July 12th 2023.
Paris Barclay, a veteran director and one of television's most prominent directors, has made history. Barclay has become the first Black director to be nominated in the Drama, Comedy, and Limited or Anthology Series or TV Movie categories after being nominated for his work on Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.
Barclay has an impressive résumé, having been previously nominated for ABC's NYPD Blue in 1998, NBC's The West Wing in 2002, and Fox's Glee in 2010, 2013, and 2014. He is also the former president of the Directors Guild of America.
On being nominated, Barclay said, “I'm mostly just incredibly grateful for the terrific writers I've been fortunate to work with - David Milch, Aaron Sorkin, Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan, and now I can add David McMillan and Janet Mock to the list. I'm also grateful I've been able to help tell stories that really matter, that really make a difference.”
The episode “Silenced” which Barclay directed, was one of the most pivotal episodes of Dahmer. It sees Dahmer begin a romantic relationship with a Black-deaf aspiring model, Tony Hughes, played by Rodney Burford. Unfortunately, Hughes becomes one of Dahmer’s many victims. The role of Hughes’ mother is played by Karen Malina White, known to many for her role as Charmaine Brown on The Cosby Show.
The series received criticism from the families of Dahmer’s victims. However, it then went on to receive 13 Emmy nominations, including a nod for Niecy Nash, who took on the role of Dahmer’s neighbor, Glenda Cleveland.
Barclay said of his nomination, “It's one of the episodes I'm proudest of in my career, and to be recognized is fantastic, but really secondary to getting to say ‘Tony Hughes mattered.”
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