Sterling K. Brown Wins Golden Globe for Best Actor in a TV Drama for Role on 'This Is Us"

On Sunday, Sterling K. Brown won the Golden Globe for best actor in a drama TV series for his role in “This Is Us.” Brown plays Randall Pearson on the show, and his character experiences anxiety and panic attacks in multiple episodes.

The storyline around Pearson’s mental health begins toward the end of the first season when he has a panic attack at work.

“I love the fact that they did it this way because they first showed us that Randall is a man with a successful career, a wife, and two beautiful daughters,” Kristina Cherep, a Mighty contributor wrote. He seems to be the perfect man who has no flaws — until his anxiety starts to build up and he starts having anxiety attacks again. I’m not saying this makes him imperfect; it just makes him seem more human.”

Brown’s portrayal resonated with many who also experience panic attacks and anxiety.

“Seeing Randall in his bedroom crying or sitting in a corner in the fetal position, I thought, that’s me,” Monica Drake, a Mighty contributor wrote. “The episodes showed how truly debilitating an anxiety attack can be.”

While Brown didn’t talk about mental health in his acceptance speech, he did talk about representation of black actors. Brown thanked Dan Fogelman for creating a role for a black man instead of throwing a “token” black person in the storyline.

“Dan Fogelman, you wrote a role for a black man that could only be played by a black man, and so what I appreciate so much about this thing is that I’m being seen for who I am and appreciated for who I am, and it makes it that much more difficult to dismiss me or dismiss anyone who looks like me,” Brown said in his acceptance speech.