'The Pitt''s Ernest Harden Jr. Dedicates Emmy Win to Late Costar Bette Davis: ‘This One's for Us'

'This one is for us,' Ernest Harden Jr. said of Bette Davis, who starred alongside him in 'White Mama' in 1980 NEED TO KNOW The Pitt's Ernest Harden Jr. dedicated his Emmy win to Bette Davis, 46 years after they starred together in White Mama He won Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series at the 2026 Creative Arts Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 6 "We didn't make it then, but this one is for us," he said of Davis, who intended to have him accept her award in 1980 if she won Ernest Harden Jr. dedicated his first Emmy win to a special costar. On Sunday, Sept. 6, The Pitt actor took home the trophy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series at the 2026 Creative Arts Emmys, dedicating the award to Bette Davis, whom he starred alongside in the 1980 TV movie White Mama. During his speech, Harden, 73, acknowledged Davis, who died in 1989, during his acceptance speech. "In '79, I did a movie with Bette Davis called White Mama. And I just wanted to say, Bette Davis, we didn't make it then, but this one is for us." He later elaborated on what made that moment so important. "I got a chance to star opposite Bette Davis, which is a feather in my cap, something I can tell my grandkids, because we became very tight," Harden told reporters after his win. "The movie was called White Mama. She called it that because while we were filming we got a lot of racist hate mail. And this was her way of making sure that all the racist people knew that she was starring opposite a Black man. That's just who she was." The project earned Davis a nod in the category for Outstanding Lead Actress In a Limited Series or a Special that year. She ultimately lost to Patty Duke, but won the award the previous year for Strangers: The Story of a Mother and Daughter. "She told me, 'If I win, I want you to accept the award.' But, unfortunately, the Emmys were boycotted in 1980, and she lost... So I never got the chance or the experience to be around and do this. But now, 46 years later, here I am. Ms. Davis, 46 years later, this one's for us. Thank you." Harden spoke with Entertainment Weekly about his off-screen connection with the late actress, who he said "was actually like my mother" after she got into the role. "She would come on holidays, maybe Thanksgiving, cook me Thanksgiving dinner and invite me over, all that, so we became really tight," he said. "We actually planned on doing other movies together, but, you know, she didn't last. But we had a great connection, and in working [together], I got a chance to see Hollywood on that level." Harden's victory comes for his performance as Louie in The Pitt, a notable "frequent flyer" patient in the emergency room. He was recognized for the episode "7:00 A.M.," which follows the final chapter of his story. To win, the actor beat out Jeff Kober for The Pitt, Colman Domingo for Euphoria, Jeff Hiller for Pluribus, Jonathan Pryce for Slow Horses and Bradley Whitford for The Diplomat. The 78th Emmy Awards (Creative Arts) were held on Sept. 5 and Sept. 6 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles and will be edited into a single broadcast that airs Saturday, Sept. 12, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on FXX and streams on Hulu the next day. The Primetime Emmy Awards will air live on NBC and Peacock Monday, Sept. 14, with host Mariska Hargitay. Read the original article on People