told, that people are giving them the kind of love that they deserve and that has eluded them all these years.
“I’ve been an actor for about 20 years,” Blake says. “It’s just so nice to receive this kind of recognition; but also for the Five, and the mother that I play Linda McCray, it means everything to me that people are recognizing their story as worthy of being told, that people are giving them the kind of love that they deserve and that has eluded them all these years.
- 8/13/2019
- by Rob Licuria
- Gold Derby
Ava DuVernay and the cast of her most recent project “When They See Us” celebrated their Emmy nominations with a special screening of the limited series Sunday night.
The four-part Netflix series about the men now known as “The Exonerated Five” received an impressive amount of recognition from the Television Academy, earning 16 nominations — the most Emmy nods for a program on the streaming service this year. As the awards show draws closer, DuVernay is anxious and hopeful for the five men the story is based on. In fact, DuVernay revealed that Korey Wise, Raymond Santana Jr., Kevin Richardson, Antron Mccray and Yusef Salaam will be escorting her on the big night.
“The most important thing is the way that the men’s lives have changed. The real ‘Exonerated Five’ — they live a different life now,” DuVernay told Variety on the red carpet at the Paramount Theatre. “People know that they’re innocent.
The four-part Netflix series about the men now known as “The Exonerated Five” received an impressive amount of recognition from the Television Academy, earning 16 nominations — the most Emmy nods for a program on the streaming service this year. As the awards show draws closer, DuVernay is anxious and hopeful for the five men the story is based on. In fact, DuVernay revealed that Korey Wise, Raymond Santana Jr., Kevin Richardson, Antron Mccray and Yusef Salaam will be escorting her on the big night.
“The most important thing is the way that the men’s lives have changed. The real ‘Exonerated Five’ — they live a different life now,” DuVernay told Variety on the red carpet at the Paramount Theatre. “People know that they’re innocent.
- 8/13/2019
- by BreAnna Bell
- Variety Film + TV
“Bates Motel” fans everywhere are screaming for joy as their favorite scream queen Vera Farmiga just earned an Emmy nomination for her supporting turn in Netflix’s limited series “When They See Us.” Farmiga was last recognized by the TV academy for the debut season of A&e’s cult horror series as Best Drama Actress in which she played Norma Bates, the overbearing mother to psychotic son Norman (Freddie Highmore). Despite her performance being heralded throughout the show’s five-season run (2013-18), she was never again recognized by Emmy voters. Until now.
Farmiga’s current nomination comes for taking on the role of Elizabeth Lederer, the real-life prosecutor who was responsible for sending the Central Park Five to prison in 1989. Ava DuVernay‘s timely miniseries chronicles every aspect of the infamous Central Park jogger case, from the night in question, to the criminal investigation and trials, to the ultimate release...
Farmiga’s current nomination comes for taking on the role of Elizabeth Lederer, the real-life prosecutor who was responsible for sending the Central Park Five to prison in 1989. Ava DuVernay‘s timely miniseries chronicles every aspect of the infamous Central Park jogger case, from the night in question, to the criminal investigation and trials, to the ultimate release...
- 7/17/2019
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
Netflix’s highly watched four-part series, When They See Us earned the most nominations for the streaming giant with a whopping 16 Emmy noms including Outstanding Limited Series. After the nominations were read, show director, co-writer, and producer Ava DuVernay hopped on Twitter to thank the real-life series subjects—Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise—affectionately dubbed The Exonerated Five.
“Thank you to the real men for inviting me to tell their story,” DuVernay wrote. “Thank you @TelevisionAcad for honoring the work. Saluting every single crew and cast member. And saluting Raymond, Korey, Antron, Yusef and Kevin. Love you, brothers.”
DuVernay also picked up writing and directing noms for the series, while Jharrel Jerome, Aunjanue Ellis, Niecy Nash, Asante Black, John Leguizamo, and Michael K. Williams were among the series stars recognized for their acting performance.
When They See Us, which follows the five Harlem teens...
“Thank you to the real men for inviting me to tell their story,” DuVernay wrote. “Thank you @TelevisionAcad for honoring the work. Saluting every single crew and cast member. And saluting Raymond, Korey, Antron, Yusef and Kevin. Love you, brothers.”
DuVernay also picked up writing and directing noms for the series, while Jharrel Jerome, Aunjanue Ellis, Niecy Nash, Asante Black, John Leguizamo, and Michael K. Williams were among the series stars recognized for their acting performance.
When They See Us, which follows the five Harlem teens...
- 7/16/2019
- by Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
Michael Kenneth Williams is one of many standout actors on “When They See Us,” Netflix’s limited series about the Central Park Five. Williams, a two-time Emmy nominee, plays Bobby McCray, father to one of the Central Park Five, Antron.
Williams recently spoke with Gold Derby senior editor Daniel Montgomery about how close to home “When They See Us” felt, working with director Ava DuVernay and how he hopes people take action after watching the series.
SEEAva DuVernay panel discussion with ‘When They See Us’ behind-the-scenes talent: ‘The people I really depended on’ [Watch]
Gold Derby: Michael, you’re a native New Yorker. Did you remember following this case closely as it was happening?
Michael Kenneth Williams: Yes, I do remember it. I don’t know how closely I followed it. I was living my own version of being an at-risk youth myself in Brooklyn. I do remember the tone in my household was,...
Williams recently spoke with Gold Derby senior editor Daniel Montgomery about how close to home “When They See Us” felt, working with director Ava DuVernay and how he hopes people take action after watching the series.
SEEAva DuVernay panel discussion with ‘When They See Us’ behind-the-scenes talent: ‘The people I really depended on’ [Watch]
Gold Derby: Michael, you’re a native New Yorker. Did you remember following this case closely as it was happening?
Michael Kenneth Williams: Yes, I do remember it. I don’t know how closely I followed it. I was living my own version of being an at-risk youth myself in Brooklyn. I do remember the tone in my household was,...
- 7/3/2019
- by Kevin Jacobsen and Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Netflix already said that When They See Us was one of the most popular series on the streaming platform. Now the numbers are out, showing more than 23 million accounts worldwide have watched the four-part drama about the so-called Central Park Five.
On Tuesday, Ava DuVernay, who produced, directed and co-wrote the miniseries, took to Twitter to share the viewership numbers.
“Imagine believing the world doesn’t care about real stories of black people. It always made me sad,” she wrote. “So when Netflix just shared with me that 23M+ accounts worldwide have watched #WhenTheySeeUs, I cried. Our stories matter and can move across the globe. A new truth for a new day.”
Imagine believing the world doesn’t care about real stories of black people. It always made me sad. So when Netflix just shared with me that 23M+ accounts worldwide have watched #WhenTheySeeUs, I cried. Our stories matter and can move across the globe.
On Tuesday, Ava DuVernay, who produced, directed and co-wrote the miniseries, took to Twitter to share the viewership numbers.
“Imagine believing the world doesn’t care about real stories of black people. It always made me sad,” she wrote. “So when Netflix just shared with me that 23M+ accounts worldwide have watched #WhenTheySeeUs, I cried. Our stories matter and can move across the globe. A new truth for a new day.”
Imagine believing the world doesn’t care about real stories of black people. It always made me sad. So when Netflix just shared with me that 23M+ accounts worldwide have watched #WhenTheySeeUs, I cried. Our stories matter and can move across the globe.
- 6/26/2019
- by Anita Bennett
- Deadline Film + TV
The story of the Central Park 5 — now called the Exonerated 5 — is a part of American history that is difficult to consume and is, unfortunately, all too relevant to 2019 even though the events happened in 1989. Ava DuVernay painted an emotional, beautiful and cathartic story of the falsely accused Korey Wise, Raymond Santana Jr., Yusef Salaam, Antron McCray and Kevin Richardson in the Netflix limited series When They See Us. Deadline’s New Hollywood Podcast took a field trip to DuVernay’s Array campus and took dive into the journey in making the series.
When They See Us is a difficult watch. It will stir up feelings of anger, sadness, frustration, disappointment and even more anger and sadness — but it is necessary viewing as it is part of our history that shows the flaws of our justice system and our country in general. But ultimately, DuVernay manages to sew in a quiet...
When They See Us is a difficult watch. It will stir up feelings of anger, sadness, frustration, disappointment and even more anger and sadness — but it is necessary viewing as it is part of our history that shows the flaws of our justice system and our country in general. But ultimately, DuVernay manages to sew in a quiet...
- 6/25/2019
- by Dino-Ray Ramos and Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
The exonerated men in the 1989 Central Park jogger case received a standing ovation at this weekend's Bet Awards.
While introducing the men, Regina Hall, host of the 19th annual ceremony, named Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana Jr. and Korey Wise as the group "now known as the exonerated five."
In 1990, the five black and brown teens were wrongly convicted of raping a white female jogger in the New York City park. They were famously dubbed the "Central Park Five," a moniker given to them by the media that Ava DuVernay's ...
While introducing the men, Regina Hall, host of the 19th annual ceremony, named Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana Jr. and Korey Wise as the group "now known as the exonerated five."
In 1990, the five black and brown teens were wrongly convicted of raping a white female jogger in the New York City park. They were famously dubbed the "Central Park Five," a moniker given to them by the media that Ava DuVernay's ...
- 6/24/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise received a standing ovation at the Bet Awards Sunday night, where they were introduced not by their old tabloid nickname, “The Central Park 5,” but as the “Exonerated 5.”
Host Regina Hall introduced the men, who were convicted and then exonerated in the 1989 sexual assault of jogger in Central Park. Their story is the subject of Ava DuVernay’s new Netflix miniseries, “When They See Us.” You can watch the full clip below.
“Our next presenters were five teenage boys who were falsely accused and wrongly convicted of an unspeakable crime. ‘When They See Us’ is a poignant, true story that reminds us all of the racial injustices that continue to happen [to] us all and plague our justice system. It is my sincere honor to introduce to you Yusef Salam, Korey Wise, Kevin, Raymond Santana, and Antron McCray — now known as...
Host Regina Hall introduced the men, who were convicted and then exonerated in the 1989 sexual assault of jogger in Central Park. Their story is the subject of Ava DuVernay’s new Netflix miniseries, “When They See Us.” You can watch the full clip below.
“Our next presenters were five teenage boys who were falsely accused and wrongly convicted of an unspeakable crime. ‘When They See Us’ is a poignant, true story that reminds us all of the racial injustices that continue to happen [to] us all and plague our justice system. It is my sincere honor to introduce to you Yusef Salam, Korey Wise, Kevin, Raymond Santana, and Antron McCray — now known as...
- 6/24/2019
- by Margeaux Sippell
- The Wrap
Image Source: Getty / Roy Rochlin
Prior to Disney's A Wrinkle in Time, Ava DuVernay shifted conversations around racial justice with films like 13 and Selma. When They See Us, her latest project now available to stream on Netflix, revisits the harrowing story of the Central Park Five in a five-part limited series. The details of the real case are ghastly, marking a grave miscarriage of justice and revealing how the deep legacy of racism plagued America's media and legal system in the late '80s.
While out on a jog the evening of April 19, 1989, a 28-year-old white woman named Trisha Meili was brutally assaulted and raped at Central Park. Her body was found in a ravine, covered in grime and blood. She spent 12 days in a coma, suffering from severe hypothermia and memory loss. Though medical professionals believed that she would die, Meili woke up. The trauma affected her memory,...
Prior to Disney's A Wrinkle in Time, Ava DuVernay shifted conversations around racial justice with films like 13 and Selma. When They See Us, her latest project now available to stream on Netflix, revisits the harrowing story of the Central Park Five in a five-part limited series. The details of the real case are ghastly, marking a grave miscarriage of justice and revealing how the deep legacy of racism plagued America's media and legal system in the late '80s.
While out on a jog the evening of April 19, 1989, a 28-year-old white woman named Trisha Meili was brutally assaulted and raped at Central Park. Her body was found in a ravine, covered in grime and blood. She spent 12 days in a coma, suffering from severe hypothermia and memory loss. Though medical professionals believed that she would die, Meili woke up. The trauma affected her memory,...
- 6/22/2019
- by Stacey Nguyen
- Popsugar.com
Netflix highlighted the crafts of “When They See Us” during a recent special event at their Fysee space. The panel discussion, which took place at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood and was moderated by the show’s own writer-director Ava DuVernay, shined a spotlight on a variety of behind-the-scenes talents who spoke about their work on the limited series. Watch the full 47-minute Q&a above.
See Terilyn A. Shropshire and Michelle Tesoro interview: ‘When They See Us’ editors
“When They See Us” tells the shattering true story of Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana, Yusef Salaam and Korey Wise, formerly known as the Central Park Five, now known more and more as the Exonerated Five. As teenagers in 1989, they were wrongfully accused of raping a white jogger in New York City. They were convicted and spent years behind bars and as registered sex offenders until their sentences were finally vacated...
See Terilyn A. Shropshire and Michelle Tesoro interview: ‘When They See Us’ editors
“When They See Us” tells the shattering true story of Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana, Yusef Salaam and Korey Wise, formerly known as the Central Park Five, now known more and more as the Exonerated Five. As teenagers in 1989, they were wrongfully accused of raping a white jogger in New York City. They were convicted and spent years behind bars and as registered sex offenders until their sentences were finally vacated...
- 6/20/2019
- by Zach Laws
- Gold Derby
“When They See Us” writer and director Ava DuVernay still talks to the real-life subjects of the series almost every day.
“This morning I talked to three of them,” said DuVernay at a Tuesday night screening for the four-part Netflix series, which tells the true story of the five black and Latino boys who came to be known as the Central Park Five through their arrest, imprisonment and eventual exoneration. DuVernay first met one of the five, Raymond Santana Jr., in 2014, after he reached out to her on Twitter. Since then, she says she’s developed close relationships with all of them.
“These are my brothers, I’ve gotten to know these men for four years, I’ve sat in their homes, I’ve met their families,” said DuVernay.
“We talk a lot and it’s not even about this, it’s like, Korey’s moving into a new apartment,...
“This morning I talked to three of them,” said DuVernay at a Tuesday night screening for the four-part Netflix series, which tells the true story of the five black and Latino boys who came to be known as the Central Park Five through their arrest, imprisonment and eventual exoneration. DuVernay first met one of the five, Raymond Santana Jr., in 2014, after he reached out to her on Twitter. Since then, she says she’s developed close relationships with all of them.
“These are my brothers, I’ve gotten to know these men for four years, I’ve sat in their homes, I’ve met their families,” said DuVernay.
“We talk a lot and it’s not even about this, it’s like, Korey’s moving into a new apartment,...
- 6/19/2019
- by Kylie Charney-Harrington
- The Wrap
Without any superfluous comment, actress-producer Ava DuVernay made her thoughts crystal clear about Donald Trump and the Central Park Five last night by tweeting a clip from her Netflix miniseries When They See Us.
Within hours of the president reasserting his misleading claim that the so-called Five “admitted their guilt,” DuVernay tweeted a clip from the series in which actual archival footage, used in the Netflix series, shows an ’80s-era Trump proclaiming how he’d “love to be a well-educated black” because of all the advantages society has to offer them. We then see that the 1989 Trump is being watched on TV by the mother of one of the boys wrongly accused of raping the so-called Central Park Jogger.
“They want to kill my son,” says the mother, Linda McCray (played by Marsha Stephanie Blake). “That devil, that devil wants to kill my son….They’re gonna have to come for me first.
Within hours of the president reasserting his misleading claim that the so-called Five “admitted their guilt,” DuVernay tweeted a clip from the series in which actual archival footage, used in the Netflix series, shows an ’80s-era Trump proclaiming how he’d “love to be a well-educated black” because of all the advantages society has to offer them. We then see that the 1989 Trump is being watched on TV by the mother of one of the boys wrongly accused of raping the so-called Central Park Jogger.
“They want to kill my son,” says the mother, Linda McCray (played by Marsha Stephanie Blake). “That devil, that devil wants to kill my son….They’re gonna have to come for me first.
- 6/19/2019
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
As seen in Ava DuVernay’s new miniseries “Central Park 5,” five young men were wrongly convicted in a brutal 1989 attack on a jogger in Central Park, then exonerated when DNA evidence proved another man committed the crime — and he confessed. President Trump took out a newspaper ad before the men were exonerated, calling for their executions, but he said Tuesday that he has no regrets.
“You have people on both sides of that. They admitted their guilt,” Trump said on Tuesday when asked by a reporter if he feels he owed the five men an apology.
The men’s attorneys and the men themselves have said that the statements they made in policy custody were coerced.
Holy shit — years after DNA evidence exonerated them, Trump suggests the Central Park 5 are guilty and refuses to apologize for saying they should be executed.
"You have people on both sides of that. They admitted their guilt.
“You have people on both sides of that. They admitted their guilt,” Trump said on Tuesday when asked by a reporter if he feels he owed the five men an apology.
The men’s attorneys and the men themselves have said that the statements they made in policy custody were coerced.
Holy shit — years after DNA evidence exonerated them, Trump suggests the Central Park 5 are guilty and refuses to apologize for saying they should be executed.
"You have people on both sides of that. They admitted their guilt.
- 6/18/2019
- by Tim Baysinger
- The Wrap
Editor Terilyn A. Shropshire felt “a huge responsibility” working on “When They See Us.” In piecing together the first episode of Ava DuVernay‘s limited series the veteran cutter had to “introduce an audience to these men” who were more than just the name the media gave them: the Central Park Five. “These are living human beings who endured insurmountable types of atrocities as young boys, and you thought about them every day” that “you were coming into the cutting room.” Watch our exclusive video interview with Shropshire and fellow editor Michelle Tesoro above.
See Michael Kenneth Williams interview: ‘When They See Us’
“When They See Us” tells the tragic true story of Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise, known at the time as the Central Park Five, and since redubbed the Exonerated Five. In 1989 the five teenagers were wrongly convicted of raping a white...
See Michael Kenneth Williams interview: ‘When They See Us’
“When They See Us” tells the tragic true story of Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise, known at the time as the Central Park Five, and since redubbed the Exonerated Five. In 1989 the five teenagers were wrongly convicted of raping a white...
- 6/18/2019
- by Zach Laws
- Gold Derby
Elizabeth Lederer, the prosecutor during the Central Park 5 rape case, has resigned as a part-time lecturer at Columbia Law School, citing the backlash she has received from the Netflix series “When They See Us.”
Lederer, who is portrayed by Vera Farmiga in the Ava DuVernay biographical drama, told the law school on Wednesday she would not seek reappointment, according to a note from Dean Gillian Lester sent to students and obtained by TheWrap.
Lederer, who is portrayed by Vera Farmiga in the Ava DuVernay biographical drama, told the law school on Wednesday she would not seek reappointment, according to a note from Dean Gillian Lester sent to students and obtained by TheWrap.
- 6/13/2019
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Just days into the initial round of Emmy voting, When They See Us has gotten a big boost from the streaming service that the Ava DuVernay directed limited series is on and from real world outrage over the prosecutors who were hellbent on putting the Central Park 5 behind bars for the brutal sexual assault of a NYC jogger in 1989.
Offering no actual stats or date, Netflix today sent up a very big flare for the widely acclaimed four-parter that is almost guaranteed to be a big contender for this year’s TV Academy ceremony. When asked to elaborate, the Reed Hastings-run streamer had nothing but a “no” to offer on questions of context, clarification, or hard numbers over its well-guarded claims:
When They See Us has been the most-watched series on Netflix in the Us every day since it premiered on May 31 pic.twitter.com/jS8IXIh03g
— Netflix...
Offering no actual stats or date, Netflix today sent up a very big flare for the widely acclaimed four-parter that is almost guaranteed to be a big contender for this year’s TV Academy ceremony. When asked to elaborate, the Reed Hastings-run streamer had nothing but a “no” to offer on questions of context, clarification, or hard numbers over its well-guarded claims:
When They See Us has been the most-watched series on Netflix in the Us every day since it premiered on May 31 pic.twitter.com/jS8IXIh03g
— Netflix...
- 6/13/2019
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Linda Fairstein has been dropped by her publisher, and now the ex-Manhattan Deputy District Attorney who spurred the prosecution of the eventually exonerated Central Park Five has been shown the door by her Hollywood literary agency ICM Partners over Netflix’s When They See Us.
This comes as Fairstein lashed out late last night in the Wall Street Journal at Ava DuVernay and Netflix’s acclaimed series as an “outright fabrication” for its depiction of the shameful series of judicial events three decades ago and Fairstein’s pivotal role in them.
ICM has cut ties with Fairstein after several years, I’ve learned. The agency represented the lawyer in her post-prosecution career as the bestselling author of over a dozen mystery novels featuring fictional Manhattan Deputy D.A. Alexandra Cooper. The 1996 offering Final Jeopardy was adopted into a TV movie for ABC in 2001 starring Dana Delany as Cooper.
ICM...
This comes as Fairstein lashed out late last night in the Wall Street Journal at Ava DuVernay and Netflix’s acclaimed series as an “outright fabrication” for its depiction of the shameful series of judicial events three decades ago and Fairstein’s pivotal role in them.
ICM has cut ties with Fairstein after several years, I’ve learned. The agency represented the lawyer in her post-prosecution career as the bestselling author of over a dozen mystery novels featuring fictional Manhattan Deputy D.A. Alexandra Cooper. The 1996 offering Final Jeopardy was adopted into a TV movie for ABC in 2001 starring Dana Delany as Cooper.
ICM...
- 6/11/2019
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Netflix closed its Emmy Fysee space on Sunday, June 9, with an emotionally charged screening of Ava DuVernay‘s limited series “When They See Us.” The event, hosted by executive producer Oprah Winfrey, included a Q&a with DuVernay, the cast and producers, followed by a separate interview with the Exonerated Five, whose devastating life stories formed the basis of the show. The discussion, which took place at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood, will air in its entirety on Netflix and on Winfrey’s Own Network on June 12. Watch a clip above.
“When They See Us” recounts the true story of Antron McCray, Korey Wise, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana and Yusef Salaam. In 1989, when they were teenagers, they were wrongfully convicted of raping a white jogger in New York City and spent years in prison and as registered sex offenders before their sentences were vacated in 2002 when the actual perpetrator came forward.
“When They See Us” recounts the true story of Antron McCray, Korey Wise, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana and Yusef Salaam. In 1989, when they were teenagers, they were wrongfully convicted of raping a white jogger in New York City and spent years in prison and as registered sex offenders before their sentences were vacated in 2002 when the actual perpetrator came forward.
- 6/11/2019
- by Zach Laws
- Gold Derby
Former New York City prosecutor Linda Fairstein, who oversaw the investigation and wrongful conviction of the Central Park Five, said on Monday that filmmaker Ava DuVernay’s Netflix series about the ordeal is “so full of distortions and falsehoods as to be an outright fabrication.”
DuVernay’s “When They See Us,” which premiered May 31, depicts the events leading to the arrest and wrongful convictions of Korey Wise, Antron McCray, Yosef Salaam, Kevin Richardson and Raymond Santana for the rape of a woman in central park. Fairstein, portrayed by Felicity Huffman in the series, has been subject to intense criticism and professional backlash since the series premiered. Most recently, she was dropped by her publisher, Dutton.
In an op-ed published by the Wall Street Journal, Fairstein says the miniseries “wrongly portrays them as totally innocent,” and that it defamed her. “The facts of the original case are documented in a 117-page...
DuVernay’s “When They See Us,” which premiered May 31, depicts the events leading to the arrest and wrongful convictions of Korey Wise, Antron McCray, Yosef Salaam, Kevin Richardson and Raymond Santana for the rape of a woman in central park. Fairstein, portrayed by Felicity Huffman in the series, has been subject to intense criticism and professional backlash since the series premiered. Most recently, she was dropped by her publisher, Dutton.
In an op-ed published by the Wall Street Journal, Fairstein says the miniseries “wrongly portrays them as totally innocent,” and that it defamed her. “The facts of the original case are documented in a 117-page...
- 6/11/2019
- by Ross A. Lincoln
- The Wrap
Oprah Winfrey sat down for an interview with Korey Wise, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana, Antron McCray and Yusef Salaam — the men formerly called “The Central Park Five” and now referred to as “The Exonerated Five” — at Netflix’s Fysee location in Hollywood on Sunday night. The conversation, which also included “Whey They See Us” writer and director Ava DuVernay was one of two panels recorded for a special, set to air on Netflix and Own.
When Winfrey asked the five men if they “blame Linda Fairstein for what happened to them,” they replied with a unanimous “yes.” Winfrey continued her line of questioning, asking if “she the only one to blame, or were there others?”
The answers got a little more complicated as the men explained that they do not feel that Fairstein is the only person responsible for their false imprisonment as teens. Korey Wise was the first to answer,...
When Winfrey asked the five men if they “blame Linda Fairstein for what happened to them,” they replied with a unanimous “yes.” Winfrey continued her line of questioning, asking if “she the only one to blame, or were there others?”
The answers got a little more complicated as the men explained that they do not feel that Fairstein is the only person responsible for their false imprisonment as teens. Korey Wise was the first to answer,...
- 6/10/2019
- by Angelique Jackson and Anna Tingley
- Variety Film + TV
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