The American actor Sterling Kelby Brown, known for his portrayal of Christopher Darden in ‘The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story’ and Randall Pearson in ‘This Is Us,’ was known as Kelby, his middle name, during his earlier years. The transition to the name Sterling occurred when the actor reached his teenage years.
In a 2016 interview, the actor shared with Access Hollywood Live why he changed his name with the following words:
“I went by Kelby. My mom tells me this story – she was reiterating it the other day – in kindergarten, I came home one day and said, ‘Mom, Sterling is eight letters, and Kelby is five. I’ll just do Kelby, and then when I turn 16, I will go by Sterling.’ And I don’t remember that. The impetus for me is that he had been gone for some time, and I was like, ‘Kelby was a little boy’s name.’ I felt like I was ready to become Sterling.”
During the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards held in 2016, Brown received his first Primetime Emmy Award. He was honored for his notable performance as attorney Christopher Darden in ‘The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story.’
While accepting the Emmy for outstanding supporting actor in a limited series or movie during the same awards ceremony, the actor displayed strong emotions on stage. He conveyed heartfelt sentiments to his mother, mentioning that he altered what people called him when he turned 16, allowing him to hear his father’s name daily.
Later, he secured another Emmy in 2017 for his performance in ‘This Is Us,’ winning the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. In 2021, he earned another Emmy for Outstanding Narrator in the mini-series ‘Lincoln: Divided We Stand.’ Furthermore, his achievements include a Golden Globe victory in 2018 for Best Actor in a Television Series Drama for his role in ‘This Is Us.’