Top African-American Actors

Who would your votes go to, if you were to make a tabulation of the best actors of African-American heritage? What would be your criterion for screening be? Would it be a commanding voice, attitude on screen or sheer confidence? Let's take a look at some of the most famous actors of Hollywood. Well, I would like to state, that this is a subjective attempt. Individual preferences may vary from person to person.

Morgan Freeman
Born in Memphis, Tennessee on June 1, 1937, Freeman performed for the first time in a school play, when he was 9. 'Who says I can't ride a rainbow' was his first performance in films. His commanding voice gained him many acclaims in films like Driving miss daisy, Glory, Shawshank Redemption and Million Dollar Baby, to name a few. His portrayal of Red, a convict, who narrates the story in Shawshank Redemption earned him nomination for best leading actor. Morgan Freeman got best supporting actor award for Million Dollar Baby in 2004. His latest movies include Red. Morgan is one of the greatest actors, directors and narrators in Hollywood.

Samuel L Jackson
Born on December 21, 1948, in Washington, DC, Samuel debuted in a supporting role in 'Together for Days' and worked as a stand-in in Bill Cosby Show' as well. Samuel gained stardom with his performance as a drug addict in Jungle Fever, by Spike Lee. His performance as a hit man in 'Pulp Fiction' by Quentin Tarantino got acclaims. Samuel has not been the highest paid actor, but if you go by figures, he is the only African-American actor, whose movies have gathered a staggering, over $2.5,000,000,000. Other film performances by Samuel include those in Sea of Love, Good fellas, Jurassic Park, Die Hard and A Time to Kill.

Denzel Washington
Born in New York on December 28, 1954, Denzel has been a critically acclaimed actor, director and screenwriter. He has won 2 academy awards and 2 Golden Globes for his work, to name some of his achievements. His performances in Training day, as detective Alonzo Harris and in Glory, as Tripp earned him best actor awards in 1990 and 2002. Denzel received a B.A. In Drama and Journalism in 1982. Denzel's acclaimed performances in movies like Glory, Training day, Taking of Pelham 123, Deja Vu, Hurricane, to name a few, has made him one of the greatest African-American actors.

Lawrence Fishburne
Born on July 30, 1961, in Georgia, Lawrence made his debut on stage when he was 10. Some of the best film performances by Lawrence include those in Apocalypse Now, Rumble Fish, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Othello, Matrix and Boyz n the Hood. Lawrence received acclaims for portrayal of Morpheus in Matrix, a trilogy and Turner in What's Love Got to do With it? Lawrence is recognized as an African-American actor, director, producer and playwright. Lawrence has been the first African-American actor to play Othello. His current performance includes Dr. Langston in drama CSI.

Will Smith
Born on September 25, 1968, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Will Smith is an African-American rapper and actor. Will started rapping when he was a teenager. He made his debut in 1993, in Six Degrees of Separation. Will's notable performances include Bad Boys, Men in Black, I Robot and Hancock. Will has received 4 golden globe nominations and 2 academy award nominations. Eight of Will's consecutive films have managed to gross more than $100 million.

Eddie Murphy
Born on April 3, 1961 in New York, Eddie Murphy is a singer, comedian and an actor. Eddie began performing and writing when he was 15. Eddie has won Golden Globe award for best supporting actor in 'Dreamgirls'. '48 hrs' was the film in which he debuted on screen in 1982. Eddie's other notable film performances include those in Dr. Dolittle, Beverly Hills Cop, The Nutty Professor and I Spy.

Halle Berry
Born on August 14, 1966, in Ohio, Halle Berry became the first African-American female actor to receive the academy award. She began her career in Hollywood in 1991, in Jungle Fever. She felt her presence noticed by winning academy award for best actress in 'Monster Ball' in 2001. Halle's other achievements include Emmy Award and a Golden Globe for her performance in 'Introducing Dorothy Dandridge' in 1998. Halle has won the recognition of being first African-American actress to participate in Miss World. Halle's other screen performances include those in films like X Men, Gothika, The Flintstones and Race the Sun.

Cuba Gooding Jr.
Born on January 2, 1968, Cuba Gooding Jr. Performed in a guest appearance in shows like 'Hill Street Blues' and 'Macgyver'. His first breakthrough performance was in 'Boyz n the Hood' in 1991. His performance as a football player in 'Jerry Maguire' earned him acclaim as nomination for best supporting actor. Other movies of Cuba include 'Lightning Jack', 'Outbreak' and 'A Few Good Men'.

Sidney Poitier
Born on February 20th 1927, in Miami, Florida, Sidney was the top actor of 1960s. He achieved stardom with his performance in 'The Defiant Ones' in 1958. 'Lilies of the Field' in 1963 earned him best actor Oscar. Other films of Sidney include 'Who's Coming to Dinner', 'To Sir With Love' and 'In the Heart of Night' to name a few. Sidney has been acclaimed as one of the best actors and directors among African-American artists.

Don Cheadle:
Born on November 29th 1964, in Missouri, Don has given critically acclaimed performances in films like Ocean's Eleven, Traffic and Out of Sight. He won nomination for best actor in Oscar for his role in 'Hotel Rwanda'. Don's other achievements include his work as a co-author for book 'Not on our Watch' and being named as Goodwill Ambassador.

In addition to the above actors, other famous names include:

• Forest Whitaker
• Chris Rock
• Harry Belafonte
• Bill Cosby
• Chris Tucker
• Jamie Foxx
• James Earl Jones
• Avery Brooks
• Ossie Davis
• Bernie Mac

Almost all the actors listed above have made it big in Hollywood and earned fame and wealth. They have also been inspiring many people to excel in acting, direction and screenplay.