The 2024 Emmys are not only the perfect night for celebrities to showcase their fashion sense and receive major awards for their work, but also provide a platform to shine in front of the cameras.
D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai was one of the most talked-about figures after his appearance on the red carpet, arriving in a black suit with something quite distinctive: a red-painted hand on his face.
The Canadian actor of Oji-Cree descent, known for his role in the series “Reservation Dogs“, was nominated in the category of Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, although he did not take home the award.
What does the red hand on D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai’s face mean?
The red hand that D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai (Fitting In and Only the Good Survive) had painted on the area of his mouth is an act of activism by the actor, showing solidarity with missing and murdered Indigenous women.
The Hollywood Reporter and the organization Native Hope reported that the star’s paint is a symbol of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) movement and carries a truly special message.
The red hand represents “all the missing sisters whose voices are not heard” and “the silence of the media and law enforcement amid this crisis”, according to THR. It’s not the first time that Woon-A-Tai has shown his unwavering support.
Previously, he was very honest and stated that one of his goals is to make Indigenous stories more visible in the Hollywood industry, which can often be quite challenging. His most recent work was the final season of Reservation Dogs.