Famous Black Actors a to z

Ira Aldridge was a 19th century African-American actor who became a renowned interpreter of Shakespearean tragedy on the European stage.

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.

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.

Wayne Brady is a comedian and actor known for his work on TV's Whose Line Is It Anyhow, The Wayne Brady Show and Don't Forget the Lyrics.

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.

LeVar Burton is an actor known chiefly for his work in the TV miniseries Roots and the series Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Dave Chappelle is a comedian whose Comedy Central show Chappelle's Show became a smash hit in the mid-2000s.

Don Cheadle is a critically acclaimed actor who has appeared in such films as Crash, Boogie Nights and Out of Sight.

Nat King Cole became the first African-American performer to host a variety TV series in 1956. He's best known for his soft baritone voice and for singles like "The Christmas Song," "Mona Lisa" and "Nature Boy."

Diminutive television star Gary Coleman made "What'choo talkin' 'bout, Willis?" a household catch-phrase in the 1980s.

Hip-hop artist and actor LL Cool J made it big with Def Jam Records in the late 1980s and '90s with albums like Mama Said Knock You Out.

Bill Cosby is an American comedian, actor and producer, who has played a major role in the development of more positive portrayal of African-Americans on television.

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.

Sammy Davis Jr. was an actor, comedian, singer and dancer, and part of the Rat Pack with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, with whom he starred in several films.

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

Snoop Dogg is a West Coast rapper who evolved under the tutelage of Dr. Dre, and has received fame for albums such as Doggystyle, Tha Doggfather and Reincarnation.

TV and rap star Drake is best known in Canada for playing wheelchair-bound Jimmy Brooks on Degrassi: The Next Generation, and for hit songs like "Best I Ever Had" and "Take Care."

Michael Clarke Duncan was an African-American actor, best remembered for his role in The Green Mile.

Nelsan Ellis achieved breakout success when he took the part of Lafayette on the hit HBO vampire series True Blood.

Actor Laurence Fishburne has appeared in Boyz N The Hood, What's Love Got to Do With It? (for which he received an Academy Award nomination) and The Matrix.

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

Respected actor Morgan Freeman has appeared in such films as Driving Miss Daisy, The Shawshank Redemption, Million Dollar Baby, Unforgiven and Batman Begins.

Danny Glover is an actor who came into his own as Mel Gibson's co-star in the Lethal Weapon films in the 1980s and 1990s.

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.

Arsenio Hall is an American actor, comedian and was the first black late-night talk show host, on his groundbreaking The Arsenio Hall Show.

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.

Actor Sherman Hemsley played the popular television character George Jefferson in All in the Family and The Jeffersons in the 1970s and 1980s.

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.

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

D.L. Hughley is an actor and comedian known for his sitcom, The Hughleys, and his appearance in The Original Kings of Comedy.

Samuel L. Jackson is known as one of the hardest-working Hollywood actors. In 2011, he was named the highest-grossing actor of all time.

Dwayne Johnson became a film actor (2001's The Mummy) after gaining fame with the World Wrestling Federation as "The Rock."

James Earl Jones is an American Actor, known as the voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars movies. His film career has been vast.

Comedian Martin Lawrence got hist start hosting HBO's Def Comedy Jam before appearing in movies like Bad Boys and Big Momma's House.

Producer, director, writer and actor Spike Lee creates controversial films that explore race relations, political issues and urban crime and violence. His films include She's Gotta Have It and Do the Right Thing.

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.

American actor Derek Luke has starred in films including Antwone Fisher (2002) and Friday Night Lights (2004).

Film actor. William Marshall was an actor best known for his lead role in the legendary blaxploitation film Blacula.

Jesse L. Martin is a singer and a TV, film and stage performer known for his roles in Rent and Law & Order.

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.

Comedic actor Tracy Morgan, known for his unpredictable antics, got his big break on Saturday Night Live. His 30 Rock character is loosely based on his over-the-top personality.

Actor and comedian Eddie Murphy began doing stand-up as a teenager. He became a popular Saturday Night Live cast member and starred in several box-office hits.

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.

Standing 7 feet tall and weighing 315 pounds, Shaquille O'Neal was one of the most dominant players in the NBA. After his 2011 retirement, he became an on-screen league analyst.

Writer, actor, producer, and director Tyler Perry has built an entertainment empire that consists of successful films, plays, and a best-selling book.

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.

Sidney Poitier became the first black Academy Award winner in 1964, receiving the honor for his performance in Lilies of the Field (1963).

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

Ving Rhames is an actor known for roles in such films as Pulp Fiction and the Mission: Impossible franchise.

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

Bill "Bojangles" Robinson was an iconic African-American tap dancer and actor best known for his Broadway performances and film roles.

Former Saturday Night Live castmember Chris Rock has appeared in such films as Bad Company and is the creator of the television show Everybody Hates Chris.

Ja Rule is one of the biggest rappers from the early '00s, known for hits like "Between Me and You," "Always on Time" and "Put It on Me."

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.

Comedian and actress Sherri Shepherd has co-hosted the popular daytime talk show The View since 2007.

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.

Jaden Smith is an actor best known for his starring role in the remake of The Karate Kid, and as the son of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith.

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.

Wesley Snipes is an actor known for his action roles in such films as Blade and Passenger 57 and for his trouble with the law over unpaid taxes.

Woody Strode was a Hollywood actor who also had a brief career as a professional football player.

Actor and professional wrestler Mr. T, known for his mohawk and gold chains, starred in 1980s TV programs like The A-Team and Mister T.

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.

Usher is a successful American R&B and pop musician who began making music at age 15. His hit albums include My Way, Confessions and Looking 4 Myself.

Former star of the hit TV drama St. Elsewhere, actor/director Denzel Washington has earned popular and critical acclaim for his roles in several feature films, including Training Day and American Gangster.

Damon Wayans is an African-American comedian who appeared on the sketch comedy show In Living Color.

Comedian and actor Keenen Ivory Wayans hosted his own late night show, The Keenen Ivory Wayans Show. His famous siblings are Damon, Shawn, Marlon and Kim.

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.

Actor, producer and director Forest Whitaker won an Academy Award for his portrayal of dictator Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland. He’s also known for films like Bird, Ghost Dog and The Butler.

Actor Jaleel White rose to fame as the nerdy boy-next-door Steve Urkel on the 1990s hit sitcom Family Matters.

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.

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.

Actor Paul Winfield was best known for his portrayal of a Louisiana sharecropper in the film Sounder, which earned him an Academy Award nomination.