Famous Black Actresses a to z

Signed to a recording contract at the age of 12, Aaliyah became an overnight R&B sensation. At the height of her stardom, a fatal plane crash ended her life.

Tichina Arnold is best known for portraying Pam James, opposite Martin Lawrence, on the sitcom Martin and Rochelle on the show Everybody Hates Chris.

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.

Halle Berry is an American actress, former fashion model and former beauty queen. One of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood, she is also a Revlon spokeswoman.

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. 

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

Rhythm and blues singer Ruth Brown signed with Atlantic Records at a young age and recorded a number of hit songs throughout the 1950s.

With hits such as "Vision of Love" and "I Don't Wanna Cry," pop diva Mariah Carey holds the record for most No. 1 debuts in Billboard Hot 100 history.

Actress and singer Zendaya Coleman first came to fame in 2010 as one of the stars of the television comedy Shake It Up.

Dorothy Dandridge was an American actress and popular singer, and was the first African American to be nominated for an Academy Award for best actress.

Viola Davis has earned raves for such films as Doubt and The Help, and for such Broadway plays as King Hedley II and Fences.

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.

As a child star, actress Kim Fields played Tootie Ramsey on the popular sitcom Diff'rent Strokes. She reprised the role for the series' spin-off, The Facts of Life.

Vivica Fox is an African-American film and television actress. She got her start in the soap opera Days of Our Lives and is known for her role in the film Soul Food.

Pam Grier is best known for acting in many "blaxploitation" films in the 1970s.

African-American actress Taraji Henson starred in Hustle and Flow, and earned an Academy Award nomination for her role in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

When singer, songwriter and actress Lauryn Hill released her solo debut album, she became the first woman or hip-hop artist to win five Grammy Awards.

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."

Whitney Houston was an American singer and actress whose first four albums, released between 1985 and 1992, amassed global sales in excess of 86 million copies.

Janet Hubert is a stage, TV and film actress known for her role as Vivian Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

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 Gladys Knight has given voice to multiple R&B hits (with and without her Pips), including "Midnight Train to Georgia."

Actress Keisha Knight Pulliam is best known for her portrayal of Rudy Huxtable on The Cosby Show.

Beyoncé Knowles is a multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning recording artist who's acclaimed for her thrilling vocals, videos and live shows.

Jo Marie Payton won over television audiences as Harriette Winslow, a quick-witted and long-suffering wife and mother, on the situation comedy Family Matters.

Actress and radio performer Hattie McDaniel became the first African American to win an Oscar in 1940, for her supporting role as Mammy in Gone with the Wind.

S. Epatha Merkerson is an Emmy-Award-winning actress who’s starred on the TV series Law & Order for 17 years.

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

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

Queen Latifah is an American rapper, record producer and actress known for her roles in the films Set it Off, Bone Collector, Last Holiday and Chicago.

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.

Jada Pinkett Smith is an American actress, is married to Will Smith, and is the mother of Jaden and Willow Smith.

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

Della Reese is a singer and actress known for her gospel talents and for her role on TV's Touched by an Angel.

A stage, film and TV actress, Esther Rolle is best remembered as Florida Evans -- a character she played on two comedy series, Maude and Good Times.

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

Willow Smith, the daughter of stars Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, gained musical fame in 2010 with her first hit single "Whip My Hair".

After years of scene-stealing small acting roles, Octavia Spencer rose to fame with her award-winning performance in 2011's The Help.

Toni Braxton is an R&B singer-songwriter and actress best known for the hits "Un-Break My Heart," "You Mean the World to Me" and "Breathe Again."

Quvenzhané Wallis is an actress best known for her Academy Award-nominated role as Hushpuppy in the 2012 film Beasts of the Southern Wild.

Kerry Washington has appeared in such films as Ray, She Hate Me, The Last King of Scotland and Django Unchained (2013). She also stars on the TV series Scandal.

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

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.

Billionaire Oprah Winfrey has hosted her own internationally popular talk show since 1986. She is also an actress, philanthropist, publisher, and producer.