Black Actors  Who Made Entertainment History

Black Actors  Who Made Entertainment History

This story originally appeared on Stacker

Cicely Tyson

1

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

Hattie McDaniel

2

McDaniel became the first Black person to win an Oscar for “Gone With the Wind.”

Angela Bassett

3

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

4

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.

Chadwick Boseman

5

He became a household name when he starred as the Black Panther as a part of the Marvel Universe, and in the 2018 blockbuster “Black Panther”

Denzel Washington

6

The second Black man to win a Best Actor Academy Award for his performance in “Training Day” in 2001, Denzel Washington has made his mark in entertainment history.

Whoopi Goldberg

7

 Goldberg won a Best Actress Golden Globe in 1985 for “The Color Purple,” a Grammy Award for best comedy album in 1986, a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for “Ghost” in 1990, and a Tony Award for her work as producer of the 2002 production of “Thoroughly Modern Millie” on Broadway.

Eddie Murphy

8

Won national attention as a television’s “Saturday Night Live” cast member. He made cult classic films such as “Coming to America” and “Beverly Hills Cop”

Halle Berry

9

In 2002, Halle Berry became the first Black woman to win an Oscar for best actress for her work in “Monster’s Ball.”

Chiwetel Ejiofor

10

has received numerous awards for his works in acting, and many people know him as the lead character, Solomon Northup, in “12 Years a Slave.”

Will Smith

11

Rose to stardom under his rapper persona The Fresh Prince in 1985, starred in his own television show, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-air,” and has appeared in many blockbuster films.

Lupita Nyong’o

12

She won an Academy Award for best supporting actress in 2014, making the entertainer—who is of Kenyan and Mexican nationality—the first Mexican actress to win the award.