24 of the Most Famous Black Actresses

Media

Matt Winkelmeyer / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

Published: March 28, 2024 3:00 pm

In recent decades, African-American actresses have ruled, breaking out of stereotypical roles, acting as cultural icons of music, dance, and fashion, and becoming household names worldwide. Of course, with so many women of talent, power, and beauty to choose from, it’s impossible to rank them in any comparative order. We’ve created an alphabetical list from online news and entertainment sources of some of the most well-known black actresses of the 21st century. Who is your favorite?

1. Tyra Banks

Tyra Banks parlayed her success as a model into a television and movie career.

Best known as the producer and face of America’s Next Top Model (2003-2018), 51-year-old actress and model Tyra Banks also had roles in Coyote Ugly (2000), Tropic Thunder (2008), and Halloween: Resurrection (2002). From 2005-2011, she hosted a celebrity talk show, The Tyra Banks Show.

2. Angela Bassett

Angela Bassett is a triple threat: beautiful, smart, and talented!

Elegant and regal at 66, Angela Bassett has brains and beauty. She graduated from Yale with degrees in African-American Studies and Fine Arts. After a series of small TV roles, she hit the big screen playing Tina Turner in What’s Love Got to Do With It? (1993). This role got her an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe for Best Actress. Some of her other roles were in Waiting to Exhale (1995), Supernova (2000), The Score (2001), and 9-1-1 (2018).

3. Halle Berry

Halle Berry accepts the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in “Monster’s Ball” in 2002.

Halle Berry is one of the most accomplished black actresses in Hollywood, but also one of the most gracious. Panned for her role in Catwoman (2004), she received a dreaded Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress. However, she good-naturedly decided to attend the event and accept her “award” in person, commenting in her acceptance speech, “I hope never to see any of you again!” Some of her more appreciated roles were in X-Men (2000), Swordfish (2001), Monster’s Ball (2001), Gothica (2003), and Perfect Stranger (2007).

4. Beyoncé

Beyoncé Knowles performing at the 2006 American Music Awards.

Believe it or not, as a child, Beyoncé Knowles was a tomboy who hated wearing dresses. Watching her perform in all her sequinned, stiletto-heeled glory today, it’s hard to imagine “Queen B” as anything but a sexy, accomplished, and powerful woman. She shot to fame with Destiny’s Child, a 1990s girl band that sold over 60 million records and won 14 Grammy nominations. Her movie roles have included Dreamgirls (2006), Obsessed (2009), Black is King (2020), and Life is But a Dream (2013)

5. Mary J. Blige

Mary J. Blige performs at the BET Experience STAPLES Center Concert on June 20, 2019.

Singer, songwriter, and actress Mary J. Blige has been called the “Queen of Hip-Hop Soul.” Among her numerous awards and distinctions, she is the only artist to win Grammy awards in the R&B, hip-hop, pop, and gospel categories. She is equally gifted as a television and film star with numerous credits to her name. Some of her recent film roles were Mudbound (2017), Body Cam (2020), The Violent Heart (2020), Respect (2021), and Rob Peace (2024).

6. Lisa Bonet

Lisa Bonet and Jason Momoa attending an event in 2014. The couple divorced in 2024.

Famous for her television role as Denise Huxtable in The Cosby Show (1984-91), Lisa Bonet built an award-winning film career with roles in films such as Angel Heart (1987). Enemy of the State (1998), High Fidelity (2000), Biker Boyz (2003), and Road to Paloma (2013). Bonet has also made the news with previous high-profile marriages to marriages to rock star Lenny Kravitz and actor Jason Momoa.

7. Naomi Campbell

Naomi Campbell at the Venice Film Festival in 2016.

Model and actress Naomi Campbell has appeared in numerous television shows and movies, often as herself. Her t.v. appearances have included The Cosby Show (1988), The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990), Ugly Betty (2008), American Horror Story: Hotel (2015), and RuPaul’s Drag Race (2022). Some of her film roles were in Cool as Ice (1991), Trippin’ (1999), I Feel Pretty (2018), and Black is King (2020).

8. Ciara

Ciara attends the Black Girls Rock! 2018 Red Carpet at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.

Inspired in childhood by seeing Destiny’s Child perform on television, 39-year-old Ciara became a Grammy award winner in her own right, selling some 18 million albums worldwide. As an actress, Ciara was nominated for a SAG award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture for The Color Purple (2023). She has also starred in That’s My Boy (2012), Mama I Want to Sing! (2012), and All You’ve Got (2006).

9. Viola Davis

Viola Davis attends “Widows” at a New York Special Screening at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in 2018.

Viola Davis is a gifted actress and a film producer. She has played powerful roles in celebrated recent movies, including Antwone Fisher (2002), Disturbia (2007), The Help (2011), Fences (2016), Widows (2018), and The Woman King (2022).

10. Vivica A. Fox

Actress Vivica A. Fox performing in a scene in “Juwanna Mann.”

Vivica A. Fox became well-known for soap opera roles in Days of Our Lives (1988), Generations (1989-91), and The Young and the Restless (1994-1995). Today, her acting credits include over 250 films and television programs. Some of her more notable roles were in Independence Day (1996), Two Can Play That Game (2001), Juwanna Mann (2002), and Kill Bill: Vol. 1-2 (2003-4). In 2023, she also received an NAACP Image Award nomination for directing the film First Lady of BMF: The Tonesa Welch Story.

11. Whoopi Goldberg

Whoopi Goldberg attends the Tribeca Film Festival 2013.

Award-winning comedian, actor, author, and social activist Whoopi Goldberg is the first black woman to have won all four of the major American entertainment awards: an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony. Her signature voice and style made her stand out unforgettably in culturally impactful films like The Color Purple (1985), Ghost (1990), and Sister Act (1992). Now, as one of the anchors of the talk show The View (1997-present), she has found an influential platform for her progressive social views.

12. Taraji P. Henson

Taraji P. Henson 2022 | BET Awards 2022 - Red Carpet — Host Taraji P. Henson attends the 2022 BET Awards.

Taraji P. Henson has had an extensive career in television and film. Some of her notable roles were in Hustle & Flow (2005), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), I Can Do Bad All By Myself (2009), Hidden Figures (2016), Acrimony (2018), and the 2023 remake of The Color Purple.

13. Jennifer Hudson

Jennifer Hudson attends the 91st Annual Academy Awards in 2019.

Jennifer Hudson started as a finalist in American Idol(2004). Though she placed seventh, her extraordinary vocal talent landed her a contract with Arista Records to produce an album that reached number two on the Billboard 200 and won a Grammy. Hudson was the second African-American woman to receive all four major American entertainment awards: a Tony, Grammy, Emmy, and Oscar. Her growing filmography includes roles in Dreamgirls (2006), Winnie Mandela (2011), Monster (2018), Cats (2019), Respect (2021), and Breathe (2024).

14. Queen Latifah

Queen Latifah first became famous with her debut album, “All Hail the Queen.”

Called the “Queen of Rap” and the “Queen of Hip Hop,” Queen Latifah has had a broad impact on numerous R&B, soul, and hip-hop artists. Vogue magazine has celebrated her as one of the pioneers of the inclusivity and positive body image movement. Her leadership in this area continues as a Covergirl spokesmodel. She hosted The Queen Latifah Show from 1999-2001. Some of her celebrated film roles were in Chicago (2002), Bringing Down the House (2003), Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004), Hairspray (2007), Hustle (2022), and as the voice of Ellie in the Ice Age franchise.

15. Keke Palmer

Disney And Pixar's "Lightyear" Los Angeles Premiere — Keke Palmer attends Disney And Pixar’s “Lightyear” premiere at El Capitan Theatre, 2022.

Actress, singer, podcaster, and television host Keke Palmer debuted in film in Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004), but critics say her real breakthrough was in 2006 in Akeelah and the Bee. Some of her adult roles were in Scream (2019), Animal (2014), Pimp (2018), Hustlers (2019) and Nope (2022).

16. Phylicia Rashad

Actress Phylicia Rashad at the New York premiere of “Belief” in 2015.

Phylicia Rashad is best known for her role as Clair Huxtable on The Cosby Show (1984-1992). Her character was universally popular for her ability to handle with grace the vicissitudes of raising five children while maintaining a successful law career. At the 2010 NAACP Image Awards, she was acclaimed as “The Mother of the Black Community.” Some of her movie roles were in The Wiz (1983), Frankie & Alice (2010), Creed (2015), and The Beekeeper (2024).

17. Rihanna

Rihanna performs for the 2016 MusiCares Person of the Year event honoring Lionel Richie.

Barbados-born Rihanna is one of the most prominent musicians and songwriters of the 21st century. She is also a formidable businesswoman, achieving success through her fragrance line and joint venture in a music streaming service with other artists. Her film roles include Battleship (2012), This is the End (2013), Spy (2015), Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017), and Ocean’s 8 (2018)

18. Willow Smith

Willow Smith attends the Christian Dior Haute Couture Spring Summer 2018 show as part of Paris Fashion Week, 2018.

Willow Smith is the hauntingly beautiful voice behind hit songs like “Meet Me At Our Spot.” She’s also made forays into film and voice acting with I Am Legend (2007), Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008), and The Lorax (2012). It’s certain we haven’t heard the last of her talent.

19. Octavia Spencer

Actress Octavia Spencer arrives at the 2012 Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala.

Octavia Spencer is one of the most recognizable and diverse stars of the past two decades. Among her film credits are Spider-Man (2002), The Help (2011), Hidden Figures (2016), The Shack (2017), The Shape of Water (2017), and Green Book (2018). She made forays into horror with Ma (2019) and comedy in Thunder Force (2021).

20. Vanessa Williams

Vanessa Williams performs onstage during the 2016 Miss America Competition.

Vanessa Williams had the honor of becoming the first African-American to receive the Miss America Title in 1983. She has become an accomplished actress with films including Candyman (1992), The Courage to Love (2000), Tyler Perry’s Temptation (2013), The Trip to Bountiful (2014), Miss Virginia (2019), Bad Hair (2020), and Mid-Century (2022).

21. Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey speaks during Oprah’s 2020 Vision: Your Life in Focus Tour.

Oprah needs no introduction. She hit international stardom with her hit talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986-2011), managing somehow to make millions of strangers feel like her best friends. She launched her own magazine, film company, and cable network, amassing an estimated fortune of $2.8 billion. Along the way, she found time to act in movies such as The Color Purple (1985), Beloved (1998), Selma (2014), and A Wrinkle in Time (2018), as well as landing an exclusive interview with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex broadcast as Oprah with Meghan and Harry (2021).

22. Alfre Woodard

Alfre Woodard attends the “Lemony Snicket’s A Series Of Unfortunate Events” screening on January 11, 2017.

Alfre Woodard has played strong and determined roles in a large number of films, including The Piano Lesson (1995), Star Trek: First Contact (1996), The Core (2003), The Family That Preys (2008), Steel Magnolias (2012), 12 Years a Slave (2013), The Conjuring (2013), and Juanita (2019).

23. Letitia Wright

Letitia Wright played the memorable role of Shuri, the leading scientist of Wakanda, in two Black Panther movies.

Born in 1993, Guyanese-British actress Letitia Wright has emerged as a familiar face in recent box-office smashes. She has played stereotype-shattering roles in Black Panther (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022), Aisha (2022), and Death on the Nile (2022).

24. Zendaya

Zendaya attending an event at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2017.

One of a new generation of successful African-American actresses in Hollywood, Zendaya has appeared in some of the most popular films of the past decade, including Dune (2021), Dune: Part Two (2024), Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), The Greatest Showman (2017), and Lemonade (2016).

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