Anecdotes

His Golden Globe award for Best Actor in a Drama TV series for Notre vie (2016) made him the first black man to win this category in the ceremony's 75-year history. (2018)

In June 2007, he married fellow actress Ryan Michelle Bathe, his college sweetheart. They have two sons, Andrew and Amare. She appeared in his shows Army Wives as Charlie Mayfield and Notre vie (2016) as Yvette, a family friend in flashback scenes.

First African-American to win the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) award for 'Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series' for Notre vie (2016). SAG began handing out awards in 1995. (2018)

Cried when he was nominated for two Screen Actors Guild Awards in the same year. Also cried when he won two Screen Actors Guild Awards in one year. He made history as the first African-American man to win for Best Actor in a Drama Series.

Was friends with Chadwick Boseman.

Counts NYPD Blue (1993) as the TV series that most inspired him to become an actor in his youth. He appeared alongside NYPD Blue actress Kim Delaney for 6 years on Army Wives.

Nominated for the 2018 Emmy Award in the Lead Actor in a Drama Series category for his role as Randall Pearson in Notre vie (2016), but lost to Matthew Rhys from The Americans (2013).

He is 8 years older than Mandy Moore, who plays his mother on This Is Us.

Revealed that he went by his middle name Kelby when he was in the eighth grade.

Friends with Francois Battiste.