Aurora Perrineau of the Emmy-Nominated Series “When They See Us” Joins Innocence Ambassadors

(New York, NY – September 16, 2019) The Innocence Project is thrilled to announce that Aurora Perrineau of the Emmy-nominated Netflix miniseries When They See Us has become an Innocence Ambassador. Perrineau plays the role of Tanya, the girlfriend of Raymond Santana after his release from prison and joins her When They See Us co-stars Niecy Nash and Michael K. Williams as an ambassador. The daughter of actor Harold Perrineau (Lost and Oz), she previously starred in the feature film Jem and the Holograms and secured guest roles in popular television series such as Chasing Life, Pretty Little Liars and, most recently, Into the Dark. 

Related: Niecy Nash: “When They See Us” Changed My Life

“We are thrilled to welcome Ms. Perrineau to our roster of Innocence Ambassadors,” said Maddy deLone, executive director of the Innocence Project. “Having someone with her incredible talent, whose performance in When They See Us is helping expose some of the failures of the criminal justice system that result in wrongful convictions, is an honor—and an ideal fit for our work.”

“Half of my family is African American, and I realize now that I live with this constant underlying anxiety.”

Perrineau took initiative after filming When They See Us, to explore more ways to get involved in addressing wrongful convictions and the contributing failures that plague the criminal justice system. 

“Half of my family is African American, and I realize now that I live with this constant underlying anxiety,” said Perrineau. “I can’t walk down the street with my dad and see a cop without wondering if something’s going to happen. I’ve joined the Innocence Project to help raise awareness and these issues and work towards solutions.” 

Comprised of some of today’s leading actors, producers, thought leaders, and business executives, Innocence Ambassadors effectively leverage their high-profile statuses to bring increased visibility to our work and mission of freeing the wrongfully convicted and reforming the criminal justice system. We work with a cadre of Ambassadors who have a genuine passion for seeking and demanding justice and an unrelenting dedication toward highlighting the issue of wrongful convictions.

“I’ve joined the Innocence Project to help raise awareness and these issues and work towards solutions.” 

Visit our website to read the full interview with Perrineau.