The Greatest Black Actors In Film History
From any era and genre, these are the greatest Black actors in film history, ranked by the community to determine who is the best of all time. These Black actors are the top in the business, and many are also among the best living actors today. From those who have portrayed classic Black characters in film, to award-winning actors, only the most deserving actors are on this list.
Who are the greatest Black actors in film? How about the most famous Black actors? From Oscar winners like Denzel Washington, classic African American actors like Sidney Poitier, and newer names such as English actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, each of the Black actors on this list has earned his place with an excellent body of work and memorable performances. Some Black comedians and rappers are also on this list, having found success in the world of film as well.
The actors that are featured on this list include some of the best actors of all time, including Morgan Freeman, Don Cheadle, Samuel L. Jackson, Ossie Davis, Forest Whitaker, Danny Glover, and Eddie Murphy.Â
Scroll the list below, and vote up the Black actors that you think are best!
- 1USA, New York, Mount Vernon
- Credits (Film): Antwone Fisher, Book of Eli, American Gangster
Won for Best Actor Oscar for Glory (1990) and Training Day (2002)
Won for Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe for Glory (1990) and Best Actor Golden Globe for The Hurricane (2000)
Winner of the Cecil B. DeMille Award (2016) - 2Tennessee, USA, Memphis
- Credits (Film): Shawshank Redemption, Driving Miss Daisy, Million Dollar Baby
Won for Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Million Dollar Baby (2005)
Won for Best Actor Golden Globe for Driving Miss Daisy (1990)
Winner of the Cecil B. DeMille Award (2012) - 3Washington, D.C., USA
- Credits (Film): Pulp Fiction, The Avengers, Django Unchained
Nominated for Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Pulp Fiction (1995)
Nominated for Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe for Pulp Fiction (1995) and A Time to Kill (1997), and Best Actor Golden Globe for Jackie Brown (1998) - 4
Chadwick Boseman
Anderson, South Carolina, United States of America- Credits (Film): 42, Black Panther, Da 5 Bloods
Nominated for Best Actor Oscar for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2021)
Won for Best Actor Golden Globe for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2021) - 5Miami, Florida, United States of America
- Credits (Film): Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, In the Heat of the Night, Fast Forward
Won for Best Actor Oscar for Lilies of the Field (1964)
Won for Best Actor Golden Globe for Lilies of the Field (1964)
Winner of the Henrietta Award for World Film Favorite (1969) and the Cecil B. DeMille Award (1982) - 6London Borough of Hackney, London, United Kingdom
- Credits (Film): Thor, Thor: The Dark World, Prometheus, Pacific Rim, American Gangster
Nominated for Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe for Beasts of No Nation (2016) and Best Actor Golden Globe for Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2014)
