73-Year-Old Ernest Harden Jr. Wins First Emmy: Dedicates It to Bette Davis and a Late Friend

At 73 years old, Ernest Harden Jr. is a first-time Emmy winner - and the story behind his win is one of the most moving moments to come out of this year's Creative Arts Emmys.

Harden won Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his role on Max's The Pitt, capping a screen career that stretches back more than four decades. Backstage, he didn't just talk about the role - he talked about the people who shaped his path to get there.

Harden shared that he once starred opposite Bette Davis in the 1980 TV movie White Mama, becoming, as he put it, the only Black actor to headline a project with her. He recalled that the production drew racist hate mail during filming - and that Davis made a point of standing by him publicly against it. "Here I am 46 years later," Harden said. "This one's for us, Bette Davis."

He then turned to a more personal loss: his longtime friend, actor Hal Williams, who died earlier this year. The two spoke by phone the day before Williams passed. "He said, 'Ernest, go get that Emmy,'" Harden recalled. "That was his final words to me."

Reflecting on it all, Harden didn't shy away from naming what he felt behind the win. "There's something spiritual about this, this whole thing," he said. "And I just say, thank you, Lord, for blessing me like this."

The Pitt had a strong night overall at the Creative Arts Emmys, picking up three early wins including Harden's acting trophy, as the drama continues building momentum ahead of the main Primetime ceremony.

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