Actor silently makes ‘huge statement’ with bloody handprint on Emmys 2024 red carpet-Kitty Chrisp-Entertainment – Metro

D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai made a symbolic statement on the Emmys red carpet (Picture: Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)

D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai took to the Emmys 2024 red carpet on Sunday evening with a symbolic statement.

The Reservation Dogs actor, 22, painted a red handprint over his mouth to show solidarity with the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) movement at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards.

According to Native Hope, the MMIW red hand stands for ‘all the missing sisters whose voices are not heard’.

The explanation continues saying it ‘stands for the silence of the media and law enforcement in the midst of this crisis’ and for ‘the oppression and subjugation of Native women who are now rising up’.

The US National Crime Information Centre reports that in 2016 5,712 cases of missing and murdered indigenous people were reported, but only 116 of them were logged in the Department of Justice database.

Taking to the red carpet, D’Pharaoh wore an all-black suit and bow tie with the bloodied hand mark over his mouth, with the fingers stretching onto his upper cheek bones.

He dressed all in black save a red hand print over his mouth (Picture: Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

The symbol shows solidarity with the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women movement (Picture: Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

D’Pharaoh, who is of Oji-Cree descent, became the first Indigenous actor ever to be recognised in the Emmy’s leading actor category.

He was nominated for outstanding actor for his role as Bear Smallhill in comedy-drama series Reservation Dogs, which has an all-Indigenous writing team.

Fans heaped praise on him via social media as he posed for pictures wearing the symbol, as @bree_eze said: ‘Being the first indigenous actor nominated in a leading actor category and wearing a bloody handprint across your mouth is an incredible statement to make.’

‘A powerful statement for a long overdue cause. Thank you for speaking out, D’Pharaoh!’ wrote @Loly_lips_.

He played Bear in Reservation Dogs (Picture: FX Networks/Everett/REX/Shutterstock)

@littlemsmaddy referred noted the subtlety of normal red carpet campaigns, and praised D’Pharaoh for his being so prominent.

‘The red handprint stands for something so important. It’s also bigger than a pin or a ribbon. It’s also right there where you can’t ignore it,’ they said.

The actor has spoken out in the past about the need for Indigenous people to tell their own stories on film and TV.

Co-created by Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi, the critically acclaimed show Reservation Dogs – which has now wrapped up after its final season – followed the daily life of a group of Native teens living just outside a reservation in Oklahoma, who are struggling in the aftermath of their friend’s death.

‘I think we’re pushing to a time when we don’t need anybody to tell our story for us,’ he previously told Elle Magazine.

‘Reservation Dogs was the first show of its kind regarding Indigenous representation, Indigenous comedy,’ he added.

‘It was very important that we left on our own foot rather than someone telling us how to do it.’

He previously told The Hollywood Reporter while chatting about the show: ‘The writers room was all Indigenous, and they knew that they wanted to tell their stories, and in telling their own stories, they told the stories of a lot of other Native kids out there as well, me being one of them.’

Explaining his relationship with the character of Bear, he continued: ‘I related to Bear right off the bat, and I see a lot of similarities within myself, within my cousins and my nephews, and with family and friends.

‘There are definitely a lot of Bears in the world and in what we call Indian Country, just like there are Willie Jacks everywhere or Elora Danans or Cheeses everywhere.’

D’Pharaoh lost out on the outstanding actor in comedy series Emmy to The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White, for his portrayal of tortured chef Carmy.

Scottish star Richard Gadd collected three gongs for writing, producing and starring in Netflix hit series Baby Reindeer.

D’Pharaoh has previously spoken up about Indigenous people in the film and TV industry (Picture: Getty Images for IMDb)

Gadd gave emotional speeches on stage at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles after scooping awards for the thriller about a female stalker, said to be inspired by his real-life experiences.

‘This is the stuff of dreams,’ he said after winning his first Emmy in writing, before collecting outstanding limited or anthology series and lead actor in the same category.

Jessica Gunning also won the Emmy for best supporting actress in a limited or anthology series for playing Martha Scott, who stalks Gadd’s character Donny Dunn in the show.

Hiroyuki Sanada won an award for producing Shogun, a Japanese historical drama based on James Clavell’s best-selling novel, set during the 1600s.

Shogun also scooped the lead actor and actress gongs for Sanada and Anna Sawai.

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