Sterling K. Brown‘s acceptance speech at the 2017 Emmy Awards on Sunday, September 17, was unceremoniously cut short due to the broadcast’s time constraints. Now, NBC has given him a chance to finish.
The network took out a full-page ad in the latest issue of The Hollywood Reporter to allow the actor, 41, to share his powerful message in its entirety. While accepting the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his role on This Is Us, Brown tried to fight through the pesky music to no avail. He even called out the show’s producers before exiting the stage, saying, “No one else got that loud music.”
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Later in the evening, Brown — who made history as the first black actor to win in the category since Homicide: Life on the Street‘s Andre Braugher in 1998 — was given a chance to finish his speech backstage in the press room.
The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story actor’s This Is Us costars weren’t too thrilled about him being cut off either. “I think it’s unfortunate,” Chrissy Metz told Us at the Fox afterparty. Susan Kelechi Watson, Sterling’s onscreen wife, added, “The thing about Sterling is that whether the time runs out or not, the brotha has something to say and he’s gonna say it. So he took his space and he took his time and I love it.”
Read Brown’s full speech below!
Before anything like this happened for your boy, I was a fan. First, last and always, a fan. So, my fellow nominees — I’m a fan. I love y’all. This one right here, like, this one right here, when I think about it … like, Walter White held this joint! Dick Whitman held this joint! I may have lost some of y’all, but, you know, Google it. And 19 years ago, Detective Frank Pembleton held this joint, as impeccably played by Andre Braugher. I just want to say, Mr. Braugher, whether it’s at Stanford University or on this Emmy stage, it is my supreme honor to follow in your footsteps.
I want to thank Bob Greenblatt, Jennifer Salke at NBC for your support from the beginning. I want to thank Dana Walden and Gary Newman and everyone at 20th Century Fox for keeping a brother gainfully employed. I appreciate that. I want to thank my cast — Milo, Mandy, Justin, Chrissy — you are the best white TV family that a brother has ever had; better than Mr. Drummond, better than them white folks that raised Webster. I love you. Susan Kelechi Watson, it is my pleasure to rep black love with you, sister. Let’s keep doing it like Martin and Gina. Ron Cephas Jones, you just have to show up and the work is already there, brother. Thank you so much for embodying the presence which is never an absence. I love you.
I wanted to thank our writers. A show doesn’t get seven acting nominations without some impeccable, beautiful, thoughtful writing. You guys are our life’s blood, so I want to thank you so much. To our producers and directors, in particular, John Requa, Glenn Ficarra and the crazy cool Ken Olin. I thank you for your guidance and friendship. And I wanted to thank Dan Fogelman — he is the Hebrew hammer with which our house is built. He makes me laugh and cry in equal parts and keeps me coming back for me, and in his own little small special way he’s not trying to make America great again, he’s trying to make it the best that it’s ever been, and I love him for taking me on this journey with him. I wanted to thank my manager of 17 years, Jennifer Wiley-Stockton. We’ve been doing this for a long time, and it feels like we’re just getting started. I can’t wait to see what’s next.
And to my wife — they cut me off before I got to thank my wife, man! Ryan Michelle Bathe, you’re everything. You make my life worth living and you gave me two of the most beautiful things that God has ever put on this planet: my sons. Andrew John Sterling Brown, Amaré Michael Ryan Christian Brown, your daddy loves you with the strength of 1,000 suns. I’ll see you Monday after work. Love you. Thank you.
This Is Us returns to NBC on Tuesday, September 26, at 9 p.m. ET.