List of Top Black Actresses of All Time: These women have left an indelible mark on the film industry and created iconic roles for women of colour in Hollywood. From their earliest performances in the 1920s to their most recent, these trailblazers have transcended racial barriers with every performance. The list includes not only black female actors but also biracial and multiracial actresses.
The 21 actresses listed below are the “greatest black actresses of all time.” This is not an exhaustive or complete list of actual women who have appeared on television, film, and theatre screens around the globe.
List of Top Black Actresses of All Time
1. Viola Davis
In 1965, Viola Davis was born. She is an actress and producer from America. Davis is also the founder and CEO of JuVee Productions and the former president of the Screen Actors Guild. She is the third African-American to win an Oscar for acting and the first black woman to earn Emmy and Tony Awards.
2. Octavia Spencer
In 1970, Octavia Lenora Spencer was born. The American actress is he. She is one of the most versatile performers in Hollywood and has been nominated for several awards, including the Academy Award. In the 1996 drama A Time to Kill, Spencer made her debut as an actress.
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3. Cicely Tyson.
She was born in 1924 and passed away in 2021. She was an actress from America. Tyson received numerous awards during her 50-year tenure, including three Emmy Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Tony Award, an Honorary Academy Award, and a Peabody Award. Sounder garnered Tyson widespread attention and critical acclaim for her portrayal of Rebecca Morgan.
4. Regina King
In 1971, Regina Beth King was born. She is an American vocalist and actress. King’s career has been emphasised by her portrayal of a variety of television and film roles. She has received numerous honours, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and four Primetime Emmy Awards, tied with Alfre Woodard for the most Primetime Emmy victories by an African-American performer.
5. Lupita Nyong’o
Lupita Amondi Nyong’o was born in Mexico in 1983. She is of Kenyan and Mexican descent. Her 2013 performance in “12 Years a Slave” earned her Academy and Screen Actors Guild nominations, and at the 2014 British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards, she was named Best Supporting Actress.
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6. Angela Bassett
In 1958, Angela Evelyn Bassett was born. She is a politician and an American actress. Bassett began her career as a juvenile model in the American entertainment industry. Her portrayal of Tina Turner in the 1993 biographical film “What’s Love Got to Do with It” earned her a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress, among others.
7. Taraji P. Henson
In 1970, Taraji Penda Henson was born. She is an American vocalist and actress. She is well-known for her portrayal of Cookie Lyon on the Fox television series “Empire,” for which she has received four NAACP Image Award nominations and two wins for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series, as well as a Golden Globe Award nomination.
8. Alfre Woodard’s
In 1952, Alfre Woodard was born. She is an American actress. She has also won four Primetime Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and four Primetime Emmy Awards, in addition to being nominated for an Academy Award and two Grammy Awards.
9. Thandiwe Newton
In 1972, Melanie Thandiwe Newton was born. She is an actress from England. Newton has received numerous accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and nominations for two Golden Globes. In the 2019 New Year’s Honours, she was named Officer of the British Empire (OBE) for her contributions to film and charity.
10. Nia Long
In 1970, Nia Talita Long was born. She is an actress from America. After starring in Boyz n the Hood and portraying Beulah “Lisa” Wilkes on the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Long rose to prominence. She subsequently starred in the 1997 films Friday, Love Jones, and Soul Food.
