Black Actors I (might) want to work with
Young Black Actors/Actresses in the 25ish-35ish Age Range whom I'd like to direct in both a leading capacity and/or a supporting capacity. I didn't just toss any and every black actor I know of in here: these people have either demonstrated obvious range or I'm curious to learn more...
No musician/actors on this list. I'm talking people with serious potential...in no particular order.
No musician/actors on this list. I'm talking people with serious potential...in no particular order.
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Nate Parker was born on 18 November 1979 in Norfolk, Virginia, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for The Birth of a Nation (2016), Arbitrage (2012) and Non-Stop (2014). He has been married to Sarah DiSanto since 2007. They have four children.- Actress
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Zoe Saldana was born on June 19, 1978 in Passaic, New Jersey, to Asalia Nazario and Aridio Saldaña. Her father was Dominican and her mother is Puerto Rican. She was raised in Queens, New York. When she was 10 years old, she and her family moved to the Dominican Republic, where they would live for the next seven years. While living there, Zoe discovered a keen interest in performance dance and began her training at the prestigious ECOS Espacio de Danza Dance Academy where she learned ballet as well as other dance forms. Not only did her training provide an excellent outlet for the enthusiastic and energetic youngster, it would also prove to be a fortunate precursor for the start of her professional acting career. At age 17, Zoe and her family moved back to the United States where her love for dance followed and an interest in theater performance became stronger.
She began performing with the Faces theater troupe which put on plays geared to provide positive messages for teens with themes dealing with issues such as substance abuse and sex. These performances not only gave her valuable experience but also a source of great pride knowing that she was making a difference in the lives of young people like herself. While performing with the Faces troupe and also the New York Youth Theater, Zoe was recruited for a talent agency and her dance training years before coupled with her acting experience greatly helped her land her first big screen role as Eva Rodriguez, the talented and headstrong ballet dancer in the film Center Stage (2000). Since her professional career began several years ago, Zoe's talent and determination have allowed her to be involved in blockbuster films and act with major actors, actresses and industry insiders at a pace that very few young professionals have experienced.
Zoe has not only held her own in major motion picture productions but gained the respect and praise from industry insiders such as Jerry Bruckheimer and Steven Spielberg and actors/actresses such as Tom Hanks, Bernie Mac, Keira Knightley, Ashton Kutcher, Kirsten Dunst and Orlando Bloom. According to many of her co-stars, producers and directors, the sky is no limit for this young star who has incredible range, intense concentration, and a steely determination to be involved with projects that challenge her professionally with wide-ranging subject matters and characters. Just to ask practically anyone who she has worked for or with about her, glowing comments abound and earned friendships and respect are readily revealed. A star has been born, and growing every day.duh.- Actress
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Zawe Ashton is an actor, writer and director.
Her role as Vod in Channel 4's "Fresh Meat" won her a cult following, and the diversity of her work across television, film, and stage has attracted numerous accolades and awards.
Most recently, Zawe starred on Broadway in the critically acclaimed revival of Harold Pinter's BETRAYAL directed by Jamie Lloyd, opposite Tom Hiddleston and Charlie Cox. Ben Brantley of The New York Times wrote that Zawe is "a breakout star... her deeply sensitive performance elicits a feminist subtext in Betrayal." She also received a WhatsOnStage nomination for the West End run of the show.
Zawe's recent film and TV credits include the Netflix feature film Velvet Buzzsaw, in which she starred alongside Jake Gyllenhaal, Toni Colette, and Rene Russo. She is seen teaming up with Toni Colette again in the BBC/Netflix TV series Wanderlust. She will appear as a new character Oona in the fourth series of the critically acclaimed Handmaid's Tale. She was nominated for two British Comedy Awards for her break out role as Vod in 'Fresh Meat', the show was nominated for a BAFTA in 2014. Her heartbreaking portrayal of Joyce Vincent in Carol Morley's 'Dreams of a Life' earned her a Best Newcomer nomination at the British Independent Film Awards in 2012.
In addition to being an accomplished actress, Zawe has also established herself as an award-winning writer, producer and director. As a playwright, her second play FOR ALL THE WOMEN WHO THOUGHT THEY WERE... MAD was produced in London at the Hackney Showroom and at Soho Rep in New York, simultaneously in 2019. Her writing career began when she became the youngest winner of the London Poetry Slam Championship in 2000. Her debut play Harm's Way was nominated for a Verity Bargate Award in 2007. Zawe's directorial debut Happy Toys was nominated for Best British Short at the Raindance Film Festival in 2014.
As an author, Zawe's novel, CHARACTER BREAKDOWN, was published by Penguin / Random House in 2019. The Times called it "'Smart, funny, vivid, honest, dark, timely'".- Actor
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Michael B. Jordan, the middle of three children, was born in Santa Ana, California and raised in Newark, New Jersey. He is the son of Donna (Davis), a high school counselor, and Michael A. Jordan. His middle name, Bakari, means "noble promise" in Swahili. (He is not related to, or named after, basketball legend Michael Jordan.)
Jordan has starred in three of the most critically acclaimed television dramas of the past decade. First, Jordan played the hard-shelled but softhearted Wallace in HBO's dramatic hit series The Wire (2002). He then went on to star as quarterback Vince Howard on Friday Night Lights (2006) (NBC), before playing a recovering alcoholic, Alex, on NBC's Parenthood (2010).
Jordan successfully took on his first major leading film role when he starred as Oscar Grant in Fruitvale Station (2013). The film is an account of Oscar's controversial slaying by police officers on a San Francisco train platform. The cast includes Octavia Spencer and Melonie Diaz, and was produced by Forest Whitaker (Significant Films). It premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival where it received the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award for U.S. Dramatic Film. It also screened at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard category. The has garnered many awards including Best First Feature at the 2014 Independent Spirit Awards, Outstanding Independent Motion Picture at the 2014 NAACP Image Awards and the 2014 Stanley Kramer Award from the Producer's Guild of America. The 2013 New York Film Critics Circle honored it with Best First Film and the picture was also chosen as one of the Top Ten Films at the 2013 National Board of Review Awards, where Jordan took home the award for Breakthrough Actor. Jordan also won the 2013 Gotham Award for Breakthrough Actor and was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Lead Actor.
In 2015, Jordan starred in Josh Trank's Fantastic Four (2015), playing the role of 'Johnny Storm' aka 'The Human Torch', opposite Miles Teller, Jamie Bell, and Kate Mara for 20th Century Fox. The film was released on August 7th 2015. Jordan previously starred in 20th Century Fox's box office hit Chronicle (2012) (which was also directed by Trank), a supernatural thriller that follows three Portland teens (MBJ, Dane Dehaan, and Alex Russell) as they develop incredible powers after exposure to a mysterious substance; That Awkward Moment (2015) opposite Zac Efron and Miles Teller for Focus Films; and the George Lucas produced film Red Tails (2012), the story of the first African American pilots to fly in a combat squadron during WWII aka The Tuskegee Airmen.
Jordan reunited with Ryan Coogler for Creed (2015), starring alongside Sylvester Stallone and Tessa Thompson. The film was released on Thanksgiving 2015 by MGM and Warner Brothers. A devoted fan of comic books growing up, Jordan starred as the villain, Eric Killmonger, in the 2018 box office smash Black Panther (2018). In 2018, he is also starring as Guy Montag in the HBO adaptation of Ray Bradbury's science fiction classic Fahrenheit 451 (2018).
He resides in Los Angeles, where he supports the charity Lupus LA.- Actress
- Producer
In film, television, and theater, DeWanda Wise has established herself as one of the industry's most consistently critically acclaimed artists.
Of her work as Kayla Watts in Jurassic World Dominion, she's been nearly universally considered a standout of the sixth installment with critics noting her magnetism, swagger, wit, and charisma. Entertainment Weekly notes,
"Dominion's most memorable star might be its newest: DeWanda Wise, who joins the series as high- flying pilot Kayla Watts...Playing a daring pilot, (she) is basically starring in a one- woman Raiders of the Lost Ark in her head. Let's get that concept to the sequel writers stat."
In Sony's Fatherhood directed by Paul Weitz, Wise plays Lizzie Swan. Her performance was similarly singled out for her depth of characterization, charm, and grace. While Variety noted that Swan was, "Saucy, gorgeous, so-supportive-she's-saintly," The Wrap observed how
"Lizzie Swan is the kind of ideal romantic partner that might seem eye-rollingly implausible were it not for the efforts of actor DeWanda Wise who makes Swan's healthy outlook and emotional patience seem like hard-earned positive qualities of a healthy, real human being."
As Erin Kennedy in Jennifer Kaytin Robinson's subversive rom com, "Someone Great," Variety declared,
"It's Wise who's this film's MVP, wittily delivering many hilarious, quotable one-liners with effervescence and charm."
Largely considered her breakout role, In the Netflix adaption of "She's Gotta Have It," created by Spike Lee, Wise appears as the iconic Nola Darling. Following its season one release, the series acquired great critical acclaim, and as a result, won an African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) award as one of the "Top 10 Television Shows." The Hollywood Reporter calls Wise's work "superb," while Deadline exclaimed, "With a star revealing herself before us, Underground alum Wise hits nothing but high notes." Other critics describe her performance as "fiery," "complex," "brilliant," and "moving."
Other acclaimed television work includes CBS All Access "The Twilight Zone," FOX's drama "Shots Fired," and WGN's hit historical drama "Underground."
Additional film credits include the 2016 Sundance romantic-comedy hit, "How to Tell You're a Douchebag," by Tahir Jetter. A film in which Wise both starred in and executive produced..
In 2016, Wise expanded her talents into screenwriting and wrote the short film entitled, "Where You Go," which premiered at Cannes in the "Short Film Corner."
Stage credits include Atlantic Theater Company's "Fireflies," by Donja R. Love, a performance universally acclaimed. Sara Holdren at Vulture states:
"Wise's smoldering, taut-as-a-bowstring Olivia is almost part animal. It's an electrically charged performance, the kind that you imagine an actor passing out after. Wise has extraordinary bright hazel eyes, cat-like in their intensity: They're the eyes of a domestic creature that should have been wild, a creature that's never at rest, whose small body contains a whole history of life before walls, before cages, before dependence."
Previous stage credits include a host of theater roles, notably originating the role of 'Nina' in acclaimed playwright Dominique Morisseau's "Sunset Baby." Ben Brantley of The New York Times stated,
"...it's the woman who's the toughest of them all. Ms. Wise, a beauty, makes us see and feel just how ugly Nina is...she also insists we understand why."
The Village Voice called her Nina, "commanding and severe," while The New Yorker described her performance as "Brutal and riveting."
Other praised performances include her work as Susan in the west coast premiere of David Mamet's "Race" with Center Theater Group, Mercy in "Flight," at City Theatre, and Abigail, a Zimbabwean wife grappling with an HIV diagnosis, in Danai Gurira's heartbreaking "In the Continuum" at Playmakers, Chapel Hill.
DeWanda Wise graduated from New York University with honors as a double major in Drama and Urban Social and Cultural Analysis with a minor in Community-based Theater and Performance. She is a Tisch Scholar Award recipient, the Atlantic Achievement in Studio Award recipient, and the BFA Representative of her graduating class of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts.- Actress
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Born in Yaoundé, Cameroon, Ellie's work often explores pressing social-political issues within the African diaspora, aiming to shine a light on marginalized populations whose voices are seldom heard or included. Drawing from her experience as an actress, she crafts flawed complex characters who challenge stereotypes. Ellie was named one of 25 New Faces of Independent Film by Filmmaker Magazine and is a BAFTA Breakthrough USA Fellow. She holds an MFA in Directing from Columbia University's School of the Arts.- Actress
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Aïssa Maïga is a Senegalsese actress working in France. She was born in Dakar, Senegal, in 1975 to a Senegalese-Gambian mother and Malian father, an acclaimed journalist. She moved with her family to France when she was 4. She discovered her vocation as an actress in middle school, and won various professional roles while studying theater in high school. Her big screen début was in Saraka bô (1997), directed by Denis Amar.
Since then, Aïssa has worked with a number of internationally renowned directors, including Michel Gondry (in Mood Indigo (2013), Abderrahmane Sissako (in Bamako (The Court) (2006)), and Michael Haneke (in Code Unknown (2000) and Caché (2005)). Throughout, Aïssa has continued to perform onstage in celebrated plays such as "Brooklyn Boy" (2004), "Les Grandes Personnes" (2011), and the French production of David Lindsay-Abaire's "Good People" (2015).
Aïssa is at ease in a wide range of film roles, from African to young parishioner, aided by her fluency in multiple languages. She has won or been nominated for a number of prestigious prizes, including a Best Newcomer César (French Oscar) nomination in 2007 for Bamako (The Court) (2006) and the Best Actress Prize in 2009 at the Bastia Film Festival for Bianco e nero (2008) by Italian director Cristina Comencini. She also won the Best Actress Prize in 2013 at the Luchon Film festival for her role in Denis Malleval's Deadly Summer (2013), as well as the Crystal Globe for Best Actress in 2016 for her role in Anything for Alice (2014).
From comedic and dramatic roles to genre and action movies, from popular to art house films, Aïssa Maïga has become one of the unforgettable faces of international cinema.- Actress
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Nicole Beharie is an American actress.
Her critically acclaimed film debut was in the film American Violet (2008) alongside Alfre Woodard, Tim Blake Nelson and Will Patton. Beharie also played Ernie Davis' girlfriend in the movie The Express (2008). Her upcoming projects include My Last Day Without You (2011) and Steve McQueen's Shame (2011) opposite Michael Fassbender.
Beharie developed a passion for acting and performing as a child. She attended South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities in Greenville, SC. She was the first student from the Governor's school to be accepted into Juilliard Drama School in NYC.- Actress
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Adepero Oduye hails from Brooklyn, New York City by way of Nigeria. She is a graduate of Cornell University; and has studied acting with Wynn Handman, Austin Pendleton, and Susan Batson. Her name is pronounced "Add-eh-pair-o Oh-due-yay."
Her theatre credits include Danai Gurira's play Eclipsed, at the Yale Repertory Theatre; The Bluest Eye, at the Hartford Stage and Long Wharf Theatres; and Fela!, in the AEA workshop, directed and choreographed by Bill T. Jones.
Ms. Oduye first starred for writer/director Dee Rees as Alike in the award-winning short film Pariah. Among the other shorts that she has starred in are Gabriele Zamparini's Water; Russell Costanzo's The Tested; and Nadiah Hamzah's Sub Rosa.
She has made guest appearances on such television programs as Louie and two Law & Order series.- Dola Rashad was born on 11 December 1986 in New York City, New York, USA. She is an actress, known for Sex and the City 2 (2010), Money Monster (2016) and Billions (2016).
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Rob Brown was born in Harlem and raised in Brooklyn, New York. A natural who never studied acting and who had no professional acting experience, made his acting and motion picture debut in Finding Forrester (2000). Rob celebrated his 16th birthday just before the start of production. He is a talented athlete in high school playing both basketball and football.- Actor
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- Production Department
John Boyega is a British actor, known for playing Finn in Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015). Boyega rose to prominence in his native United Kingdom for his role of Moses in the 2011 sci-fi comedy film Attack the Block (2011), before attaining international recognition for his work as Finn in the seventh film of the Star Wars series.
Other credits include historical fiction drama film Half of a Yellow Sun (2013), four episodes of the television series 24: Live Another Day (2014), and the drama films Imperial Dreams (2014), The Circle (2017), and Detroit (2017).- Actor
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Jay Pharoah was born on 14 October 1987 in Chesapeake, Virginia, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Saturday Night Live (1975), Unsane (2018) and White Famous (2017).- Actor
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English actor, writer and director Chiwetel Ejiofor is renowned for his portrayal of Solomon Northup in 12 Years a Slave (2013), for which he received Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations, along with the BAFTA Award for Best Actor. He is also known for playing Okwe in Dirty Pretty Things (2002), the Operative in Serenity (2005), Lola in Kinky Boots (2005), Luke in Children of Men (2006), Dr. Adrian Helmsley in 2012 (2009) and Dr. Vincent Kapoor in The Martian (2015).
Chiwetelu Umeadi Ejiofor was born on July 10, 1977 in Forest Gate, London, England, to Nigerian parents, Obiajulu (Okaford), a pharmacist, and Arinze Ejiofor, a doctor. Chiwetel attended Dulwich College in South-East London. By the age of 13, he was appearing in numerous school and National Youth Theatre productions and subsequently attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts (LAMDA).
Ejiofor caught the attention of Steven Spielberg who cast him in the critically acclaimed Amistad (1997) alongside Morgan Freeman and Anthony Hopkins. He has since been seen on the big screen in numerous features including Stephen Frears' Dirty Pretty Things (2002) (for which he won Best Actor at the British Independent Film Awards, the Evening Standard Film Awards, and the San Diego Film Critics Society Awards), Love Actually (2003), Woody Allen's Melinda and Melinda (2004), Kinky Boots (2005), Inside Man (2006), Children of Men (2006), American Gangster (2007) and Talk to Me (2007), for which his performance won him an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Ejiofor has balanced his film and television commitments with a number of prestigious stage productions. In 2008, his portrayal of the title role in Michael Grandage's "Othello" at the Donmar Warehouse alongside Ewan McGregor was unanimously commended and won him best actor at the 2008 Laurence Olivier Awards and Evening Standard Theatre Awards. He also received nominations in the South Bank Show Awards and the What's On Stage Theatregoers' Choice Awards in 2009. His other stage roles include Roger Michell's "Blue/Orange" in 2000 which received the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Play, and the same year Tim Supple's "Romeo and Juliet" in which Ejiofor portrayed the title role.
Following his television debut in the series episode Deadly Voyage (1996), Ejiofor has complimented his film and theatre work on the small screen in productions including Murder in Mind (2001), created by the award-winning writer Anthony Horowitz, Trust (2003), Twelfth Night, or What You Will (2003), and Canterbury Tales (2003). His television appearance in the hard hitting emotional drama Tsunami: The Aftermath (2006) alongside Toni Collette, Sophie Okonedo and Tim Roth earned him a nomination for a Golden Globe Award as well as an NAACP Image award.
Ejiofor also appeared in such notable films as Endgame (2009), Channel 4's moving drama set in South Africa for which his performance earned him a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Miniseries; Roland Emmerich's action feature 2012 (2009), opposite John Cusack, Danny Glover and Thandiwe Newton; and Salt (2010), opposite Angelina Jolie and Liev Schreiber. In 2013, he starred in Half of a Yellow Sun (2013) and 12 Years a Slave (2013), receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for the latter film.- Actress
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Rutina Wesley is known for the character Tara Thorton, on the gritty Southern vampire drama, True Blood (2008). She was born in the city most renowned for glitz and glamour, Las Vegas, Nevada and was exposed to the arts at a very early age; in fact entertainment runs through her veins. Her father, Ivery Wheeler, is a noted tap dancer while her mother, Cassandra Wesley, performed on the Vegas strip as a showgirl. Rutina studied dance for years then earned an undergraduate degree in Theatre Performance from the University of Evansville in Indiana. She had the good fortune to be accepted by the acclaimed Julliard School. During Rutina's stint at Julliard, she was fortunate enough to spend a summer at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Fortune was with Rutina again when one of her Julliard classmates, Nelsan Ellis, reconnected with her when he became her co-star on True Blood (2008).
After leaving Julliard, Rutina was cast in the Broadway production of a David Hare play, "The Vertical Hour" opposite Bill Nighy. Rutina followed "The Vertical Hour" with an appearance in the Public Theater production, "In Darfur". Her small role in the hit movie, Hitch (2005), was cut from the completed film but that did not deter her from pursuing her dream. She made another big-screen appearance, this time in the dance melodrama How She Move (2007). She also guest starred on the hit television show Numb3rs (2005); however, her break came when she signed onto the HBO production, True Blood (2008).
True Blood (2008) is adapted from the Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire literary series by Charlaine Harris and conceived for the small screen by Alan Ball of American Beauty (1999) and Six Feet Under (2001). Rutina's portrayal of Tara Thornton, a character whose caustic tongue and tough manner conceal her vulnerability, helped make True Blood (2008) a cult hit. The success of True Blood (2008) shocked naysayers when the vampire soap opera became a favorite of both critics and audiences alike. We'll be seeing more of Rutina in 2010 when True Blood (2008) returns for its third season.- Actress
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Sanaa Lathan is an actor, director, producer, and activist, well-known for starring in such hit films as LOVE & BASKETBALL, THE BEST MAN and BEST MAN HOLIDAY, BROWN SUGAR, ALIEN VS. PREDATOR, and NAPPILY EVER AFTER.
She recently made her feature directorial debut for Paramount Pictures' ON THE COME UP, based on the New York Times best-selling novel of the same name. Premiering at the Toronto film festival to stellar reviews. Currently streaming on Paramount Plus.
Coming soon: MACRO Films' YOUNG WILD AND FREE which premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.
She is currently starring in the 3rd season of the Emmy Award-winning HBO series Succession. For which she was nominated for an Emmy award.
Lathan can be seen starring in REPLAY, an episode of the Jordan Peele's remake of The Twilight Zoneon CBS All Access. She also stars in Showtime's The Affair and Fox's Shots Fired created by Gina Prince- Bythewood, and Rashid Johnson's Native Son on HBO.
Lathan is the voice of 'Donna Tubbs' on Fox's animated series Family Guy and The Cleveland Show, as well as the voice of 'Catwoman' in the DC animated series Harley Quinn.
On stage, Lathan was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance on Broadway in A RAISIN IN THE SUN and starred as 'Maggie the Cat' opposite James Earl Jones in the Olivier award winning revival of CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF at the Novello Theatre in London's West end.
Lathan made her directorial debut with the short film LEAP for Maven Pictures, which she shot during lock down, about a Zoom therapist who suffers from OCD and panic disorder. It premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.
She also stars in Peacock's MAN: FINAL CHAPTERS limited series with the original cast for which she was nominated for an image award.
Later this year she will be starring in the Fox Searchlight film: SUPREMES AT EARL'S ALL YOU CAN EAT based on the book of the same name.
Her lengthy list of credits also includes Steven Soderbergh's CONTAGION, NOW YOU SEE ME 2, AMERICAN ASSASSIN and Focus feature's SOMETHING NEW.- Actor
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Jesse Wesley Williams born August 5, 1981 is a former high school teacher and activist turned actor/director. He's best known for his role as Dr. Jackson Avery on the ABC Television series Grey's Anatomy and his advocacy for the disenfranchised, highlighted by his internationally resonant acceptance speech for his 2016 BET Humanitarian Award. He also appears in the hit 2013 film Lee Daniels' The Butler as real life civil rights leader Rev. James Lawson. Previous roles include Holden in The Cabin in the Woods (2012), Officer Eddie Quinlan in Brooklyn's Finest (2009), as Leo, Lena's boyfriend, in the film sequel The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (2008) and as Isaac "Ike" Singer in Jacob's Ladder (2019).- Actress
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Jurnee Smollett is an award-winning actress and activist of rare talent and conviction. In the fall of 2020, she starred in J.J. Abrams, Jordan Peele and Misha Green's critically acclaimed drama for HBO, "Lovecraft Country." Smollett's performance was lauded by industry insiders and critics alike. Since the show's release, Smollett has earned a Critics Choice Super Award for "Best Actress in a Horror Series" and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award, a Critics Choice Award and an NAACP Image Award for "Best Actress in a Drama."
Additionally, in 2020, Jurnee played Black Canary in Warner Bros DC Universe's "Birds Of Prey." She wrapped production on the Netflix original film, "Escape From Spiderhead" alongside Chris Hemsworth and Miles Teller in early 2021.
Jurnee made her breakthrough performance at the age of 11, starring in "Eve's Bayou" opposite Samuel L. Jackson for which she won the Broadcast Film Critics Award for Best Youth Performance and was cited by Interview Magazine as one of the five Hollywood stars to watch in the new millennium. Smollett starred in "The Great Debaters" with Forest Whitaker and Denzel Washington, who also directed the drama. In addition to receiving rave reviews, the film was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Picture and Jurnee won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Motion Picture. She also starred in Tyler Perry's film "Temptation" which was Perry's biggest grossing box-office hit outside of his "Madea" brand. Other film credits include the independent feature, "One Last Thing" alongside Wendell Pierce, "Hands Of Stone" opposite Robert DeNiro and Edgar Ramirez, "Roll Bounce", "Gridiron Gang", and "Beautiful Joe."
In addition to film, Jurnee has had several roles on the small screen. She was last seen starring in WGN's critically acclaimed drama "Underground" which followed the escape and risk filled travel along the Underground Railroad. The premiere of the show marked the highest rated original scripted program in the network's history. Other television credits include HBO's cult classic horror drama "True Blood", NBC's hit shows "Friday Night Lights" and "Parenthood," "House," "Strong Medicine," "NYPD Blue," and "Grey's Anatomy". She has also lent her voice to several episodes of the popular Disney Channel series, "Sofia The First."
In addition to acting, Smollett is an activist for HIV/AIDS causes and Time's Up. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Children's Defense Fund.- Actor
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Nathan was brought up in Wandsworth, London, He studied at the Central School of Speech and Drama, which he graduated from in 2006. He made his professional stage debut playing a number of roles in 'Brixton Stories' at the Lyric, Hammersmith and has also appeared on stage in 'The History Boys' at the National Theatre and, in 2012, in the revival of 'Pitchfork Disney', in the role of a man who eats cockroaches for a living. To television viewers he will be known as Curtis in E4's Misfits (2009), about a group of youngsters who have gained supernatural powers following a freak storm - in Curtis's case the ability to go back in time and see the future.- Actress
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Amber Riley was born on 15 February 1986 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Glee (2009), The Wiz Live! (2015) and Glee: Director's Cut Pilot Episode (2009).- Actor
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Evan Ross was born on 26 August 1988 in Greenwich, Connecticut, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 (2014), The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 (2015) and ATL (2006). He has been married to Ashlee Simpson since 30 August 2014. They have two children.- Actor
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Kevin Phillips is known for Notorious (2009), Blood and Bone (2009) and The Harder They Fall (2021).- Actor
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Edi Gathegi was born on 10 March 1979 in Nairobi, Kenya. He is an actor and producer, known for StartUp (2016), Princess of the Row (2019) and For All Mankind (2019).- Actor
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Nelsan Ellis was an award-winning American film and television actor and playwright, perhaps best known as Lafayette Reynolds on HBO's True Blood (2008).
Nelsan was born on November 30, 1977, in Harvey, Illinois, the son of Jackie Ellis and Tommie Lee Thompson. Following his parents' divorce, Ellis and his mother moved to Alabama. He moved back to Illinois as a teenager, and graduated from Thornridge High School in Dolton, Illinois, in 1997. Ellis attended Juilliard and, while there, wrote a semi-autobiographical play titled Ugly that was performed at the school and later won the Lincoln Center's Martin E. Segal Award. Ellis won a 2008 Satellite Award from the International Press Academy for best supporting actor in a television series for his role as Lafayette Reynolds in HBO's True Blood. Ellis won the "Brink of Fame: Actor" award at the 2009 NewNowNext Awards.
Tragically, Ellis died at the age of 39 on July 8, 2017, in Los Angeles, California, after complications from heart failure. His family released a statement on July 10, saying that Nelsan had been trying to quit alcohol in the days before his death, and suggesting that he suffered from alcohol withdrawal syndrome, leading to his heart failure.- Actor
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Originally from Louisiana, Sinqua moved to Los Angeles with his Family and Attended Beverly Hills High School. He is a Graduate of the University of San Francisco arts program where he studied Theater and Film. He is also of French, and Native American Descent. When not acting, Sinqua is a published poet, who also enjoys playing Guitar and a variety of sports, he also cares along for the homeless and fighting hunger in America.
His Break Through role was came when Walls was cast as the character Jamarcus Halls on the critically acclaimed series 'Friday Night Lights.' He is perhaps best known for his role of Daniel in 'The Secret Life of the American Teenager.' His work has included guest appearances on 'Californication,' 'Grey's Anatomy,' 'Chuck,' 'CSI', 'Blue Mountain State' and 'Savage County,' as well as the dramatic short 'The Second Half' which garnered him Several Independent film festival Awards. In 2011 Walls appeared in his first Studio Feature Film Lead role in the Relativity Media Suspense film 'Shark Night 3-D.' Before Landing the Legendary Role of "Sir Lancelot" on ABC's Once Upon A Time.Really like him. Needs to be in a leading role. + that he's man sized.- Actress
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Yara Shahidi was born on 10 February 2000 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Salt (2010), Black-ish (2014) and Grown-ish (2018).Young but had great range in BUTTER.- Actor
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Dayo Okeniyi (Pronounced: Die-o Okay-nii-yii) began performing on the stage in elementary school. In 2003, Okeniyi, the youngest of five siblings, moved from Nigeria with his family to the The United States. His father, now a retired customs officer and mother, a British literature teacher, were adamant that their children receive an education in the United States. Dayo Okeniyi received a Bachelor's degree in visual communications design in 2009. After College, he decided to move to Los Angeles to pursue acting, his true passion.- Actress
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Yaya DaCosta was born and raised in New York City along with her sister and two brothers. She got her first acting gig at the age of eleven when her junior high school drama teacher, Ann Willis Ratray, encouraged her to audition for educational films. She continued to perform in school shows throughout high school and college and in 2005, She was the runner-up in Cycle 3 of America's Next Top Model made her feature film debut in Take the Lead. In 2008, she made her Off-Broadway debut in "The First Breeze of Summer" at The Signature Theater, for which she garnered rave reviews and won the Vivian Robinson/AUDELCO Recognition Award for Excellence in Black Theater. She has portrayed a range of characters, from Danny Glover's frail teenage daughter in John Sayles' Honeydripper, to Mark Ruffalo's voluptuous lover in Lisa Cholodenko's The Kids Are All Right. She has been tagged one of Hollywood's new "it girls" by many, including Lynn Hirschberg who featured her on the cover of W Magazine in September, 2010.- Rose Rollins was raised in Yonkers, New York, growing up with five brothers. She is an accomplished actress who has garnered attention on both the big and small screens.
Rollins now stars in ABC's The Catch opposite Mireille Enos. The series centers on a gutsy female forensic accountant who exposes fraud for a living and has finally found fulfillment both at work and in love until a case comes along that threatens to turn her world upside down. The Catch is produced by Shonda Rhimes.
Prior to The Catch, Rollins most recently guest starred in an eight-episode arc on Amazon Studios crime drama Bosch and starred in the TNT pilot Guilt By Association.
Rollins has built her body of work with numerous roles on prominent television series including the critically acclaimed Showtime series The L Word, the Jerry Bruckheimer produced NBC drama Chase, NBC's The West Wing co-starring Allison Janney , Southland, ABC's In Justice opposite Kyle MacLachlan, The CW's Nikita and CBS's NCIS and CSI: NY, among many others.
On the big screen, the actress' voice can be heard as the White House press secretary in the 2015 Adam Sandler/Kevin James action sci-fi comedy Pixels. Additional film credits include Mission: Impossible III directed by J.J. Abrams, Undisputed opposite Ving Rhames and Wesley Snipes, the romantic comedy Something New and 13 Moons starring Steve Buscemi, Jennifer Beals, and Peter Dinklage. - Actress
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Raised in Jamaica, Queens and East New York, Brooklyn the rising star is commonly referred to as a young Diahann Carroll. Born to a Jamaican father and Filipina mother, this JamaicanAsian sensation breaks all of the rules and pursues acting strictly for the love and art.
A professional actor since adolescence, Chyna Layne has done over 30 independent films, two national commercials and makes her HBO debut in the made-for-television movie, Life Support, directed by George Nelson and executive produced by Jamie Foxx and Queen Latifah.
As a child, it was through her late Uncle Neville that she was first introduced to her true love: acting. Whether it was a story from back home in Jamaica or an impersonation of Clark Gable in Gone with the Wind, his skill of storytelling, was a gift that, out of all his nieces and nephews, he would only pass on to Chyna. Indeed, it was love at first sight.
The starlet first began her professional training with the CityKids Repertory Company where she has performed with and for the biggest names in Hollywood including Robin Williams, Jasmine Guy, Salt n Pepa and Demi Moore - to name a few. She then went on to receive a full scholarship at the Black Spectrum Theatre where she led the company in an Audelco Award win for Best Ensemble in the musical, A Trip to Nowhere. Chyna further honed her craft with the African American Theater of Harlem, Negro Ensemble Company under the late O.L. Duke and the Atlantic Acting School.
Known for her fearlessness and raw, uninhibited style, each character she embodies is different, unique and unforgettable. Well respected and extremely professional on set, her work ethic is intense. Whether the camera is on her or not, this actress is available, prepared and works hard for her scene partners. She is, in fact and inarguably, an actor's actor.
Two of her most familiar works are the hilarious national commercials for Dr. Miracle hair relaxer. She gained nationwide recognition when she competed in TNT's Dramatic Auditions Competition. Thousands of actors from across the US competed.
Skilled in martial arts, the Asian temptation studies a form of her native land's martial arts, eskrima, also known as Filipino stick fighting. She also studies the Chinese martial arts form, wushu. Solidifying her status as an action star, she has flexed her muscles and performed her own stunts in four action features: Shaolyn Jones, The Black Pearl, Brooklyn Knights and The Chyna Layne Chronicles. With her acting partner, Rayan Lawrence, Chyna recently formed Lawrence Layne Productions. The romantic feature, A Deeper Love, directed and executive produced by Darrell Smith will be the first film released in association. Lawrence Layne Productions' first sole project to be released is the thriller short, Blue Mountain Lake, in which she will make her screenwriting debut and Rayan Lawrence will make his directorial debut.
A leader, Chyna takes the obstacles facing our youth very seriously. She has volunteered in her community and comes from a family that is very devoted to empowering the community to get involved by voting, volunteering, educating and taking action. In addition to being a role model to the kids in her East New York neighborhood, she organized and operated a dance team at the Brownsville Recreation Center called NSC (No Self Control) for the young girls in the community. Not only was this group a competitive dance troupe but also a sisterhood. With this extremely talented and beautiful group of precocious girls, the teacher often became the student. It was one of the most rewarding experiences of her life. Her ultimate dream is to build a full, high-tech community center in East New York that would be free to the community and provide jobs, childcare, education and a safe place for kids to hang.Usually comedic.- Actress
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Annie Ilonzeh was born on 23 August 1983 in Grapevine, Texas, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Peppermint (2018), Person of Interest (2011) and He's Just Not That Into You (2009).maybe: haven't seen enough of her to know for sure.- Freema Agyeman is a British actress who is known for playing Martha Jones in the BBC science fiction series Doctor Who (2007-2010), Alesha Phillips in crime procedural drama Law & Order: UK (2009-2011), Amanita Caplan in the Netflix science fiction drama Sense8 (2015-2018), and Dr. Helen Sharpe in the NBC medical procedural series New Amsterdam (2018-2022).Again, not sure I've seen enough of her to judge her acting abilities accurately but really like her look.
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Joy Bryant was born in a modest home in The Bronx, New York and as a young woman, was enrolled in an inner-city outreach organization called "A Better Chance," designed to encourage minority talent. Joy was also blessed with brains as well beauty and remained an excellent student throughout her high school years. As a result, she was awarded a full academic scholarship to Yale University.
While enrolled as a full-time student at Yale, Joy was discovered by a modeling scout from Next Models Management and subsequently pursued a career as a fashion model in Paris. Her slender yet classic beauty got her an exclusive contract with prestigious brand names such as Tommy Hilfiger and the Victoria's Secret lingerie catalogue.
Joy's acting debut came about in 2001 in Robert Townsend's Carmen: A Hip Hopera (2001). An MTV production, the film also starred Beyoncé and Mekhi Phifer, along with several hip-hop superstars. After a small role in the Eddie Murphy action comedy Showtime (2002), she made her big breakthrough in Denzel Washington's directorial debut, Antwone Fisher. Bryant played Cheryl, the beautiful and supportive girlfriend of Antwone (Derek Luke). In 2003, she co-starred with Jessica Alba in Bille Woodruff's romantic drama Honey (2003). That same year, she appeared in Mario Van Peebles' _Baadasssss! (2003)_, based on his father Melvin Van Peebles' autobiographical novel. Projects for 2004 included the crime drama Three Way (2004) with Gina Gershon.
The year 2005 turned out to be an even better year for the actress. Joy appeared in high-profile films such as The Skeleton Key (2005), London (2005), and Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2005). Her performances as the sassy Mallory in London (2005) and the strikingly pretty Charlene in Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2005) were critically acclaimed, and re-enforced her reputation as a versatile actress.- British actress Naomie Harris was born in London, England, the only child of television scriptwriter Lisselle Kayla. Her father is from Trinidad and her mother is from Jamaica. They separated before she was born, and Harris was raised by her mother and has no relationship with her father. She showed an interest in acting from an early age and attended the prestigious Anna Scher Theatre School. From here, Harris won roles in various projects, such as Simon and the Witch (1987) and The Tomorrow People (1992). She went on to study social and political sciences at Pembroke College, Cambridge University, an experience Harris did not enjoy.
After graduating from the University, Harris trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Acting success soon followed and her breakthrough film role came in Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later (2002). Other notable projects include Miami Vice (2006) and Small Island (2009) (for which she was named best female actor by the Royal Television Society). Harris also won fans for her role as voodoo witch Tia Dalma in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007), and further international attention came her way when she played field agent Eve Moneypenny in the James Bond film Skyfall (2012).
Naomie was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the drama Moonlight (2016), which won the Best Picture Oscar that year.
Naomie Harris was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in the 2017 New Years Honours for her services to drama.imo one of the top 5 young actresses working right now. She's amazing. - Actress
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Antonia Thomas is an English actress. She is best known for her work in the TV series Misfits, Lovesick and the The Good Doctor.
She studied for a Bachelor of Arts in acting at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, graduating in 2009, and then joined the National Youth Theatre.
Her acting debut was in the TV movie Stanley Park (2010).The Brits are beasting.- Actress
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Dana Davis was born on 4 October 1978 in Davenport, Iowa, USA. She is an actress, known for Prom Night (2008), Raise Your Voice (2004) and 10 Things I Hate About You (2009).curious to see more...- Actress
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Ebubennem Megalyn Ann Echikunwoke was born May 28, in Spokane, Washington. Her father was Nigerian and her mother is of English and Scots-Irish descent. Her last name, "Echikunwoke", means "leader of men" and Megalyn is the granddaughter of a Nigerian tribal leader of the Igbo, which technically makes her African royalty. She is known for playing "Nicole Palmer" in the first season of 24 (2001), "Angie Barnett" (Kelso's girlfriend) in the seventh season of That '70s Show (1998) and "Isabelle Tyler" in The 4400 (2004). She was raised on a Navajo Indian Reservation in Chinle, Arizona. In early 2008, she starred opposite Alessandro Nivola in an independent movie, directed by Jerry Zaks, titled Who Do You Love (2008) where she played a heroin-addicted lounge singer. She did all of her own singing in the movie.She's been around for a while but I don't feel like she's ever been given a role that forces her to stretch herself (like most black actresses are typically not challenged in this way)- Actor
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Evan Ross was born on 26 August 1988 in Greenwich, Connecticut, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 (2014), The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 (2015) and ATL (2006). He has been married to Ashlee Simpson since 30 August 2014. They have two children.- Actor
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John Boyega is a British actor, known for playing Finn in Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015). Boyega rose to prominence in his native United Kingdom for his role of Moses in the 2011 sci-fi comedy film Attack the Block (2011), before attaining international recognition for his work as Finn in the seventh film of the Star Wars series.
Other credits include historical fiction drama film Half of a Yellow Sun (2013), four episodes of the television series 24: Live Another Day (2014), and the drama films Imperial Dreams (2014), The Circle (2017), and Detroit (2017).- Actress
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Danai Gurira was born in Grinnell, Iowa, to Josephine and Roger Gurira, who were from Zimbabwe. Her father was then teaching Chemistry at Grinnell College. When she was five, the family moved back to Zimbabwe, residing in the capital Harare. Gurira later returned to the United States, and studied social psychology at Macalester College, receiving an MFA from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. She is the co-author of the play, "In the Continuum", with Nikkole Salter.