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Top 10 Most popular Black Actors

Black actors have graced the silver screen for a long time. They have also gone to win prestigious film awards. Their talent, skill and innate ability to appear natural as the camera rolls.

These iconic actors have made a name for themselves and are some of the most sought after for leading roles in blockbuster films. They have displayed their prowess in every genre they got a role in.

They have been considered the underdogs of the industry for the longest time. Today there is diversity in the industry and the change has been greatly received.

Some of the top actors have had decade long careers and continue to dominate the industry.

Here is our list of the top 10 most popular black actors.

1. Denzel Washington

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Denzel is famous for his performances on the screen and stage. He has graced the silver screens since the 1980s. 

Film critics have described him as an actor who revamped the idea of classic movie stardom.  His screen characters are defined by their grace, dignity, humanity, and inner strength.

Denzel has worked with great film producers and directors like Spike Lee, Antoine Fuqua, and Tony Scott.

As an exceptional actor, Denzel has won several awards. He has received two Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Tony Award.

 In 2020, The New York Times ranked him as the greatest actor of the twenty-first century.

2. Chadwick Boseman

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Chadwick Boseman was an American actor who became famous for his role as Jackie Robinson in the movie 42 and James Brown in getting on Up.

His most popular role was in the 2018 superhero movie Black Panther produced by Marvel Cinematic Universe.  

Chadwick started his acting career on stage where he excelled. other than acting, he was a writer and director.

His first television gig was in the show Lincoln Heights. This was followed by his portrayal of Jackie Robinson, an African American baseball player. 

In what appeared to be his final role, Chadwick played trumpeter Levee Green in the on-screen acclimatisation of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.

Boseman won a posthumous Golden Globe, Critics Choice and SAG awards and an Oscar nomination for his role. He passed away on August 28, 2020, from colon cancer.

3. Kevin Hart

Kevin Hart is a famous comedian and actor. He had his first comedy gig at The Laff House in Philadelphia. His stage name was Lil Kev.

Growing up in Philadelphia, Kevin won several amateur competitions in New England. 

Hart’s first stage experience was not a great one, he got booed off stage several times.  Determined, he kept entering comedy competitions in Massachusetts and the reception by the audience improved. 

in 2001, Hart debuted in the television series Undeclared. Although the series only lasted for one season, Hart got another role in the movie Paper Soldiers. 

Kevin Hart’s latest movie is Fatherhood (2021). 

4. Keith David

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One thing that stands out about Keith David other than his splendid acting skills is his rich deep voice. His famous roles were King in the movie Platoon and Childs in The Thing.  

As a classically trained actor, he has 3 Emmy Awards and 6 nominations.  He was also nominated for a Tony Award. 

His most recent role in a television series was Greenleaf, where he portrayed Bishop James Greenleaf. 

Keith has made several appearances in independent films like Requiem for a Dream. He is no doubt a household name who is also an exceptional singer. 

5. Idris Elba

Idrissa Elba was born on 6 September 1972 in Hackney, London. His father was from Sierra Leone and his mother came from Ghana. They had met and married in Sierra Leone before moving to London. 

Elba is known for his roles in The Wire, Luther and the biographical film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.

Idris’ first big break on television was in 1994 in Crimewatch Murder and later in a children’s drama The Boot Street Band. 

His first important role was in the TV series Bramwell, a medical drama set in late 19th century England.  

Other than acting, Idris is a musician and a DJ.  He is one of the 20 highest-grossing actors in Hollywood.

6. Viola Davis

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Viola Davis is the recipient of an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Tony Awards. She is the most recent actor and the first African-American to achieve the  Triple Crown of Acting.

Her roles in the movies Fences and King Hedley earned her two Tony Awards. 

Viola is a woman of firsts; she was the first African- American woman to win an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Annalise Keating in How to Get Away with Murder. 

She has received several awards for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role from her role in Ma Rainey Black Bottom (2020).  

7. Halle Berry

Halle Maria Berry has an American father and an English mother. Berry started as a model and was in several beauty contests.

In one pageant, she was the first runner-up in Miss USA and 6th in Miss World in 1986.

she became the first African American woman to win the Academy Award for best actress from her role in Monster’s Ball (2001).

Halle Berry is also featured in several other movies like Swordfish, Die Another Day, Gothika, Cloud Atlas, Kidnap, and the ‘-Men film franchise.

The HBO biopic of Dorothy Dandridge released in 1999 earned Berry a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy Award for Best Actress in a Television Movie for her role. 

8. Angela Bassett

Angela is an actress, director, producer, and activist.  Her roles in the movie scenes have always been a portrayal of strong African American leads.

She is the recipient of several prestigious accolades such as three Black Reel Awards, a Golden Globe Award, seven NAACP Image Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. Additionally, she has nominations for an Academy Award, and seven Primetime Emmy Awards.

 Basset was encouraged by her teacher to study acting by her teacher and so she went to Yale and graduated with a B.A. in Afro-American Studies and an M.F.A. in drama.

In her role as Tina in the Tina Turner biopic What’s Love Got to Do With It, Basset received an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe Award.

9. Whoopi Goldberg

Her birth name is Caryn Elaine Johnson but we all know her as Whoopi Goldberg. She is famous for her role in the movies Sister Act 1 and 2. 

A little back story to this name is that she earned it while on stage during her stand-up shows.

Goldberg started her career in the 1970s when she joined a theatre troupe in California. She also taught comedy and acting lessons one of her students is Courtney Love. 

As is deserving of her exceptional acting career, Whoopi has received several awards and nominations. She is one of 16 entertainers to win an Emmy Award, a Grammy Award, an Academy Award and a Tony Award.

She is currently the host of the show The View and has earned Daytime Emmy nominations and one win for Outstanding Talk Show Host.

10. Cicely Tyson

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Cicely Tyson was an American actress and model. Cicely had been in showbiz for more than 6 decades.

In all her roles, she portrayed a strong African-American woman who defied all odds and went for what she believed.

interestingly, her mother did not agree with her choice of being an actress. This caused a strain in their relationship and they did not speak to each other for two years. 

As one of the pioneers of black women in Hollywood, Cicely had a hard time finding work. She refused to take roles that stereotyped black women and was very selective on the roles that she picked. It was not just about money for her. 

In 1977, Cicely was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame.