On Sunday night, Severance star Tramell Tillman became the first Black actor to win an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama series.

Tillman dedicated his award to his date for the evening, his mother. As he paraphrased her words of wisdom, "'You make time for what you want to make time for. Do the work. Show up and most importantly—for the love of God—don't embarrass me in public.' My first acting coach was tough y'all, but all great mothers are."

The Emmy Award is not the only first for Tillman; in 2014, he became the first Black man to earn a MFA in acting from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. Acting was a career shift for Tillman, who was a pre-med student in college studying to be an orthopedic surgeon.

Now he’s famous for a role in a show about a different kin

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