What the 'When They See Us' Cast Looks Like vs. The Real People They Play Korey Wise (Jharrel Jerome) Yusef Salaam (Ethan Herisse, Chris Chalk) Antron McCray (Caleel Harris, Jovan Adepo) Raymond Santana (Marquis Rodriguez, Freddy Miyares) Kevin Richardson (Asante Blackk, Justin Cunningham) Linda Fairstein (Felicity Huffman)
"Ava DuVernay & Netflix Win 'When They See Us' Defamation Suit; Judge Tosses Battle Over Interrogation Scene". Deadline. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
In When They See Us, Linda is played by actress Felicity Huffman, who was recently sentenced to 14 days in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and honest services fraud in the widely publicized college admissions scandal.
Actor Marquis Rodriguez (left) in Netflix's When They See Us, and Raymond Santana (right) in real life. Source: Netflix, The Central Park Five (documentary)
Linda Fairstein, whose office oversaw the prosecution of the 1989 Central Park Five assault case, on Wednesday sued Netflix and director Ava DuVernay over her portrayal in the acclaimed miniseries “When They See Us.”
After the show was released Linda Fairstein, a best-selling crime novelist, was dropped by her publisher and agent, and the lawsuit claims she's also had speaking appearances cancelled, as well as losing a "significant number" of legal consulting jobs.
Linda Fairstein (born May 5, 1947) is an American author, attorney, and former New York City prosecutor focusing on crimes of violence against women and children. She was the head of the sex crimes unit of the Manhattan District Attorney's office from 1976 until 2002.
Antron McCray, 46 He was pushed to falsely confess by his father, who believed Antron might go free if he told police he was involved in the jogger's rape. Unfortunately, this led to Antron's wrongful conviction, and he served six years in a youth correctional facility before going free.
Each soon recanted, insisting they had admitted to the crime under coercion from police officers. But they all were convicted and served prison terms of six to 13 years. A judge vacated their convictions in 2002 after another man confessed to the crime and DNA tests confirmed his guilt.
The five men sued the city for discrimination and emotional distress; the city settled in 2014 for $41 million. They also sued New York State, which settled in 2016 for $3.9 million total. From the outset the case was a topic of national interest.
Bobby McCrayAntron McCray / Father
Santana, Korey Wise, Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, and Yusef Salaam each spent a range of five to 11 years in prison for a crime they did not commit. The group had become known as the Central Park Five, but have since adopted the name, the Exonerated Five.
The five men, who have erroneously coined the “Central Park Five,” Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise, were awarded a $41 million settlement for the false imprisonment, slander, family separation, loss of employment and all of the other life-changing occurrences that these ...
The reputations of the group once known as the "Central Park Five" were restored when, in June of 2002, a convicted murderer and serial rapist named Matias Reyes — who was then serving a life sentence — admitted it was he who'd attacked Meili.
six years and eight monthsYusef Salaam was wrongfully convicted of rape and assault as part of the Central Park Five, and spent six years and eight months in prison because of it.
When They See Us is a 2019 American crime drama television miniseries created, co-written, and directed by Ava DuVernay for Netflix, that premiered in four parts on May 31, 2019. It is based on events of the 1989 Central Park jogger case and explores the lives and families of the five black male suspects who were falsely accused then prosecuted on ...
A companion special, titled Oprah Winfrey Presents When They See Us Now, in which the cast, the creator, and the exonerated five are interviewed, premiered on June 12, 2019, on Netflix and the Oprah Winfrey Network.
At the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards, it received 11 nominations; Jerome won for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie while it was nominated for Outstanding Limited Series and Ellis, Nash, Blackk, Leguizamo, Williams, Blake, and Farmiga all received acting nominations.
In March 2020, Fairstein filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida against Netflix, DuVernay, and Locke for defamation based on her portrayal in the series.
Omar Dorsey as Elombe Brath, a community organizer and activist who appears in the media to defend the five. Suzzanne Douglas as Grace Cuffe. Christopher Jackson as Peter Rivera, lawyer who represented Raymond. Joshua Jackson as Michael Joseph, lawyer who defended Antron.
The series portrays in excruciating detail how Fairstein (as portrayed by Felicity Huffman) oversaw the interrogation of the young men, and is portrayed as dismissing law enforcement officials’ doubts about the case and ignoring evidence that pointed to the men’s innocence. Related. Alan Jackson: 20 Best Songs.
On Tuesday, Glamour Magazine, which awarded Fairstein with a Woman of the Year award in 1993, published a letter by editor-in-chief Samantha Barry, saying that the damage caused by Fairstein’s actions was “irrevocable” and that “unequivocally,” the publication would not have bestowed the honor on her today.
Since her retirement, Linda Fairstein — a former prosecutor for the New York sex crimes unit — has built a career as a mystery author, penning more than 20 mystery novels in the best-selling Alexandra Cooper series, which follows the travails ...
From 2004 to 2012, the 57-years old actress played as Lynette Scavo in the mystery comedy-drama Desperate Housewives. The show was narrated by Mary Alice Young, played by Brenda Strong .
The 58-years stand-up comedian, Ricky Gervais, hosted the 2020 Golden Globe Award. Gervais, who is the fifth time host of the show, opened the evening concerning Felicity Huffman jail sentence saying,
Most recently, the actress played Grace Cuffee in Ava Duvernay's 2019 Netflix miniseries, When They See Us. "Suzzanne Douglas was a quiet, elegant force as we made WHEN THEY SEE US ," showrunner DuVernay wrote on Twitter. "A gentlewoman. A gem of a lady. A confident, caring actor who breathed life into the words and made them shimmer.
Suzzanne Douglas was a quiet, elegant force as we made WHEN THEY SEE US. A gentlewoman. A gem of a lady. A confident, caring actor who breathed life into the words and made them shimmer. I’m grateful that our paths in this life crossed. May she journey on in peace and love. pic.twitter.com/1ZhaucGEiK.
In When They See Us, Linda is played by actress Felicity Huffman, who was recently sentenced to 14 days in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and honest services fraud in the widely publicized college admissions scandal. Netflix / Getty Images.
In When They See Us, both teen Korey and adult Korey are played by 21-year-old Jharrel Jerome, who is now nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for his performance. Netflix / Getty Images.
Korey Wise (Jharrel Jerome) At 16, Korey Wise was the oldest of the five teens convicted — and later exonerated — in the Central Park Jogger case. (As a result, he was also the only one of the so-called "Central Park Five" to be tried and sentenced as an adult.) In When They See Us, both teen Korey and adult Korey are played by 21-year-old Jharrel ...
Yusef Salaam (Ethan Herisse, Chris Chalk) Yusef Salaam was 15 at the time of his arrest in the Central Park Jogger case, and he went on to serve more than six years in prison before being released and — ultimately — cleared of all charges. In When They See Us, adult Yusef is played by Chris Chalk ...
Kevin Richardson (Asante Blackk, Justin Cunningham) Kevin Richardson was also only 14 when he was arrested in connection to the Central Park Jogger case. In When They See Us, he is played by both Asante Blackk (who is nominated for an Outstanding Supporting Actor Emmy for his role) and Justin Cunningham, who portray him as a teen and adult, ...
Elizabeth Lederer was the lead attorney for the prosecution in the Central Park Jogger case and continues to practice law in New York today, though she seems to have maintained a lower profile than Linda Fairstein.
Linda Fairstein (Felicity Huffman) Former prosecutor Linda Fairstein was the head of the sex crimes unit in the Manhattan District Attorney's office during the Central Park Jogger case. She oversaw the interrogation and trial of the Korey, Yusef, Antron, Raymond, and Kevin and reportedly played a large role in securing their (false) confessions. ...
The reality is that things weren't nearly that "black and white.". 37 teens were interviewed regarding their activities in the park that night, 10 were arrested (mainly because they were named by others), and several in addition to the Central Park 5 gave videotaped confessions (Armstrong Report).
She earned the nickname "Hell on Heels" for her success at prosecuting rape cases. The impact of her unit even inspired Dick Wolf to create the TV show Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Felicity Huffman (left) as Linda Fairstein in Netflix's When They See Us, and the real Linda Fairstein (right).
Kevin Richardson's past most aligns with his persona in When They See Us. He was noted by neighbors and teachers as being a shy and quiet kid who kept out of trouble. Those who knew him were shocked when news broke that he was allegedly involved in the Central Park assaults.
When They See Us omits Korey's father, who had actually been present in Korey's life when Korey was arrested and convicted . His father didn't pass away from cancer until 1996 while Korey was in prison. As portrayed in the series, Korey's sister Marci also passed away while he was incarcerated.
On July 6, 2017, it was announced that Netflix had given the production Central Park Five a series order consisting of five episodes. The series was created by Ava DuVernay who was also set to write and direct. Executive producers were expected to include DuVernay, Jeff Skoll, Jonathan King, Oprah Winfrey, Jane Rosenthal and Berry Welsh. Production companies involved with the series were set to include Participant Media, Harpo Films, and Tribeca Productions. On July 9, 20…
When They See Us is based on events of the April 19, 1989, Central Park jogger case and explores the lives of the five suspects who were prosecuted on charges related to the sexual assault of a female victim, and of their families. The five juvenile males of color, the protagonists of the series: Kevin Richardson (Asante Blackk), Antron McCray (Caleel Harris), Yusef Salaam (Ethan Herisse), Korey Wise (Jharrel Jerome), and Raymond Santana (Marquis Rodriguez), were divided by the pr…
• Asante Blackk as Kevin Richardson
• Caleel Harris as Antron McCray
• Ethan Herisse as Yusef Salaam
• Jharrel Jerome as Korey Wise
On June 25, 2019, Netflix announced that the miniseries had been streamed by over 23 million viewers within its first month of release.
When They See Us received widespread critical acclaim. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the miniseries has an approval rating of 96% based on 85 reviews, with an average rating of 8.4/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Ava DuVernay pulls no punches in When They Se…
• Racism in the United States
1. ^ Bunbury is credited as Angie Richardson though her legal name is Angela Cuffee.
• When They See Us on Netflix
• When They See Us at IMDb