Actors
Actors
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1.
Lex Montgomery
Actress, Straight Outta Compton
Lex Montgomery was born on October 1, 1992 to Louisiana Creole parents, in the suburbs of Saint Louis, MO. The youngster participated in musical theater as a child, portraying roles such as Ngana in South Pacific (The Muny Opera). She also dabbled in entrepreneurship, starting a custom fashion design business at age 12...
5.
Will Smith
Actor, Men in Black
Willard Christopher Smith, Jr. was born in West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the second of four children of Caroline (Bright), a school board employee, and Willard Carroll Smith, Sr., who owned a refrigeration company. He grew up in a middle class area in West Philadelphia called Wynnefield. Will attended the Overbrook High School located in the Overbrook section of Philadelphia...
6.
Jada Pinkett Smith
Actress, Collateral
Jada Koren Pinkett Smith was born in Baltimore, Maryland, to Robsol Grant Pinkett, Jr., a contractor, and Adrienne Banfield-Jones, a nurse. They divorced after only a few months of marriage. Her father is of African-American descent and her mother is of Afro-Caribbean ancestry (from Barbados and Jamaica). Jada majored in dance and choreography at the Baltimore School for the Arts...
7.
Eddie Murphy
Actor, Beverly Hills Cop
Edward Regan Murphy was born April 3, 1961 in Brooklyn, New York, to Lillian, a telephone operator, and Charles Edward Murphy, a transit police officer who was also an amateur comedian and actor. After his father died, his mother married Vernon Lynch, a foreman at a Breyer's Ice Cream plant. His siblings are Charlie Murphy and Vernon Lynch...
8.
Dwayne Johnson
Actor, G.I. Joe: Retaliation
Dwayne Douglas Johnson, also known as The Rock, was born on May 2, 1972 in Hayward, California, to Ata Johnson (née Maivia) and Canadian-born professional wrestler Rocky Johnson. His father is black (of Black Nova Scotian descent), and his mother is of Samoan background (her own father was Peter Fanene Maivia...
9.
Terrence Howard
Actor, Iron Man
Terrence Howard was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Anita Jeanine Williams (née Hawkins) and Tyrone Howard. He was raised in Cleveland, Ohio. His love for acting came naturally, through summers spent with his great-grandmother, New York stage actress Minnie Gentry. He later began his acting career after being discovered on a New York City street by a casting director...
10.
Terry Crews
Actor, Bridesmaids
Terry Crews was born in Flint, Michigan, to Patricia and Terry Crews, Sr. He earned an Art Excellence Scholarship to attend Western Michigan University and also earned a full-ride athletic scholarship to play football. Crews was an All-Conference defensive end, and was a major contributor on the 1988 MAC champion WMU Broncos...
12.
Omari Hardwick
Actor, The A-Team
Born "Omari Latif Hardwick," he grew up in Decatur, Georgia. Hardwick's parents gave him a name to set a precedent, "Omari" meaning "most high," and "Latif" meaning "gentle." He shares, "I in no way believe that I am the highest or most high, but I feel like my name gives me something to strive for." Growing up...
13.
Omar Epps
Actor, Scream 2
Omar Epps is an American actor, starring on the ABC drama Resurrection. Epps was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised by his mother, Bonnie Maria Epps, an elementary school principal. No stranger to the big screen, Epps has appeared in lead roles in feature films, including Paramount's Against the Ropes...
16.
Idris Elba
Actor, Pacific Rim
An only child, Idris Elba was born and raised in Hackney, London, England. His father, Winston, is from Sierra Leone and worked at a Ford motor factory. His mother, Eve, is from Ghana and had a clerical duty. Idris went to school in Canning Town, where he first became involved in acting. He gained a place in the National Youth Music Theatre - thanks to a £1,500 Prince's Trust grant...
17.
Mekhi Phifer
Actor, 8 Mile
Mekhi Phifer was born in Harlem, Manhattan, and was raised by his mother, Rhoda, a high school teacher. Phifer's acting career began when he auditioned at an open casting call for director Spike Lee's Clockers and was selected for the leading role. Working alongside Harvey Keitel and Delroy Lindo...
19.
Michael Ealy
Actor, Seven Pounds
Known for his charming looks and deep personality, Michael Ealy blessed the movie screen with his role in Barbershop. When he left Silver Spring, Maryland, with a degree in English, he headed off to New York. From there he performed in several stage productions, including the Off-Broadway hits "Joe Fearless" and "Whoa-Jack"...
21.
Susan Heyward
Actress, Poltergeist
Known best as "Detective Deena Pilgrim" on Sony Playstation's first original series "Powers" - currently filming its 2nd Season - Susan Heyward is an accomplished actress in television, film, and stage. Other projects include her role as "Cece" in the upcoming HBO series "Vinyl" starring Bobby Cannavale...
23.
Renée Elise Goldsberry
Actress, Sisters
Renee Goldsberry was born in San Jose, California, and raised in both Houston, Texas, and Detroit, Michigan. She graduated from Carnegie-Mellon University with a bachelors degree in acting, and went on to attend graduate school at the University of Southern California, where she received her masters in vocal jazz performance...
27.
Harry Lennix
Actor, Man of Steel
Harry Lennix is an accomplished film, television, and stage actor. His recent credits include Warner Bros.' "Man of Steel", The CW's "Emily Owens, M.D.", Fox's "Dollhouse," HBO's "Little Britain," as well as the critically acclaimed series "24" as Walid Al-Rezani. Harry Joseph Lennix III was born November 16...
28.
Cuba Gooding Jr.
Actor, Jerry Maguire
Cuba Gooding Jr. was born on January 2, 1968, in The Bronx, New York. His mother, Shirley (Sullivan), was a backup singer for The Sweethearts. His father, Cuba Gooding, was the lead vocalist for the R&B; group The Main Ingredient, which had a hit with the song "Everybody Plays The Fool". His paternal grandfather was from Barbados...
29.
Michael Beach
Actor, The Abyss
Born and raised in the rough inner city Roxbury area of Boston, Beach was an athlete who never expected to be an actor. After performing in a few high school plays, he auditioned for, got accepted to and later graduated from the prestigious Juilliard School Of Drama in NYC. For the past thirty years...
31.
Hisham Tawfiq
Actor, The Bravest, the Boldest
Hisham discovered his passion for the arts while performing the poem "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Poet Laureate Maya Angelou, in a high school English class. Hisham studied at the world renowned Negro Ensemble Theatre Company, which has brought forth such notable actors as Denzel Washington...
32.
Jamie Foxx
Actor, Django Unchained
Jamie Foxx was born Eric Marlon Bishop in Terrell, Texas, to Louise Annette Talley and Darrell Bishop, who worked as a stockbroker and had later changed his name to Shahid Abdula. His mother was an adopted child. When her marriage to his father failed, his maternal grandparents, Mark and Estelle Talley...
34.
Regina King
Actress, Ray
Regina King was born in Los Angeles, California, to Gloria, a special education teacher, and Thomas King, an electrician. She began her career in the television show 227, followed by a role in Boyz n the Hood. She began to be recognized by a mainstream audience after her role as Cuba Gooding Jr.'s character's wife in Jerry Maguire...
35.
Anika Noni Rose
Actress, The Princess and the Frog
Anika Noni Rose followed her work in the feature film "Dreamgirls" with a role in the comedy feature "Just Add Water," in which she co-stars with Danny DeVito, Dylan Walsh, Jonah Hill and Justin Long, under the direction of Hart Bochner. In 2004, Rose was honored with a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical for her role in the widely acclaimed Broadway show "Caroline...
36.
Joe Morton
Actor, Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Joe Morton was born on October 18, 1947 in New York, New York, USA. He is a television, film, and theater actor, best known for The Brother from Another Planet, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Eureka, and Scandal. He also writes and directs, and is a singer/songwriter.
38.
Taye Diggs
Actor, Chicago
Taye Diggs was born in Newark, New Jersey, and was raised in Rochester, New York. He is the son of Marcia (Berry), a teacher and actress, and Andre Young, a visual artist. When he was a child, his mother married Jeffries Diggs, whose surname Taye took. He received a BFA degree in musical theater from Syracuse University...
39.
Regina Hall
Actress, Scary Movie 4
Regina Hall was born December 12, 1970 in Washington, D.C., to Ruby, a teacher, and Odie Hall, a contractor. In college, she earned a degree in journalism from N.Y.U. before starting a film career. In 1997, she began appearing in commercials at age 26, and then made the giant leap into movies. Her fame came with her role in the comedy-horror spoof Scary Movie...
40.
Blair Underwood
Actor, Gattaca
Smart, confident, eloquent, exceptionally handsome African-American actor Blair Underwood was born in Tacoma, Washington in 1964, the son of Marilyn Ann, an interior decorator, and Frank Eugene Underwood, Sr., an army colonel. With his family, he lived all over the world. Trained in musical theater at Carnegie-Mellon...
41.
Ernie Hudson
Actor, The Crow
As a child growing up in Benton Harbor, Michigan, Ernie Hudson wrote short stories, poems and songs, always thinking that his words might one day come to life on stage. After a short stint in the Marine Corps, he moved to Detroit where he became the resident playwright at Concept East, the oldest black theatre in the country...
42.
Giancarlo Esposito
Actor, The Usual Suspects
Giancarlo Giuseppe Alessandro Esposito was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, to an Italian carpenter/stagehand father from Naples and an opera-singing African-American mother from Alabama. His parents, working in Europe at the time of his birth, settled in Manhattan by the time he was six, and that's where he grew up...
46.
Laurence Fishburne
Actor, The Matrix
One of Hollywood's most talented and versatile performers and the recipient of a truckload of NAACP Image awards, Laurence John Fishburne III was born in Augusta, Georgia on July 30, 1961, to Hattie Bell (Crawford), a teacher, and Laurence John Fishburne, Jr., a juvenile corrections officer. His mother transplanted her family to Brooklyn after his parents divorced...
47.
Ice Cube
Soundtrack, Friday
Ice Cube was born in South Central Los Angeles, to Doris (Benjamin), a custodian and hospital clerk, and Hosea Jackson, a UCLA groundskeeper. He first came to public notice as a singer and songwriter with the controversial and influential band N.W.A. His compositions with that group included many of the classic cuts from their debut LP "Straight Outta Compton" (Ruthless/Priority...
48.
Jasmine Burke
Actress, Ride Along
Jasmine Burke is an actress and filmmaker from Atlanta, Georgia, who studied theatre and business, on a full scholarship, at Kennesaw State University. Jasmine has been in movies such as "The Secret Life of Bee's " with Dakota Fanning, Queen Latifah and Jennifer Hudson, campy classic's like "Van Wilder 3" and the indie hit Mississippi Damned, just to name a few...
49.
T.I.
Soundtrack, The Hangover
T.I. was born Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr. on September 25, 1980, in Atlanta, Georgia, to Violeta Morgan and Clifford "Buddy" Harris, Sr. He is also known as T.I.P. and "Rubberband Man". T.I. is from the streets of Westside Bankhead Zone 1 in Atlanta. His original stage name, T.I.P., it stems from his childhood nickname "Tip"...
50.
Edwina Findley Dickerson
Actress, Get Hard
Edwina Findley Dickerson is an award-winning film, television, and theatre actress, hailed by critics as "A marvel to watch." She made her prime-time debut as "Tosha Mitchell" on HBO's critically acclaimed series THE WIRE, followed by four seasons as "Davina Lambreaux" on HBO's Emmy-Nominated drama series Treme...
51.
Sanaa Lathan
Actress, AVP: Alien vs. Predator
Sanaa Lathan, pronounced Sa-NAA, "like Sinatra without the tra", was born on September 19, 1971, in New York, as her mother Eleanor McCoy performed on Broadway with the likes of Eartha Kitt, and her father Stan Lathan worked behind the scenes in television for PBS. She was exposed to the life of entertainment and stars at a very early age...
55.
Rachael Grace
Actress, Stuff
Rachael Grace was born on May 5, 1989 in Los Angeles, CA. She is of Jamaican ethnicity by both parents and well traveled. Grace pursued her higher studies in Orlando, FL where she received her Bachelors degree from the University of Central Florida. She is an actress known for Black-ish (2015).
57.
Wendy Davis
Actress, Ashes to Ashes
Wendy recently completed seven seasons (117 episodes) of Lifetime Television's hit series "Army Wives". she was nominated for several awards for her portrail of Col. Joan Burton. Of her work on Dreamworks SKG pilot "High Incident" The "Hollywood Reporter" wrote, "The large and strikingly good cast all make outstanding first impressions, and Wendy Davis is magnificent as a cop's widow"...
58.
Marla Gibbs
Actress, The Meteor Man
Armed with an acid dry wit and a full arsenal of sarcasm and sass, African-American character comedienne Marla Gibbs showed up on 70s TV with a bang in middle age (44). Landing the feisty maid role on the popular ground-breaking CBS comedy, The Jeffersons, eventually led to her very own sitcom, 227...
60.
Queen Latifah
Actress, Chicago
Often considered hip-hop's first lady (though some would attribute that to Roxanne Shanté), the woman behind the moniker Queen Latifah was born Dana Owens on March 18th, 1970, in East Orange, New Jersey. She is the daughter of Rita (Bray), a teacher, and Lancelot Owens, Sr. She came from a police family--both her father and older brother were cops...
61.
Angela Bassett
Actress, Meet the Robinsons
Captivating, gifted, and sensational, Angela Bassett's presence has been felt in theaters, stages, and television screens throughout the world. Angela Evelyn Bassett was born on August 16, 1958 in New York City, to Betty Jane (Gilbert), a social worker, and Daniel Benjamin Bassett, a preacher's son...
62.
Morris Chestnut
Actor, Kick-Ass 2
A tall, handsome, and versatile American actor, Morris Chestnut was born in Cerritos, California, to Shirley (Wynn) and Morris Chestnut, Sr. He first came to be recognized by moviegoers starring as Ricky in Boyz n the Hood, a role where he played a high school running back using his football skills to escape the violent surroundings of his South Central Los Angeles neighborhood...
63.
Nia Long
Actress, Big Momma's House
Stunning pop culture icon, Hollywood leading lady and three-time NAACP award winner Nia Long returns to the big screen this fall in the highly anticipated Universal Pictures sequel The best man holiday (in theaters November 15th) where she reunites with original castmates Taye Diggs ("Private Practice")...
66.
Larenz Tate
Actor, Menace II Society
Larenz Tate was born on the west side of Chicago to Larry and Peggy Tate, the youngest of three brothers. His brothers are actors Larron Tate and Lahmard J. Tate. In 1984, Larenz and his family moved to California. It was while living in California that Larenz's parents got him and his brothers involved in a drama program at the Inner City Cultural Center...
67.
Don Cheadle
Actor, Iron Man 3
Don Cheadle was born in Kansas City, Missouri on November 29, 1964. His childhood found him moving from city to city with his family: mother Bettye (North), a teacher, father Donald Frank Cheadle, Sr., a clinical psychologist, sister Dawn, and brother Colin. After graduating high school in Denver, Colorado...
69.
Glynn Turman
Actor, Super 8
New York City-born African-American actor Glynn Turman enjoyed his first real taste of acting success at the age of 13 originating the role of Travis Younger on Broadway in Lorraine Hansberry's landmark play "A Raisin in the Sun" in 1959 opposite Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, Claudia McNeil and Diana Sands as his various family members...
71.
Megalyn Echikunwoke
Actress, A Good Day to Die Hard
Megalyn Ann Echikunwoke was born May 28, 1983 in Spokane, Washington. Her father is Nigerian and her mother is of Caucasian descent. Her last name Echikunwoke means "leader of men" and Megalyn is the granddaughter of a Nigerian tribal leader of the Igbo, which technically makes her African royalty. She is known for playing "Nicole Palmer" in the first season of 24...
74.
David Oyelowo
Actor, Interstellar
David Oyelowo (pronounced - "oh-yellow-oh"), is a classically trained stage actor who has quickly become one of Hollywood's most sought-after talents. He graduated from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), and received the "Scholarship for Excellence" from Nicholas Hytner in 1998. David starred as Martin Luther King Jr...
75.
Octavia Spencer
Actress, The Help
Spencer is a native of Montgomery, Alabama, which she claims is the proverbial buckle of the Bible belt. She's the sixth of seven siblings and holds a BS in Liberal Arts from Auburn University. A "closet" lover of acting, this practical Alabamian knew that she'd someday work in the film industry, but never dreamed it would be in front of the camera...
76.
Michael B. Jordan
Actor, Creed
Michael B. Jordan, middle of three children, was born in Santa Ana, California and raised in Newark, New Jersey by Donna (Davis), and Michael A. Jordan. His middle name Bakari means "noble promise" in Swahili. Jordan has starred in three of the most critically acclaimed television dramas of the past decade...
77.
Forest Whitaker
Actor, Platoon
Forest Steven Whitaker has packaged a king-size talent into his hulking 6' 2", 220 lb. frame. He won an Academy Award for his performance as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the 2006 film The Last King of Scotland, and has also won a Golden Globe and a BAFTA. He is the fourth African-American male to win an Academy Award for Best Actor...
78.
Pooch Hall
Actor, Jumping the Broom
Pooch Hall was born on February 8th 1976 in Brockton, Massachussetts. There he played football, ran track and boxed. Pooch won the Southern New England golden gloves in 1994. He started acting at the age of 21. He started in commercials and then made his debut in the film Lift. He played Derrick...
81.
Bokeem Woodbine
Actor, Ray
Bokeem Woodbine grew up in Harlem New York. At the age of 19, he secured the lead role in the HBO production of Forest Whitaker's directorial debut Strapped. Bokeem moved to Los Angeles shortly after completing the film Jason's Lyric, and has pursued his dream of becoming a noteworthy film actor while balancing a passion for musical expression...
82.
Aunjanue Ellis
Actress, Men of Honor
Aunjanue Ellis was born in San Francisco, California. She graduated from the Brown University, and later attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. During her career, Ellis performed on Off-Broadway theater, appeared in many film, and had roles on television. In film, she is best known for her roles in "Men of Honor" (2000)...
83.
Sterling K. Brown
Actor, Righteous Kill
Sterling Brown was born in St. Louis, Missouri where he attended the prestigious St. Louis Country Day School. An avid thespian during his high school years, Brown attributes Milton Zoth, with first sparking his love for acting. He then attended Stanford University where he earned his B.A. in Drama...
85.
Lorraine Toussaint
Actress, Dangerous Minds
SAG Award and Critics Choice Award winner for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, Lorraine Toussaint shocked audiences on the smash hit Netflix original series "Orange is the New Black" as the viciously seductive inmate Vee. Toussaint's epically thrilling performance has won her glowing reviews from the likes of TV Guide and Vanity Fair...
86.
Carmen Ejogo
Actress, Selma
Carmen Ejogo was born in Kensington, London, England, to a Nigerian father and a Scottish mother. Ejogo grew up in London. Ejogo's television career began in the UK in the early 1990s, where she presented the children's series Saturday Disney. Subsequently, she has had an acting career in the US. She has appeared in _Metro_ with Eddie Murphy...
87.
Tyler Perry
Perry was born and raised in New Orleans, to Willie Maxine (Campbell) and Emmitt Perry, Sr. His mother was a church-goer and took Perry along with her once a week. His father was a carpenter and they had a very strained and abusive relationship, which led Perry to suffer from depression as a teenager...
90.
Nichole Galicia
Actress, Django Unchained
Nichole Galicia is a film and television actress whose journey to the big screen began as a high fashion model on the catwalks of Europe and New York. Most recently, acclaimed director Quentin Tarantino hand picked Galicia for his film, Django Unchained, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Jamie Foxx. Galicia...
91.
Samuel L. Jackson
Actor, Pulp Fiction
Samuel L. Jackson was born in Washington, D.C., to Elizabeth (Montgomery) and Roy Henry Jackson. He was raised by his mother, a factory worker. Jackson was active in the black student movement. In the seventies, he joined the Negro Ensemble Company (together with Morgan Freeman). In the eighties, he became well known after three movies made by Spike Lee - Do the Right Thing...
92.
Morgan Freeman
Actor, The Shawshank Redemption
With an authoritative voice and calm demeanor, this ever popular American actor has grown into one of the most respected figures in modern US cinema. Morgan was born on June 1, 1937 in Memphis, Tennessee, to Mayme Edna (Revere), a teacher, and Morgan Porterfield Freeman, a barber. The young Freeman...
93.
Mike Colter
Actor, Million Dollar Baby
Mike was born to Mr. & Mrs. Eddie Lee Colter Sr. At just 8 years of age he knew that acting would be his life long ambition when he saw the film "A Soldiers Story" in 1984. He began by starting a drama club in high school and becoming the president of the club. After putting on several plays and getting...
97.
Common
Actor, Smokin' Aces
First known as a rapper who became one of the more prominent voices in hip-hop's new millennium renaissance, Common later transitioned into acting. He is the son of educator Dr. Mahalia Ann Hines and Lonnie Lynn, an ABA basketball player turned youth counselor. On October 6, 1992, Common released his first LP...
98.
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey was born Orpah Gail Winfrey in Kosciusko, Mississippi, to Vernita Lee, a former maid, and Vernon Winfrey, a coal miner, barber, and city councilman. While Winfrey has been cited as the richest African American of the 20th century, she does not come from a rich, or even middle class, family...
100.
Alicia Keys
Soundtrack, Men in Black
Alicia Keys was born in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, to Teresa (Augello), a paralegal who was also an occasional actress, and Craig Cook, a flight attendant. Her father is African-American, and her mother, who is caucasian, is of Italian and English/Irish/Scottish ancestry. Alicia began taking piano lessons at age seven at her mother's insistence...
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