The Good Place star William Jackson Harper is applauding Emmy voters for this year’s diverse list of nominations, which includes multiple nods for one of his favorite series.

Oh – and it’s not necessarily the one that he stars in.

“I think it’s great. I feel like this is a step in the right direction. I’m glad to see so many Black nominees,” Harper, a first-time Emmy nominee, tells ABC Audio.

“I mean, honestly, I’d like to see some of the cast of Insecure get a little bit more attention,” he reveals. “It’s been one of the tightest ensembles on TV in the last four years — like every year. It’s like one of the best shows on TV.”

While Harper is “excited” for Insecure‘s eight Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series, The Good Place actor says he’s also ready to see “other people getting some attention.”

“I think the next step is to include people of other ethnicities and maybe… gender nonconforming… to open up those worlds a lot more,” he says. “Because it’s a lot of good work being done by a lot of good people that I think… sometimes among the voting body, it just gets looked over.”

Even though Harper admits there’s plenty of room to grow when it comes to diversity, the actor says he’s “happy for the progress that we made.”

“I think it’s great,” he says. “And I look forward to a year when we see a ton of like Latinx nominees and Asian nominees.”

“That’s what I’m hoping for next,” he continues. “And I’m glad that this year there are so many Black nominees. It feels right to me.”

The 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards telecast is scheduled for September 20 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

By Candice Williams
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