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Whether it’s a Hollywood film, prime-time television, Broadway, or another form of talent, Black people in the entertainment industry have worked to break barriers. According to the 2018 Hollywood Diversity Report, Black people made up 12.5% of Hollywood roles—a percentage close to a proportionate representation in the U.S. Yet, many Black characters reinforce stereotypes and reflect ideas of white writers instead of lived experiences, with an overrepresentation of domestic work and mimicked Black culture. Historically, some Black roles were played by white actors in blackface.
According to Richard Dyer’s “White: Essays on Race and Culture,” these images have ingrained problematic representations of who Black people are and what Black culture represents with stereotypes, racism, and oppression. Even as Black actors began to hold their own in the white space of film and television, many continued to face discrimination and segregation issues as second-class citizens despite all of their success.
In spite of this, Black actors have persevered and proved they have the talents and skills necessary to make it in the business. These major milestones have opened doors for future projects and creators to depict the Black experience.
Stacker compiled a list of over 50 Black actors who paved the way for future generations to continue the legacy. This list of actors who made entertainment history is compiled through news articles and profiles and represents actors of all genders and various countries of origin. Each actor has achieved a different milestone in different genres, waves, and decades of film and TV.
Cicely Tyson
Cicely Tyson is an entertainment icon and a living legend with a career spanning more than six decades. The first Black person to star in a prime-time drama in the ’60s, Tyson has made history numerous times with her acting performances and her ability to break records, paving the way for other Black women in entertainment. In 2018, she became the first Black actress to receive an honorary Academy Award and was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 2020.
Hattie McDaniel
Hattie McDaniel showed true strength and hope as a Black woman in Hollywood in the 1940s. Because of the color of her skin, McDaniel was forced to sit in the backroom inside the Academy Awards’ segregated venue when she became the first Black person to win an Oscar for the film “Gone With the Wind.” She was not allowed to attend the film’s premiere and was often criticized for her portrayal of the racist stereotype, the Mammy. Still, she paved the way for Black representation in the film industry.
Angela Bassett
Angela Bassett is another notable name in Black Hollywood, well known for her role portraying Tina Turner in the emotional classic “What’s Love Got to Do With It.” Since then, she’s appeared and starred in countless films representing Black culture, such as “Waiting to Exhale” and “Black Panther.” Bassett has also portrayed some of the most iconic women in history, including Rosa Parks, Katherine Jackson, Coretta Scott King, and Betty Shabazz. Bassett made history in 2021 when she became the highest-paid Black actress in TV history, earning $450,000 per episode on the hit drama “9-1-1.”
Spike Lee
Spike Lee has made his fair share of marks in the film industry as a writer, director, producer, and actor. He made his directorial debut with “She’s Gotta Have It” in 1986, but in 1989, his film “Do the Right Thing” placed Lee on the map as a notable filmmaker and actor internationally. Since then, he’s gone on to make numerous films telling the story of Black livelihood in America, including “Malcolm X,” “4 Little Girls,” and “Blackkklansman,” which won an Academy Award for best adapted screenplay in 2019. In 2021, Lee broke barriers by becoming the first Black president of the Cannes Film Festival jury.