Keivonn Woodard
{{Short description|American actor}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Keivonn Woodard
| image = Keivonn Woodard, Daily Moth 2022 4.png
| image_upright = 0.8
| alt = Woodard in an interview
| caption = Woodard in 2022
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2013|2|9}}
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = American
| alma_mater =
| occupation = Actor
| years_active = 2018–present
}}
Keivonn Montreal Woodard (born February 9, 2013) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Sam in the HBO post-apocalyptic drama series The Last of Us (2023), for which he received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.
Career
Woodard made his film debut in 2018 with the film Seeds of Hope: The Andrew Jackson Foster Story. He earned wider recognition and critical acclaim for his performance in the HBO post-apocalyptic drama series The Last of Us. Woodard starred as Sam, a survivor who travels with his brother Henry in the episodes "Please Hold to My Hand" and "Endure and Survive".{{cite web |url=https://www.capitalgazette.com/maryland/bowie/ac-cn-keivonn-woodward-the-last-of-us-20230329-ta4ffcjvhzewlmshjnhzydn5ce-story.html |title=The Last of Us star Keivonn Woodard of Bowie excels on the ice and on camera |last=Loock |first=Megan |date=March 29, 2023 |website=Capital Gazette |access-date=July 14, 2023}}{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/tv/the-last-of-us-henry-sam-lamar-johnson-keivonn-woodard/ |title=The Last of Us stars behind Henry and Sam wanted to do justice to 'heartbreaking' storyline |last=Romano |first=Nick |date=February 10, 2023 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=July 14, 2023}}{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2023/02/the-last-of-us-interview-lamar-johnson-kevionn-woodard-pedro-pascal-1235254585/ |title=The Last of Us Actors Lamar Johnson and Keivonn Woodard on the Emotional Filming of 'Endure and Survive' |last=Jackson |first=Destiny |date=February 10, 2023 |website=Deadline Hollywood |access-date=July 14, 2023}}
Woodard, who is Deaf, was hired for The Last of Us after series co-creator Craig Mazin, looking for a young actor fluent in American Sign Language, sent a casting call out via Twitter.{{cite web |url=https://www.nhl.com/news/the-last-of-us-actor-keivonn-woodard-star-on-and-off-ice/c-340955844 |title=Color of Hockey: 10-year-old deaf player lands role on The Last of Us |last=Douglas |first=William |date=February 12, 2023 |publisher=National Hockey League |access-date=July 14, 2023}}{{cite magazine |last1=McCluskey |first1=Megan |title=Keivonn Woodard |url=https://time.com/6996553/keivonn-woodard/ |access-date=September 26, 2024 |magazine=Time |date=August 15, 2024}} For his role in the series, Woodard was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, becoming the youngest nominee in the category at age 10 and the second-youngest Emmy nominee after Keshia Knight Pulliam for The Cosby Show.{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/last-of-us-keivonn-montreal-woodard-emmy-1235534298/ |title=The Last of Us Actor Makes Emmy History as Youngest Ever Honored in Category |last=Hibberd |first=James |date=July 12, 2023 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=July 14, 2023}}{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/awards/emmys/the-last-of-us-keivonn-montreal-woodard-sets-emmy-record-youngest-nominee/ |title=The Last of Us star Keivonn Montreal Woodard sets Emmy record as youngest nominee in category |last=Coggan |first=Devan |date=July 12, 2023 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=July 14, 2023}} He is the first black deaf actor and second deaf actor overall (after Marlee Matlin) to be nominated for an Emmy Award.{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2023/07/the-last-of-us-emmys-nominee-keivonn-woodard-pedro-pascal-bella-ramsey-hbo-1235436342/ |title=The Last of Us Guest Star Keivonn Woodard on 'Humbling' Historical Emmy Nomination: 'I Was in Shock' and Making a Familial Connection with His Fellow Nominees |last=Jackson |first=Destiny |date=July 12, 2023 |website=Deadline Hollywood |access-date=July 14, 2023}}{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2023/tv/awards/2023-emmys-diversity-pedro-pascal-jenna-ortega-quinta-brunson-1235667840/ |title=Emmys Diversity Report: Pedro Pascal Makes Latino History, Black Women Set Acting Record |last=Davis |first=Clayton |date=July 12, 2023 |website=Variety |access-date=July 14, 2023}} His performance also earned him an Independent Spirit Award{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/movies/2024/02/26/film-independent-spirit-awards-2024-winners/ |title=Past Lives, American Fiction win at 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards |last1=Chery |first1=Samantha |last2=Scribner |first2=Herb |last3=Yuan |first3=Jada |date=February 26, 2024 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=February 26, 2024 |url-access=limited}} and nominations for a Black Reel TV Award{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2023/06/black-reel-television-awards-announces-nominations-the-best-man-final-chapters-leads-with-18-noms-1235418181/ |title=Black Reel 7th Annual Television Awards Featuring Gender Neutral Categories Announces Nominations; The Best Man: Final Chapters Leads with 18 Noms |last=Complex |first=Valerie |date=June 15, 2023 |website=Deadline Hollywood |access-date=July 14, 2023}} and an NAACP Image Award.{{cite news |url=https://variety.com/2024/music/news/naacp-image-award-nominations-2024-1235887287/ |title=Colman Domingo, Ayo Edebiri, Victoria Monét and Usher Lead NAACP Image Award Nominations |first=Angelique |last=Jackson |work=Variety |date=January 25, 2024 |access-date=March 20, 2024 }} In August 2024, Woodard was an honoree of Time{{'}}s Kid of the Year.
{{As of|2024|8|post=,}} Woodard is set to appear in Fractal, a short film by Anslem Richardson, as well as Steal Away, a feature film by Stephen Ashley Blake.
Personal life
Born on February 9, 2013,{{Cite Instagram |last=Woodard |first=Keivonn |user=keivonnwoodard |date=February 9, 2023 |title=Happy Birthday to me! |postid=CocN_YIOAVc |access-date=November 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/instagram/keivonnwoodard/3034361778780243292 |archive-date=November 2, 2023 |url-status=live }} Woodard lives in Bowie, Maryland, with his mother, April Jackson-Woodard; his father, Dwayne Woodard, died in 2021. In addition to acting, he plays ice hockey.
Filmography
| class="wikitable"
|+Key | style="background:#FFFFCC;"| {{dagger|alt=Not yet released}} |Denotes works that have not yet been released |
= Film =
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! Notes |
|---|
| 2018
| Seeds of Hope: The Andrew Jackson Foster Story | Deaf student |Film debut |
| rowspan="2" | TBA
| style="background:#FFFFCC;" |Fractal {{dagger|alt=Not yet released}} | Tamir | Short film; Completed |
| style="background:#FFFFCC;" |Steal Away {{dagger|alt=Not yet released}}
| Matteo | Pre-production |
= Television =
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! Notes |
|---|
| 2023
| Sam | 2 episodes Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series |
| 2024
| Bunk'd | Miles | Episode 160: "Slapshot to the Heart"{{cn|date=December 2024}} |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Woodard, Keivonn}}
Category:American male deaf actors
Category:21st-century African-American male actors
Category:21st-century American male actors
Category:African-American male child actors