Favorite African American Actors

Why it gotta be black?

Can we do left-handed European actresses next?

Aunjanue Ellis Jharrel Jerome Kelvin Harrison, Jr. Ashton Sanders Renee Elise Goldsberry Lorraine Toussaint Regina Hall Alfre Woodard Jonathan Majors

Just to name a few.

Lynn Whitfield

Jeffrey Wright

Idris Elba (African-British)*

Thandie Newton (African-British)

Hill Harper

Mahershala Ali

Ruth Negga (African-Irish)

Angela Bassett

Regina King

...(among many others)

* this is why I prefer the descriptor "Black" instead of the inaccurate hyphenate "African-American"

Morgan Freeman!

I really like this beautiful young singer/actress. She was excellent in "Honey Boy". Do you guys love her too?

So glad The Knick is now on Netflix.

The Knick makes me want to have wild, cocaine-fueled sex.

John David Washington

I'm gonna go with Lark Voorhies

R2 ooh, my sistren! I shall start—Garbo.

Gary Carr

Gbenga Akinnagbe

Regina King

I had to look up his name, Jason Mitchell, but I really liked him in Mudbound.

I'll stick to actors who are still alive.

Anthony Mackie, Regina King, Octavia Spencer, Terry Crews, Alfre Woodard, Pam Grier, Laurence Fishburne, Wesley Snipes, Angela Basset, Regina Hall, Loretta Devine, Taraji P. Henson

and Mahershala Ali

Ha, first thoughts were Denzel and Michael B.

Regina King, Sope Dirisu, Viola Davis, Mahershala Ali

Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett...used to love Viola Davis but not so much recently. The new generations like Michael B. Jordan, heard their names a lot, but I have not watched their works, not just them, I am way behind the current movies or tv shows.

There are so many black actors I like. Freeman, Washington, Whitaker, and Dennis Haysbert come to mind. I think Haysbert is absolutely underrated his Allstate commercials are such a waste of his talent.

On the female side, I love Angela Bassett, Thandie Newton, Viola Davis, and Lupita Nyong’o.

Tony Todd, Ken Foree, Geretta Geretta, T'nia Miller, Kandyse McClure, Duane Jones, William Marshall, Marlene Clark, Judy Pace, Marsha Hunt, Maidie Norman, Octavia Spencer

Michael K. Williams, Viola Davis, Delroy Lindo, Denzel Washington, Laurence Fishburne, Paul Winfield, Harold Perrineau, Alfre Woodard, Angela Bassett, Yaphet Kotto, Morgan Freeman, Sidney Poitier, Forrest Whitaker and James Earl Jones.

But I had to choose the most underrated; I go with Delroy Lindo. Absolutely spellbinding as a haunted Vietnam vet in Spike Lee's most recent joint, Dat 5 Bloods.

Rachel Dolezal acted black, but that's not quite the same thing.

Charlize Theron

In my opinion, Mahershala Ali is the most talented.

Chris Chalk in the recent Perry Mason series. He was excellent.

Robert Christopher Riley

Vintage: Theresa Harris, Fredi Washington, James Edwards, Frank Silvera.

They were great, but didn't get enough meaningful work.

Acting: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Idris Elba, Djimon Hounsou

Looks: Boris Kodjo, Shemar Moore, Jesse Williams, honorable mention - Rege-Jean Page

Rami Malek

Harold Perrineau, one of the best things about both OZ and LOST, as well as ROMEO + JULIET. Weird he doesn’t work more.

Got to see Andre Holland play Othello at the London Globe, with Mark Rylance as Iago.

A

MAZ

ING.

(Desdemona was a bit bland, which was problematic. Still. They were great.)

I recently did a rewatch of The Knick about a month or two ago. That was the first time I ever watched Andre Holland in something and have been a huge fan of his ever since. Gosh, he was just so great in that. His scenes with Clive Owen were electric. Colman Domingo was also in that show in a small role, and he is tremendous. Enjoyed him so much in the first season of Fear the Walking Dead until I realized the show was crap.

There are too many favorites to name, and many of them mentioned here. I've also been a longtime fan of Anthony Mackie, ever since seeing him in Half Nelson. But there is one recent actor who really drew my eye in The Deuce - Gbenga Akinnagbe. He's fantastic and I hope he has a bigger career. He's going to be in the second season of Modern Love for Amazon. Wonder if he will be in the filmed episode of Andrew Rannell's NYT essay.

Also adore Thandie Newton. She's always fabulous. Another actress I think is wonderful is Gugu Mbatha-Raw. She never gives a bad performance, no matter the material she's given. Angela Basset, Alfre Woodard, all day every day.

Another vote for Chris Chalk in Perry Mason. He's an actor who really holds your attention. I couldn't take my eyes off of him.

that was the first time I *had* ever watched him ^^^ Miss that show. Wonder what a third season might have looked like.

I've loved Renee Elise Goldsberry since I stumbled on this clip years before she landed Hamilton. It was like if Phylicia Rashad could sing like Whitney Houston. And she's hilarious in Girls5eva too.

Isaiah Washington

Sanaa Lathan has been a favorite of mine for years. Audra McDonald is as well. They even worked together in the 2008 adaptation of "A Raisin In The Sun", which used the then-recent Broadway revival cast. And while I find Sean Combs repulsive, even he did a decent job in this. I own this film, and really enjoy it everytime I watch it.

Gary Carr was so good as a complex pimp in The Deuce. I was blown away by his performance.

The actors were very good all-around, but he stood out to me.

Taye Diggs, Roger Cross, Mike Colter, Ricky Whittle. Ok...mostly because I think they are sexy as hell but also I think they do a good job in whatever they are in.

Sidney Poitier

I really liked Sam Richardson in Veep, Damon Wayans Jr. in Happy Endings and Lamone Morris in New Girl.

I have many favorites, but Loretta Devine is my absolute favorite. Every time I see her in something I get a warm feeling all over my body. The sound of her voice is just love to me.

Michael K. Williams. Omar comin.

I'm so glad this thread was created. I'm holding a "Black Actor Shabat" event next week at my Tribeca high rise corner unit apartment that my white Jewish boyfriend bought for me.

I'm inviting all black actors to the event. But Bershan isn't invited.

African- American, people. American. Not British, not African... American.

^Many have acquired US citizenship, hall monitor at r43.

Cleo King stole an entire movie in less than two and half minutes. Not PC to say, but I feel black women have a particular kind of humor that can't be replicated by white women. This would be a totally different scene if say, Melissa McCarthy (who I love) had played this role.

Butterfly McQueen

Michael Ealy

Livin' for Love: The Natalie Cole Story (2000) is free on Tubi. So good, so sad. Dominique Devereux plays Natalie's mother. Good acting by everyone, including Theresa Randle as young adult Nat.

[quote] "Not PC to say, but I feel black women have a particular kind of humor that can't be replicated by white women."

No, you're absolutely right, R45. It's not just humor, but an inherent dynamic.

Not a big name, but I enjoyed Parker Sawyers as a young Barack Obama in Southside with You.

S. Epatha Merkerson, less for Law and Order (Though her cancer arc was powerful), but for other appearances such as her cleaning lady mother on the series before she became Anita Van Buren and on Broadway in “Come Back, Little Sheba,” where she didn’t try to recreate Booth’s indelible Performance, but found a different fragility to Lola.

R1 you really think “African American” and “left-handed European actresses” are equivalent categories—yes, because AS actors are so obscure. Snotty racist fuck.

Favorite ever: Roscoe Lee Browne

Still living: James Earl Jones, Michael Potts (the scariest smile on TV), Alfre Woodard, Ving Rhames, Taraji P. Henson, Wendell Pierce

Marla Gibbs

Angela Bassett, CCH Pounder, James Earl Jones, Dennis Haysbert, Laurence Fishburne, Viola Davis, Alfre Woodard, Gina Torres, Thandie Newton, Tony Todd

More recent generations: Mahershala Ali, Danai Gurira, Demore Barnes, Janelle Monáe, Nicole Beharie, Orlando Jones, Lipita N'yongo

I love CCH Pounder, but she is actually Guyanese.

R56, what's your point? So is Eddy Grant ("Electric Avenue").

R56. And graduated from Ithaca College

r47 Handsome, but zero charisma, no personality and minimal acting ability. Like those models who get cast in roles for their looks.

r35 I'm familiar with the play. The name Sean Combs is deterring me from going beyond the opening credits. Did he have to be in it?

'Atlanta', 'Get Out', 'Judas and the Black Messiah', Knives Out ... Lakeith Stansfield is on a roll.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw was the real star of The Morning Show.

R49 It's like an aura or something.

R52 Bravo for calling him out. I personally only judge people on their merits. I don't even see color. Nappy hair perhaps but never color.

Robert Townsend.

Joan Crawford

LaWanda Page.

Whatever became of the actress who played the mother in Doubt that was so powerful up against Meryl?

I will watch anything with Loretta Devine, Alfrie Woodard, CCH Pounder, Octavia Spencer, Angela Bassett. As far as men go, not that many. Not sure why that is.

R29, he has an unfortunate role as a dirty cop in The Rookie on ABC.

Just making sure to include Michael K. Williams in this thread.

No love for Richard T. Jones? He's been in almost every cop/detective movie and show ever made.

Lisa Bonet