Famous Actors & Actresses African-Americans a to z

Flex Alexander is an American actor, dancer and choreographer best known for his roles in the films Juice and Snakes on a Plane.

André 3000 is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and actor known for his work as part of the hip-hop duo OutKast.

Angela Bassett is an Academy Award- and Emmy Award-nominated actress known for roles in What's Love Got to Do With It, Waiting to Exhale, Malcolm X and The Rosa Parks Story.

Actress Tempestt Bledsoe is best known for her role as Vanessa Huxtable on the NBC sitcom The Cosby Show. In 2010 she became the host of the Style Network's Clean House. 

Chadwick Boseman is an American actor known for his roles on the TV show Lincoln Heights and as baseball great Jackie Robinson in the biopic 42.

R&B singer Brandy rose to fame as a 15-year-old with her No. 1 hit, "I Wanna Be Down."

American actor Todd Bridges is best known for playing Willis Jackson on the hit TV sitcom Diff’rent Strokes.

African American actor Richard Brooks is best known for his role as Assistant District Attorney Paul Robinette in the first three seasons of NBC's Law & Order.

Jim Brown is a record-holding, former NFL fullback who's been elected to his sport's Hall of Fame and who's also worked as a model and film actor.

Since the end of the 1960s, Actor Roscoe Lee Browne made steady television appearances, including on Barney Miller, The Cosby Show, ER and Will & Grace.

Ossie Davis was an American actor, writer, social activist and humanitarian. He often performed with wife Ruby Dee in plays, in film and on television.

Ruby Dee is an American actress, playwright, screenwriter, activist, poet and journalist, perhaps best known for starring in the 1961 film A Raisin in the Sun. She's also known for her civic work with husband Ossie Davis.

Taye Diggs is an American actor best known for his role as the opportunistic landlord Benny in the Jonathan Larson's groundbreaking musical Rent.

A talented singer, comedian, and actor, Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx has proved to be a triple threat in the entertainment industry.

American dancer and choreographer Savion Glover is best known for his unique style of tapping dancing, called "hitting."

Cuba Gooding Jr. is an African-American actor who is best known for his Oscar-winning role in Cameron Crowe's film Jerry Maguire.

Actor and comedian David Alan Grier is an accomplished Broadway and film actor who rose to fame as a cast member of the TV sketch-comedy show In Living Color.

Comedian and actor Kevin Hart came to fame as a stand-up comic. He has appeared in several films and has three albums, including the 2011 hit Laugh at My Pain.

Comedian Steve Harvey is a radio and TV show host who has also written relationship advice books.

Issac Hayes was an American musician. His hit song "Soul Man" and the musical score for the 1971 film Shaft are legendary contributions to modern music.

Gregory Hines began dancing as a child and went on to launch a successful Broadway, television and film career. His notable movies include The Cotton Club and White Nights.

Actress and singer Lena Horne was one of the most popular performers of her time, known for films such as The Wiz and her trademark song, "Stormy Weather."

Terrence Howard is an American actor best known for his award-nominated performance in the 2005 film Hustle & Flow.

Jennifer Hudson is an Oscar and Grammy-winning actress and singer known for roles in Dreamgirls and Sex and the City.

Singer and actress Eartha Kitt is best known for her holiday song "Santa Baby," and for playing Catwoman in the 1960's TV show Batman.

Singer-songwriter John Legend won his first Grammy Award with 2004's Get Lifted. The album went platinum, thanks in part to the hit single "Ordinary People."

Delroy Lindo is an actor who has played both good guys and bad guys in his three-decade career in film, theater and television.

Philadelphia's Michael McCary is known for his deep bass voice as part of the boy band Boyz II Men, which he quit in 2003 because of problems from scoliosis.

Mo'Nique is an actress and stand-up comedian who won an Academy Award for her role in Precious.

Nelly is an American rapper and singer known for such hits as "Country Grammar" and "Dilemma."

R&B talent Marc Nelson co-founded Boyz II Men but quit before they hit it big. He continued on as a solo artist and songwriter for well-known performers.

Actress Nichelle Nichols is best known for her groundbreaking portrayal of Lieutenant Uhura on the original Star Trek television series.

Pearl Bailey was a Tony Award-winning singer and actress known for her roles in works like Carmen Jones, House of Flowers, Hello, Dolly! and Porgy and Bess.

Mekhi Phifer is an African-American actor whose first role was in the Spike Lee film Clockers, and who was featured on ER for six seasons.

The daughter of comedian Richard Pryor, Rain Pryor is a multifaceted actress, singer, comedian and artistic director.

Richard Pryor was a groundbreaking African-American comedian and one of the top entertainers of the 1970s and '80s.

Paul Robeson was an acclaimed 20th century performer known for productions like The Emperor Jones and Othello. He was also an international activist.

Maya Rudolph is a comedian and actor who became a household name via her Saturday Night Live tenure, which ran from 2000 to 2007.

Nipsey Russell was best known for his comic rhymes and his appearances on TV game shows.

A hip-hop legend, with explicit and controversial lyrics, Tupac Shakur was embroiled in a feud between East Coast and West Coast rappers.

O.J. Simpson is best known for his arrest and trial in the 1994 murder of his former wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman, of which he was found not guilty.

Will Smith was on the TV show Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and has had a successful career as a film actor in several blockbusters since 1992.

Kenan Thompson is an American actor and comedian known for his work on Saturday Night Live and various films roles. His film credits include Fat Albert, Barbershop 2 and Snakes on a Plane.

Actor and comedian Chris Tucker came to fame playing Detective James Carter in the Rush Hour film series.

Marlon Wayans is best known for his role in the Scary Movie series, and for being one of the Wayans siblings.

Shawn Wayan is an actor known for co-starring with his brother Marlon in various comic spoofs, including the Scary Movie franchise.

Rutina Wesley is an African-American actress known for her role as Tara Thornton on the HBO vampire series True Blood.

Katt Williams is a comedian, actor and rapper whose off-stage controversies have often garner as much attention as his on-stage accomplishments. His credits include the films Rebound, Epic Movie and Friday After Next, and the TV series NYPD Blue and Wild n' Out.

Michelle Williams became a top pop music star as part of the band Destiny's Child. She has also enjoyed some success as a solo gospel music artist and an actress.

Ted Williams was homeless in 2011 when a reporter for the Columbus Dispatch made him famous with a viral Internet video story.

Actor Mykelti Williamson has appeared in films such as Forrest Gump and Free Willy, and on TV shows such as 24.