30 Short Black Actors: Defying Norms with Exceptional Talent


 

The entertainment industry is incredibly diverse and talented, evidenced by this list of 30 outstanding short black actors. Along with shattering preconceptions, these people have improved theater, television, and film with outstanding performances. Each actor has carved out a distinctive path in a field that has not always been hospitable to various perspectives, from Kel Mitchell’s early days on Nickelodeon to Laverne Cox’s groundbreaking breakthrough as a transgender actress.

In addition, many of these performers have garnered praise from critics, triumphs, and nominations, such as Donald Glover’s Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy Awards or Chadwick Boseman’s iconic Black Panther performance. Beyond the screen, their contributions inspire both viewers and other actors.

These gifted people serve as examples of advancement and evolution in a constantly changing field, demonstrating that great ability knows no bounds and that diversity is a strength that enhances storytelling in various ways. As we delve into their stories and accomplishments, we celebrate the indomitable spirit and talent that have left an indelible mark on the world of performing arts. 

1. Kel Mitchell-5鈥5

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Kel Mitchell is a well-known American actor and comedian. Kel began his career at the age of 15 years alongside Kenan Thompson in the Nickelodeon comedy sketch. He was the original cast member of the Nickelodeon sketch comedy series known as All That from 1994-1999 and he often paired with Kenan Thompson.

Kel and Thompson both worked on other series such as Kenan & Kel from 1996 to 2000 and Good Burger in 1997. They also featured in an episode of Sister, Sister together with Tamera Mowry and Tia.

2. Tituss Burgess-5鈥4

Tituss Burgess was born on February 21, 1979, in Athens, Georgia, U.S. He is a popular American actor and singer. Tituss gained prominence after playing the role of Titus Andromedon in the comedy series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt in 2015-2020 and it earned him five Primetime Emmy Award nominations.

As a musician, Tituss appeared in several Broadway musicals and is best known for his high-tenor voice. Some of his film works include The Angry Birds Movie, Dolemite is My Name, Then Came You, The Slumber Party, I Hate Kids, Smurfs: The Lost Village and Are You Joking? Among others.

Read more about Tituss Burgess here.

3. Laverne Cox-5鈥2

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Laverne Cox is a black actor from America. He began his acting career in 2000 and is still active to date. He rose to prominence for his role on the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black as Sophia Burset and it earned her Primetime Emmy Award nominations becoming the first transgender to receive the nominations in the acting field.

In 2015, Laverne became the first trans woman to win a Daytime Emmy Award in Outstanding Special Class as an executive producer for Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word.

Some of her film work includes Betty Anderson, All Night, Grand Street, Freak Show, Promising Young Woman, and Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen among others.

4. Donald Glover-5鈥8

Donald Glover officially known as Donald McKinley Glover Jr. was born on September 25, 1983. He is also known as Childish Gambino his stage name. Donald is a black actor, comedian, rapper, director, and producer from the United States of America. He is currently 39 years old with a height of 5鈥8ft.

When Donald was still a student at New York University he worked for Derrick Comedy, an internet sketch comedy group from New York University. The actor was hired when he was 23 years old by Tina Fey as a writer for the NBC sitcom 30 Rock. He wrote for 30 Rock from 2006 to 2009.

Donald gained popularity for playing his role in the NBC sitcom Community in 2009-2014. The actor won several awards for his works such as two Golden Globe Awards, and two Primetime Emmy Awards.

5. Kenan Thompson-5鈥6

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Kenan Thompson is a black actor and comedian from the United States of America. Kenan has been a cast member of the comedy series Saturday Night Live since 2003 hence being the longest-tenured cast member in the show鈥檚 history.

He began his career in the early 1990s and was one of the cast members of Nickelodeon鈥檚 sketch comedy All That from 1994-2005 together with Kel Mitchell. Other of his works include The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle, Barbershop 2: Back in Business, Love Don’t Cost a Thing, D2: The Mighty Ducks, and Fat Albert among others.

6. Tisha Campbell-5鈥2

Tisha Campbell is one of the black actors from America. Tisha is 5鈥2 ft tall and ages 54 years old. When she was six years old, Tisha made her first television appearance on PBS show The Big Blue Marble in 1974. When she was still a child, Tisha won many talent shows.

Tisha has done a good job in the acting industry and has been featured in many notable films such as Another 48 Hrs, Sprung, School Daze, Boomerang, and Rooftops.

7. Tracy Morgan-5鈥4

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Tracy Morgan is a popular American actor and comedian. He is best known for his television and film work. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, U.S. From 1996 -2003, Tracy was a cast member of the television series Saturday Night Live.

Tracy was also a cast member of the television series 30 Rocks from 2006-2013 playing the role of Tracy Jordan, his work was received well by the audience, and was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series during the 2009 Emmy Awards.

Find more about Tracy Morgan.

8. Martin Lawrence-5鈥7

Martin Lawrence is an American comedian and actor. He has a height of 5鈥7 ft and is 58 years old as of 2023. He began his acting career in 1987 and he is still active to date. In the 1990s, Martin rose to fame and became one of the leading actors in Hollywood.

He was a leading actor in several television sitcoms including, Open Season, Wild Hogs, Big Momma鈥檚, A Thin Line Between Love and Hate, Blue Streak, Open Season, and Nothing to Lose among others.

9. Eddie Murphy-5鈥7

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Eddie Murphy is a black actor with a height of 5鈥7. He was born in New York City, U.S. on April 3, 1961. He began his acting career in 1976 but rose to after appearing in a comedy show Saturday Night Live from 1980 to 1984.

He has been doing amazing work in the entertainment field and has received several critical claims such as Golden Globe Ceci B. DeMille, Grammy Award, and Emmy Award among others.

10. Jharrel Jerome-5鈥7

Jharrel Jerome is an American actor born on October 9, 1997. He has a height of 5鈥7. Jerome is one of the youngest actors in the field with only 25 years as of 2023.

Despite being young, Jerome has been featured in many successful films. Jerome is well-known for his roles in Moonlight in 2016 and When They See Us in 2019. These two films were well-received by the audience and gained him fame. He was awarded the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series and the Critics鈥 Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Movie.

12. Shameik Moore-5鈥6

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Shameik Moore is a well-known black actor from the United States of America. Apart from acting, he is also a singer and a rapper. Shameik is a voice actor as well and is best known for voice acting in the animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

Shameik had his first main television role in 2013 on a sketch comedy series Incredible Crew it aired on Cartoon Network but it was canceled after one season. He later appeared in a Dope film in 2015, which made him popular.

Read more about Shameik Moore.

13. Caleb McLaughlin-5鈥7

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Caleb McLaughlin also known as Caleb Reginald McLaughlin was born in Carmel, New York, U.S. on October 13, 2001. He is one of the youngest black actors in the entertainment industry, 21 years old as of 2023.

He rose to fame for his role in the Stranger Things series as Lucas Sinclair which was aired in 2016 and is still ongoing to date. He started his career by playing in The Lion King and other small television roles. When he gained a breakthrough after playing in Stranger Things, Caleb secured several chances in films such as Concrete Cowboy in 2020 and High Flying Bird in 2019 among others.

14. Miles Brown-5鈥6

Miles Brown is a black actor and dancer born in 2004 in Oxnard, California. He has been in the acting industry since 2010 and is still active to date. He is best known for playing as Jack Johnson in the Black-ish series together with Anthony Anderson, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Yara Shahidi. Miles is only 18 years old had has done a lot of notable work in the entertainment industry.

15. LilRel Howery-5鈥6

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LilRel Howery also known as Milton 鈥淟il Rel鈥 Howery Jr is a black American comedian and actor. He has a height of 5鈥6 ft and an age of 43 years. Howery has been in the acting industry for 2 decades.

He gained fame after playing in the television series The Carmichael Show in 2015-2017 and the Get Out film in 2018-2019 among others. Other of his works include The Angry Birds Movie 2, Judas and the Black Messiah, Brittany Runs a Marathon, National Champions, Space Jam: A New Legacy, and Spin Me Round among others.

16. RJ Walker-5鈥8

RJ Walker is 5鈥8 ft tall. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia and he pursued theater. After he completed his studies, Walker moved to Los Angeles to pursue his acting career.

He is a talented actor who can play a wide range of characters, including comedic and dramatic as well. Some of his notable works include The Rookie, The Good Doctor, The ate U Give, and The Photograph.

17. Sterling K. Brown Jr-5鈥6

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Sterling K. Brown Jr. is a black American actor. He was born on April 5, 1976, in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. He has been doing great work in the acting industry and has received several awards such as Primetime Emmy Awards, and Golden Globe Awards. In 2018, he was listed among the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine.

He has a height of 5鈥6 with a dark complexion skin. He secured supporting roles in the films such as Black Panther, and Waves. He also starred in a comedy series in 2019 The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

Some of his other works include Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, The Angry Birds Movie 2, Black Panther, Our Idiot Brother, Hotel Artemis, Trust the Man, and Waves among others.

Look more about Sterling K. Brown here.

18. Marlon Wayans

Marlon Wayans is a member of the Wayans family, an American show business family. He joined the acting industry in 1992. Marlon is best known for his work with his bro Shawn Wayans. They both featured in several films such as Wayans Bros, Scary Movie, Don鈥檛 Be a Menace, White Chicks, Dance Flick, and Little Man.

The actor was born in New York City, U.S. He came from a family of actors, his brothers, including Shawn Keenen Ivory, Damon, and sister Kimberly Nichole Wayans were all actors.

19. Aml Ameen-5鈥6

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Aml Ameen you can as well call him Aml Eysan Ameen is a black British actor and filmmaker. He is one of the most famous and successful black actors we have in the industry. Ameen is best known for his roles in films such as Kidulthood, The Bill, Sense8, The Maze Runner, and Lewis Hardy among others.

He had a height of 5鈥6 and an age of 38 years old. Ameen secured his first main role in the 2002 ITV police television series The Bill. Other of his films include Second Chance, Beyond the Lights, Inside Man: Most Wanted, Charming the Hearts of Men, Till Death, and The Naked Poet.

20. Anthony Mackie -5鈥8

Anthony Mackie is an American actor born on September 23, 1978, in New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. He began his acting career in 2002 and is still active to date.

Anthony did notable work in acting and was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the LGBT drama known as Brother to Brother and The Hurt Locker film.

Apart from film, he has also performed in Broadway and Off-Broadway adaptations such as A Soldier鈥檚 Play, Drowning Crow, Ma Rainey鈥檚 Black Bottom, and McReele among others.

21. Ashton Sanders-5鈥7

Ashton Sanders is an American actor with a height of 5鈥7 ft. He attended The Theatre School at DePaul University to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts. He left in 2016, to focus on his acting career.

Ashton gained fame after playing his role in the Moonlight film in 2016. The film received several awards such as Golden Globe Award for Best Picture-Drama, three Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor for Mahershala Ali, and Best Adapted Screenplay.

22. Brandon T. Jackson-5鈥6

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Brandon T. Jackson is among the short black talented actors in the industry. He was born on March 7, 1984, in Detroit, Michigan, U.S. He is best known for his roles in films such as Roll Bounce, Lottery Ticket, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, Like Son, and Deadbeat.

After Brandon completed his studies at West Bloomfield High School, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue stand-up comedy and started at the Laugh Factory. His role in the Roll Bounce film acted as his breakthrough and won him the 2006 Black Reel Award for his performance.

23. Chadwick Boseman-5鈥8

Chadwick Boseman was an American actor who was known for his work in television and film. He was in the acting industry for two decades and he received several awards and nominations such as a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, a Critics鈥 Choice Movie Award, and an Academy Award nomination.

Boseman gained worldwide fame after playing the Marvel Comics superhero Black Panther from 2016 to 2019. In 2018, he was listed as one of 100 Influential People by Time Magazine.

Some of his notable work includes The Express: The Ernie Davis Story, Captain America: Civil War, Message from the King, The Kill Hole, Gods of Egypt, and 21 Bridges among others.

Here is more to read about Chadwick Boseman.

24. Chris Tucker-5鈥5

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Chris Tucker is a well-known actor and stand-up comedian from the United States of America. In 1992, Chris made his debut as a stand-up performer on the comedy series Def Comedy Jam. He later appeared in other comedy films such as Friday and Money Talks.

In the 2000s, Chris gained worldwide recognition after playing his role in the Rush Hour Series as Detective James Carter. He has been in the acting industry for more than three decades and still pushing.

25. Craig Robinson-5鈥7

Craig Robinson a popular actor and comedian in the United States of America has a height of 5鈥7 fts. He is 51 years old as of 2023 and has been in the acting career since 2001.

His role as Darryl Philbin on The Office from 2005-2013 made Craig gain fame globally. Other successful films and television, Craig has been featured in include Dolemite Is My Name, An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn, Hot Tub Time Machine, and Get on Up.

26. David Oyelowo-5鈥7

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David Oyelowo is a British director, producer, and actor. He was born in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England to Nigerian parents. He began his stage career in 1999. He has appeared in many films such as Selma which was his breakthrough film and made him rise to prominence, Nightingale, The Butler, Queen of Katwe, A United Kingdom, and Seretse among others.

He has won much critical acclaim for his amazing work in acting such as two Primetime Emmy Awards, BAFTA Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and two Golden Globe Awards among others.

27. Forest Whitaker

Forest Whitaker is a black talented actor, producer, and director from America. He made his film debut in 1982 in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. He later starred in several notable films, including Good Morning, Bird, The Crying Game, The Great Debaters, The Butler, Phenomena, and Arrival among other things.

His work in acting is notable and has received many awards and nominations for appreciation such as the British Academy Film Award, Golden Globe Award, Academy Award, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards among others.

Find more about Forest Whitaker.

28. Jamie Foxx-5鈥7

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Jamie Foxx is a talented black actor with a height of 5鈥7. He was born on December 13, 1967, in Terrell, Texas, U.S. Jamie Foxx is also known as Eric Marlon Bishop.

He started acting in 1989 but gained his first breakthrough after playing his role In Living Color, a sketch comedy show. Other film roles that made him prominent are in Dreamgirls, Miami Vice, Jarhead, Booty Call, Baby Driver, Soul, and Horrible Bosses.

29. John Boyega-5鈥7

John Adedayo Bamidele Adegboyega is popularly known as John Boyega. He is a British actor and producer currently 31 years old. John has a height of 5鈥7 and is still active in the acting industry. He gained fame in Britain after playing his role in Attack the Block in 2011. He later played in his breakthrough films which made him famous globally including The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker.

The actor received many awards and recognition throughout his career such as the British Academy Film Award, British Independent Film Award, Black Reel Award, MTV Movie Award, and Empire Award among others.

30. Jordan Peele-5鈥8

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Jordan Peele is an American actor, filmmaker, and comedian. He was born on February 21, 1979. Jordan joined the acting industry in 2002 and still pushing on, he is best known for his television and film work.

His breakthrough role was in the sketch comedy series Mad TV, where he played his role for five seasons before he left the show in 2008.

He has received several awards and nominations for his acting works such as four Academy Awards nominations, two British Academy Film Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and one Primetime Emmy Award among others.

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