This article celebrates the achievements and contributions of talented African American actors in the film industry. To be included in this list, the person must have a Wikipedia article and/or references showing the person is African American and a notable actor. This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. Here are some of the most recognized and celebrated actors.
Before we can answer who the most handsome Black man in the world is, let's first decide the hottest Black male actors right now. Whether light-skinned or dark-skinned, cute or oh so fine, the sexiest Black actors on this list have something for everyone.
Here are some of the most recognized and celebrated actors:
- Skyh Alvester Black
- A$AP Rocky
- Adrian Holmes
- Alex R.
- Keith L.
- Michael B. Jordan
- Brandon T. Jackson
- Michael B. Jordan
- Sterling K. Brown
This list also includes actors who are no longer with us, but whose contributions to film and television remain significant:
- Aaliyah, singer, actress (d. 2001)
- Lamont Bentley, actor (d. 2005)
- Chadwick Boseman, actor (d. 2020)
- Sterling K. Brown
- DMX, actor, rapper (d. 2021)
- Nelsan Ellis, actor (d. 2017)
- Kimberly Hébert Gregory, actress (d. 2023)
- Taraji P. Henson
- Richard T. Jones
- Windell Middlebrooks, actor (d. 2012)
- Tupac Shakur, actor, rapper (d. 1996)
- Vincent M. Ward
- Malcolm-Jamal Warner, actor (d. 2024)
- Michael K. Williams, actor (d. 2021)
- Darryl M. Bell
- Richard Biggs, actor (d. 2004)
- Andre Braugher, actor (d. 2023)
- Chad L. Coleman
- Gary Coleman, actor, comedian (d. 2010)
- Deezer D, actor, rapper (d. 2021)
- Natalie Desselle-Reid, actress (d. 2020)
- Nate Dogg, actor (d. 2011)
- Doug E. Fresh
- Dr. Sonya Eddy, actress (d. 2022)
- Thomas Mikal Ford, actor, comedian (d. 2016)
- Vivica A. Fox
- Whitney Houston, actress (d. 2012)
- D.L. Hughley
- Kristoff St. John, actor (d. 2019)
- A.J. Johnson (d. 2021)
- David Jude Jolicoeur, actor (d. 2023)
- R. Kelly
- Jesse L. Martin
- Patrice O'Neal, actor and comedian (d. 2011)
- Gene Anthony Ray, actor (d. 2003)
- Lance Reddick, actor (d. 2023)
- John Singleton, director, producer, screenwriter (d. 2019)
- Isaac C. Singleton Jr.
- J. B. Smoove
- Danielle Spencer, actress (d. 2023)
- Michelle Thomas, actress, comedian (d. 1998)
- Courtney B. Vance
- Michael K. Williams, actor (d. 2021)
- Yvette Wilson, actress and comedian (d. 2012)
- Fred Berry, actor (d. 2003)
- Larenz Tate
- Reg E. Cathey, actor (d. 2018)
- Natalie Cole, actress (d. 2015)
- Suzzanne Douglas, actress (d. 2021)
- Denise Dowse, actress and director (d. 2022)
- Michael Clarke Duncan, actor (d. 2012)
- Charles S. Dutton
- Clarence Gilyard, actor (d. 2022)
- Kevin Peter Hall, actor (d. 1991)
- Michael Jackson, King of pop and actor (d. 2009)
- Larry "Flash" Jenkins, actor, director, producer, screenwriter (d. 2019)
- Jay Arlen Jones, actor (d. 2024)
- Ron Cephas Jones, actor (d. 2021)
- Tommy Lister Jr., actor (d. 2020)
- Bernie Mac, actor, comedian (d. 2008)
- Mr. Charlie Murphy, actor and comedian (d. 2017)
- Lance E. Nichols
- Bill Nunn, actor (d. 2016)
- Paul Pena, singer-songwriter, guitarist (d. 2005)
- Prince, actor (d. 2016)
- Howard Rollins, actor (d. 1996)
- Ron Taylor, actor (d. 2002)
- Tony Todd, actor
- Samuel L. Jackson
- James Avery, actor (d. 2013)
- Taurean Blacque, actor (d. 2022)
- John Beasley, actor (d. 2023)
- Nell Carter, actress (d. 2003)
- Olivia Cole, actress (d. 2018)
- Hugh Dane, actor (d. 2018)
- Art Evans, actor
- Mike Evans, actor (d. 2006)
- Jessie Lawrence Ferguson, actor (d. 2019)
- Aretha Franklin, actress (d. 2018)
- Ron Glass, actor (d. 2016)
- Cuba Gooding Sr., actor (d. 2017)
- Teresa Graves, actress (d. 2002)
- Alaina Reed Hall, actress (d. 2009)
- Isaac Hayes, actor (d. 2008)
- Shirley Hemphill, actress (d. 1999)
- Gregory Hines, actor (d. 2003)
- Mike Hodge, actor (d. 2017)
- Samuel L. Jackson
- Jim Kelly, actor (d. 2013)
- Al Matthews, actor (d. 2018)
- Vonetta McGee, actress (d. 2010)
- Frank McRae, actor (d. 2021)
- Paul Mooney, actor and comedian (d. 2021)
- Billy Preston, actor (d. 2006)
- Richard Pryor, actor and comedian (d. 2005)
- Marion Ramsey, actress (d. 2021)
- Charlie Robinson, actor (d. 2021)
- Roger Robinson, actor (d. 2018)
- Richard Roundtree, actor (d. 2023)
- O. J. Simpson, actor
- Bubba Smith, actor (d. 2011)
- Meshach Taylor, actor (d. 2014)
- Lynne Thigpen, actress (d. 2003)
- Carl Weathers, actor
- Theodore Wilson, actor (d. 1991)
- John Witherspoon, actor and comedian (d. 2019)
- Samuel E. Wright, actor (d. 2021)
- Mary Alice, actress (d. 2022)
- John Amos, actor
- Paul Benjamin, actor (d. 2019)
- Johnny Brown, actor (d. 2022)
- Jim Brown, actor (d. 2023)
- Tony Burton, actor (d. 2016)
- Godfrey Cambridge, comedian and actor (d. 1976)
- Diahann Carroll, actress (d. 2019)
- Bernie Casey, actor (d. 2017)
- Rosalind Cash, actress and singer (d. 1995)
- Ray Charles, actor (d. 2004)
- Bill Cobbs, actor
- Ivan Dixon, actor, director, and producer (d. 2008)
- Robert DoQui, actor (d. 2008)
- Ja'Net DuBois, actress (d. 2020)
- Roberta Flack, singer
- Gloria Foster, actress (d. 2001)
- Al Freeman Jr., actor and director (d. 2012)
- Carl Gordon, actor (d. 2010)
- Louis Gossett Jr., actor
- Dick Gregory, actor and comedian (d. 2017)
- Bill Gunn, actor and director (d. 1989)
- Lynn Hamilton, actress
- Lloyd Haynes, actor (d. 1986)
- Sherman Hemsley, actor (d. 2012)
- Ellen Holly, actress
- Raymond St. Jacques, actor (d. 1990)
- Rafer Johnson, actor (d. 2020)
- Duane Jones, actor (d. 1988)
- James Earl Jones, actor
- Lincoln Kilpatrick, actor (d. 2004)
- Mabel King, actress (d. 1999)
- Yaphet Kotto, actor (d. 2021)
- Cleavon Little, actor (d. 1992)
- Janet MacLachlan, actress (d. 2010)
- Don Marshall, actor (d. 2016)
- Whitman Mayo, actor (d. 2001)
- James McEachin, actor
- Barbara McNair, actress and singer (d. 2007)
- Greg Morris, actor (d. 1996)
- Roger E. Mosley, actor (d. 2022)
- Lou Myers, actor (d. 2013)
- Nichelle Nichols, actress (d. 2022)
- Ron O'Neal, actor (d. 2004)
- Melvin Van Peebles, actor and filmmaker (d. 2021)
- J. A. Thalmus Rasulala, actor (d. 1991)
- Lou Rawls, actor (d. 2006)
- Della Reese, actress, singer (d. 2017)
- Little Richard, actor (d. 2020)
- Matt Robinson, actor and producer (d. 2002)
- Madge Sinclair, actress (d. 1995)
- Nathaniel Taylor, actor (d. 2019)
- Wally Taylor, actor (d. 2005)
- Tina Turner, actress and singer (d. 2023)
- Clarence Williams III, actor (d. 2021)
- Flip Wilson, actor and comedian (d. 1998)
- Nancy Wilson, actress (d. 2018)
- Paul Winfield, actor (d. 2004)
- Maya Angelou, actress (d. 2014)
- Harry Belafonte, actor and singer
- Roscoe Lee Browne, actor (d. 2007)
- Virginia Capers, actor (d. 2004)
- Rupert Crosse, actor (d. 1973)
- Sammy Davis Jr., actor (d. 1990)
- Ruby Dee, actress (d. 2014)
- Redd Foxx, comedian, actor (d. 1991)
- Susie Garrett, actress (d. 2002)
- Robert Guillaume, actor (d. 2017)
- Moses Gunn, actor (d. 1993)
- Bernie Hamilton, actor (d. 2008)
- Julius Harris, actor (d. 2004)
- Eartha Kitt, actress (d. 2008)
- William Marshall, actor and director (d. 2003)
- LaWanda Page, actress (d. 2002)
- Brock Peters, actor (d. 2005)
- Sidney Poitier, actor (d. 2022)
- Roxie Roker, actress (d. 1995)
- Esther Rolle, actress (d. 1998)
- Mel Stewart, actor (d. 2002)
- Cicely Tyson, actress (d. 2021)
- William Warfield, actor (d. 2002)
- Nat King Cole, actor (d. 1965)
- Scatman Crothers, actor (d. 1986)
- Ossie Davis, actor (d. 2005)
- Tina Dixon, R&B singer, actress and comedian (d. 2024)
- Roy Glenn, actor (d. 1971)
- Robert Earl Jones, actor and professional boxer (d. 2006)
- Sybil Lewis, actress (d. 2024)
- Juanita Moore, actress (d. 2014)
- Maidie Norman, actress (d. 1998)
- Jimmy Robinson, actor (d. 2024)
- Timmie Rogers, comedian, actor (d. 1995)
- Nipsey Russell, comedian (d. 2005)
- Isabel Sanford, actress, comedian (d. 2004)
- Joe Seneca, actor, singer, and songwriter (d. 1996)
- Woody Strode, actor (d. 1994)
- Clarice Taylor, actress (d. 2011)
- Eddie Anderson, actor (d. 1977)
- James Baskett, actor (d. 1948)
- Louise Beavers, actress (d. 1962)
- Everett Brown, actor (d. 1953)
- Cab Calloway, actor (d. 1994)
- Alvin Childress, actor (d. 1986)
- Gee Gee James, radio and theater actress and singer (d. 1948)
- Canada Lee, professional athlete, musician, and actor (d. 1952)
- Alice Whitman, actress (d. 1968)
- Rex Ingram, actor (d. 1969)
- John Marriott, actor (d. 2024)
- Charles Olden, actor (d. 1964)
- Paul Robeson, actor (d. 1976)
- Bill Walker, actor (d. 1992)
- Blue Washington, actor (d. 1970)
- Spencer Bell, actor (d. 1935)
- Oscar Smith, actor (d. 1926)
- Ira Aldridge, actor (d. 1867)
- Amanda and Samuel Chambers, early members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Utah (d. Unknown)
- Irving Jones, comedian and songwriter (d. 1932)
- Cora Ann Pair Thomas, missionary (d. 1930)
Spotlight on Notable Actors
Idris Elba
Idrissa Akuna Elba is an English actor who was born and raised in London, England. His father, Winston, is from Sierra Leone, and his mother, Eve, is from Ghana. Idris attended school in Canning Town, where he first became involved in acting. His first acting roles were on the soap opera Family Affairs (1997), the television serial Ultraviolet (1998), and the medical drama Dangerfield (1995). He is best known as drug baron Russell "Stringer" Bell on the HBO series The Wire (2002), as DCI John Luther on the BBC One series Luther (2010), and as Heimdall in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Idris Elba’s Journey From DJ to Hollywood Superstar
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Blair Underwood
Underwood recently returned to Broadway starring opposite David Alan Grier in the Pulitzer Prize winning drama "A Solider's Play" for director Kenny Leon and the Roundabout Theatre Company. He also co-stars in Justin Simien's "Bad Hair" which will premiere at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. Also this year, Underwood stars opposite Octavia Spencer & Tiffany Haddish in Netflix's highly anticipated limited series "Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam CJ Walker" (March 20). Underwood recently appeared in the Netflix Emmy-Award winning limited series "When They See Us." He also had a recurring role on the Netflix comedy series, "Dear White People" and can be seen in Clark Johnson's "Juanita," opposite Alfre Woodard, also for Netflix. He spent two years as a series regular on the ABC drama series "Quantico," while also recurring on another hit ABC drama "MARVEL AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. " He also had a co-starring role in "The After Party," from writer/director Ian Edelman, which Netflix released late in 2018.
Past television credits include series regular roles on "Dirty Sexy Money," "The New Adventures of Old Christine," "In Treatment," "The Event" and "L.A. Law". Film credits include "Deep Impact," "Set It Off," "Rules of Engagement," "Just Cause," "Madea's Family Reunion" and Steven Soderbergh's "Full Frontal." Underwood co-starred opposite Cicely Tyson in the Lifetime telefilm & theatre production of "A Trip to Bountiful," based on the Tony Award-winning play.
In 2012 he made his acclaimed Broadway debut in the iconic role of Stanley in Tennessee Williams' "A Streetcar Named Desire," for which he earned a 2012 Drama League Distinguished Performance Award nomination. He also starred in "Paradise Blue" at the Williamstown Theatre Festival and "Othello" at the Old Globe Theatre.
Underwood also has several projects in the development pipeline as a director, including "Viral," a feature based on a Joe McClean script. In 2010 he made his feature film directing debut with "The Bridge to Nowhere," which starred Ving Rhames, Danny Masterson, Bijou Phillips and Alex Breckenridge.
Underwood is an Emmy Award-winner (as producer of the philanthropy-centered NBC Saturday morning series "Give"), a two-time Golden Globe Award nominee, and has been nominated for 17 NAACP Image Awards (seven wins). He won a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word as co-narrator of Al Gore's audiobook, An Inconvenient Truth. A newly minted member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, he is also active in several philanthropic endeavors.
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Boris Kodjoe
Boris Frederic Cecil Tay-Natey Ofuatey-Kodjoe, better known as Boris Kodjoe, is a German actor known for his roles as Jason in the 2000 film Love & Basketball and sports-courier agent Damon Carter on the Showtime drama series Soul Food (2000). Kodjoe was born in Vienna, Austria, to Ursula, a German psychologist of partially-Jewish descent, and Eric Kodjoe, a Ghanaian physician who is of the Nzema people. He was named after Russian poet and writer Boris Pasternak.
Omari Hardwick
Omari Latif Hardwick was born in Savannah, Georgia, to Joyce (Johnson) and Clifford Hardwick III, and grew up in Decatur, GA. Growing up, sports were Hardwick's world, but early on he knew he had a passion for the arts. In high school, he excelled at basketball, baseball, and football, and went on to play football at the University of Georgia. After graduation, Hardwick relocated to San Diego for a spot on the San Diego Chargers (NFL) however a knee injury cut his football career short. He decided to revisit his original passion for acting, and moved to New York to study his craft more extensively.
Hardwick's first big break came in 2003, when he was cast in his first major role as a series regular in Spike Lee's Sucker Free City. In 2008 he landed the role of "Ty Curtis" on the TNT series Dark Blue. His continued success came when he was cast as the lead of the Starz series Power. Omari's performance is critically lauded, and the show went on to produce multiple spinoffs for the network.
Shemar Moore
Shemar Franklin Moore (born April 20, 1970) is an American actor and former fashion model. Moore is known for his role as Malcolm Winters on The Young and the Restless from 1994 to 2005, Derek Morgan on Criminal Minds from 2005 to 2017, and as the title character of S.W.A.T. since 2017.
Gary Dourdan
From the time he was a young lad, Gary Dourdan knew that he wanted to be an actor. After meeting "A Different World" (1987-1993) producer Debbie Allen in Paris, Dourdan was cast in the role of Shazza Zulu, a recurring gig he played for over two seasons. In 2000, he appeared in the ABC movie "Muhammad Ali: King of the World," taking on the formidable role of the iconic Malcolm X. By April 2000, Dourdan had been recruited for the crime procedural, "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation." Picked up for the fall season, the series revolved around a forensics investigating unit in Las Vegas, with Dourdan playing Warrick Brown, a smart, complex and moody investigator with a shaky past as a gambler.
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As part of a dramatic ensemble, Dourdan and his cast mates were acknowledged with Screen Actors Guild Award nominations in successive ceremonies between 2002 and 2005, with the team finally taking home the statue in 2005. Dourdan himself was singled out by NAACP's Image Awards for nominations five years running, between 2002-07. In 2003 and 2006, he won his category as "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series." Recently, Dourdan has been seen on the ABC series "Mistresses" BET's "Being Mary Jane" and Starz "Power" and the soon to be released "Redemption Day " Gary has kept busy with recording and performing live music.
Denzel Washington
Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr. was born on December 28, 1954 in Mount Vernon, New York. After graduating from high school, Denzel enrolled at Fordham University, intent on a career in journalism. However, he caught the acting bug while appearing in student drama productions and, upon graduation, he moved to San Francisco and enrolled at the American Conservatory Theater. He left A.C.T. after only one year to seek work as an actor.
He made his first big screen appearance in Carbon Copy (1981) with George Segal. Through the 1980s, he worked in both movies and television and was chosen for the role of Dr. Philip Chandler in NBC's hit medical series St. Elsewhere (1982), a role that he would play for six years. In 1989, his film career began to take precedence when he won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Tripp, the runaway slave in Edward Zwick's powerful historical masterpiece Glory (1989).
Washington has received much critical acclaim for his film work since the 1990s, including his portrayals of real-life figures such as South African anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko in Cry Freedom (1987), Muslim minister and human rights activist Malcolm X in Malcolm X (1992), boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter in The Hurricane (1999), football coach Herman Boone in Remember the Titans (2000), poet and educator Melvin B. Tolson in The Great Debaters (2007), and drug kingpin Frank Lucas in American Gangster (2007). Malcolm X and The Hurricane garnered him Oscar nominations for Best Actor, before he finally won that statuette in 2002 for his lead role in Training Day (2001). He has also been a featured actor in the films produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and has been a frequent collaborator of director Spike Lee.
Will Smith
Willard Carroll "Will" Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, comedian, producer, rapper, and songwriter. Smith has been nominated for five Golden Globe Awards, two Academy Awards, and has won four Grammy Awards. In 1990, his popularity increased dramatically when he starred in the popular television series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. After the series ended, Smith moved from television to film, and ultimately starred in numerous blockbuster films. He is the only actor to have eight consecutive films gross over $100 million in the domestic box office, eleven consecutive films gross over $150 million internationally, and eight consecutive films in which he starred open at the number one spot in the domestic box office tally.
Smith is ranked as the most bankable star worldwide by Forbes. As of 2014, 17 of the 21 films in which he has had leading roles have accumulated worldwide gross earnings of over $100 million each, five taking in over $500 million each in global box office receipts. As of 2014, his films have grossed $6.6 billion at the global box office. He has received Best Actor Oscar nominations for Ali and The Pursuit of Happyness.
Tyrese Gibson
Tyrese Darnell Gibson was born December 30, 1978 in Watts, Los Angeles, California, where he was raised. He is well known for his actor role as Roman Pearce in the The Fast and Furious movie franchise. Other popular movies Tyrese has acted in are Death Race, Transformers, Baby Boy and Legion.
Djimon Hounsou
Djimon Hounsou was born in Cotonou, Benin, in west Africa to Albertine and Pierre Hounsou, a cook. Hounsou has graced the catwalks of Paris and London as a popular male model. He has since left his modeling career and has worked on Gladiator (2000) by Ridley Scott and Amistad (1997) by Steven Spielberg.
Laurence Fishburne
Critically hailed for his forceful, militant, authoritative figures and one of Hollywood's most talented and versatile performers, Laurence (John) Fishburne III has been the recipient of numerous awards, including a number of NAACP Image honors.
Conclusion
This list showcases just a fraction of the immense talent within the African American acting community, highlighting both established legends and rising stars. Their contributions have enriched the entertainment industry and continue to inspire future generations.
