He also courted disdain and public controversy for most of his career as a staunch Cold Samuel L. Jackson is an American producer and highly prolific actor, having appeared in over 100 films, including Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995), Unbreakable (2000), Shaft (2000), Formula 51 (2001), Black Snake Moan (2006), Snakes on a Plane (2006), and the Star Wars prequel trilogy (1999-2005), Ossie Davis was born on December 18, 1917 in Cogdell, Georgia, USA. A good student, Ving entered the New York High School of Performing Arts, where he discovered his love of acting. With a bold voice and posture, Colin makes his characters a favorite among audiences for every role he plays. He was previously married to Trisha Mann. He first came to public notice as a singer and songwriter with the controversial and influential band N.W.A. He is the fourth African-American male to Kimberly Elise was born on April 17, 1967 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. They have four children. He grew up in Jamaica, British West Indies, and did folk-singing in nightclubs and theaters, and on television and records. Angela Evelyn Bassett was born on August 16, 1958 in New York City, to Betty Jane (Gilbert), a social worker, and Daniel Benjamin Bassett, a Bill Cosby is one of the world's most well-known entertainers and comedians. She worked in Charles S. Dutton was born on January 30, 1951 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Off-screen he is a social activist, educator and author dedicated to enriching the lives of others. 30 . Her mother, Angelita, who is Christopher Julius Rock was born in Andrews, South Carolina and raised in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York. He shares, "I in no way believe that I am the highest or most high Coby Bell was born on May 11, 1975 in Orange County, California, USA. He was previously married to Debbi Morgan. Morgan was born on June 1, 1937 in Memphis, Tennessee, to Mayme Edna (Revere), a teacher, and Morgan Porterfield Freeman, a barber. It was while living in California that Larenz's parents got him and his brothers Gregory Hines was born on February 14, 1946 in New York City, New York, USA. He started in commercials and then made his debut in the film Lift (2001), playing Forest Steven Whitaker has packaged a king-size talent into his hulking 6' 2", 220 lb. Simmons earned a basketball scholarship at Franklin Pierce College in New Hampshire. His father, Cuba Gooding, was the lead vocalist for the R&B group The Main Ingredient, which had a hit with the song "Everybody Plays The Fool". White Perry was born and raised in New Orleans, to Willie Maxine (Campbell) and Emmitt Perry, Sr. His mother was a church-goer and took Perry along with her once a week. Chris Brown, Ty Dolla $ign: Play No Games. Her dentist father was instrumental in developing Lynn's initial interest in acting as he was a Joe Morton was born on October 18, 1947 in New York, New York, USA. He portrays "Dr. Sheldon Hawkes", a reclusive coroner who walked away from a promising surgical career after the traumatic loss of two patients. 27. Martin Fitzgerald Lawrence is an African-American comedian, producer, writer, director and actor. Samuel L. Jackson is an American producer and highly prolific actor, having appeared in over 100 films, including Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995), Unbreakable (2000), Shaft (2000), Formula 51 (2001), Black Snake Moan (2006), Snakes on a Plane (2006), and the Star Wars prequel trilogy (1999-2005), . After graduating from high school, Denzel enrolled at Actress | Rollins graduated from Towson State College, where he studied theater. He also acted in Big Fat Liar starring Frankie Muniz and Amanda Bynes, Scooby-Doo and Guess Who, David Bryan Woodside (born July 25, 1969) is an American actor. Highly influential, and always controversial, African-American actor/comedian who was equally well known for his colorful language during his live comedy shows, as for his fast paced life, multiple marriages and battles with drug addiction. Strikingly featured and muscular American actor Ving Rhames was born Irving Rameses Rhames in Harlem, New York, to Reather, a homemaker, and Ernest Rhames, an auto mechanic. Cicely Tyson is an entertainment icon, a living legend with a career spanning more than six decades. Distinguished black thespians have portrayed one of Shakespeare's most famed and widely depicted characters for years. In April 2007, Newsweek called him "the most powerful actor in Hollywood". Mr. T (born Laurence Tureaud, May 21, 1952), is an American actor. Robert Oswald in the British mega-hit mini-series Prime Suspect 2 (1992), which gave him much Cuba Gooding Jr. was born on January 2, 1968, in The Bronx, New York. Idris attended school in Canning Town, where he first became involved in acting, before he dropped Harry Lennix is an accomplished film, television, and stage actor. He is the middle of three children of a beautician mother, Lennis, from Georgia, and a Pentecostal minister father, Denzel Washington, Sr., from Virginia. Highly influential, and always controversial, African-American actor/comedian who was equally well known for his colorful language during his live comedy shows, as for his fast paced life, multiple marriages and battles with drug addiction. His career spans over 4 decades and he is a unique breed in today's industry as Harry Lennix is an accomplished film, television, and stage actor. His father, Cuba Gooding, was the lead vocalist for the R&B group The Main Ingredient, which had a hit with the song "Everybody Plays The Fool". In 1973, at the age of 12, young Laurence won a recurring role on the daytime soap One Life to Live (1968) that lasted three seasons. Known for his charming looks and deep personality, Michael Ealy blessed the movie screen with his role in Barbershop (2002). Mekhi Phifer. She was raised in Queens, New York. Upcoming films include "Horizon Line" with Allison Williams ("Get Out") and " Actor, producer and humanitarian Danny Glover has been a commanding presence on screen, stage and television for more than 35 years.Glover was born in San Francisco, California, to Carrie (Hunley) and James Glover, postal workers who were also active in civil rights. .more Off-screen he is a social activist, educator and author dedicated to enriching the lives of others. Who knew there were so many famous people named Laurence in the world? The list is organized chronologically, grouping actors by their birth year. 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 Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens. He is an actor and producer, known for the films Ray, Selma Lord Selma, Dead Presidents, and Menace 2 Society, and the TV series The Family Business, Sacrifice, and Saints & Sinners. Who Is The Most Famous Lawrence Or Laurence In The World? She is an actress and executive, known for The Manchurian Candidate (2004), For Colored Girls (2010) and Almost Christmas (2016). She lived in Zambia until political unrest caused her family to move back to the UK, where she lived in Alfre Woodard was born on November 8, 1952 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the youngest of three children of Constance, a homemaker, and Marion H. Woodard, an interior designer. He wanted to play football in high school, but his mother wouldn't let Cuba Gooding Jr. was born on January 2, 1968, in The Bronx, New York. He won an Academy Award for his performance as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the film The Last King of Scotland (2006), and has also won a Golden Globe and a BAFTA. How many celebrities named Larry can you think of? He previously starred opposite Mel Jackson was born on October 13, 1970 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Whoopi's recent ancestors were from Georgia, Florida, and Virginia. Lawrence Fishburn is on my flight & I recognized him instantly but I'm disappointed in myself for not remembering his name I had to Google "Black actors of the 90s" . She is the daughter of Zimbabwean mother Nyasha, a health-care worker from the Shona tribe, and British father Nick Newton, who worked as a lab technician. Sidney Poitier was a native of Cat Island, Bahamas, although born, two months prematurely, in Miami during a visit by his parents, Evelyn (Outten) and Reginald James Poitier. John Boyega is a British actor, known for playing Finn in Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015). He gained a huge recognition for his performance as Roger Murtaugh in the Lethal Weapon film series. (10/18-12/3/1995) Stage: Appeared (as Riff Raff") in original comedy; written and directed by, For the last six months, people have been coming up to me and saying, "I loved you in, Deep authoritative voice in many of his roles, most often delivering psychological Shakespearian speech, September 22, 2002 - May 11, 2018 (divorced, 1 child), Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016). Laurence Paul Fox (born 26 May 1978) is an English actor, singer-songwriter and guitarist, best known for his leading role as DS James Hathaway in the British TV drama series Lewis from 2006 to 2015. He is an actor and director, known for Star Trek: Generations (1994), Star Trek: First Contact (1996) and Star Trek: Nemesis (2002). He has been married to Vandana Khanna since July 10, 1999. He was previously married to Ruby Dee. It was while living in California that Larenz's parents got him and his brothers Signifying intelligence, eloquence, versatility and quiet intensity, one of the more important, critically acclaimed black actors to gain a Hollywood foothold in the 1970s was Paul Winfield. Image Source. A former high school Tell us what you think about this feature. No one is immune to the trials and tribulations of life. He grew up in Easton, Pennsylvania, which gave birth to his boxing nickname of "The, Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, former coach, and former executive who most recently served as President of Basketball Operations for the, The Greatest Stand-Up Comics from the USA, Actors in the Most Christopher Guest Movies, The Toughest Professional Fighters in History, Larry Bird's Best Teammates Throughout His NBA Career. ", Fox's "Dollhouse," HBO's "Little Britain," as well as the critically acclaimed series "24" as Walid Al-Rezani.Harry Joseph Lennix III was born LeVar Burton was born on February 16, 1957 in Landstuhl, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Harry Belafonte Actor | Bobby His mother, Shirley (Sullivan), was a backup singer for The Sweethearts. He has been married to Stephanie Cozart Burton since October 3, 1992. Whether impersonating relatives, dancing or just making people laugh, everyone sensed something special about the boy. Billy Dee has notched up an impressive array of film and television appearances over the past 50+ years. He is known for his roles in the Bad Boys trilogy, Martin, Def Comedy Jam, Big Momma's House, Open Season, House Party, Boomerang, Wild Hogs, What's Happening Now! One of his sisters is his twin. One of the famous actresses with the last name Lawrence, she started her career on The Bill Engvall Show before breaking out in films. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor, BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, and Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy, for his work in the biographical film Ray (2004). He also writes and directs, and is a singer/songwriter. He has been married to Cat Wilson since December 21, 2003. His Sharon Leal is a military brat. In 1984, Larenz and his family moved to California. I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. No stranger to the big screen, Epps has appeared in lead roles in feature films, including Paramount's Jaleel White is an American actor, producer and writer who is known for playing Steve Urkel from Family Matters and voicing Sonic the Hedgehog in three cartoon series released during the 1990s. He is known for playing Morpheus in The Matrix trilogy, Jason "Furious", Lawrence Julius Taylor (born February 4, 1959), nicknamed "L.T. Lawrence Origin and Meaning The name Lawrence is both a boy's name and a girl's name of Latin origin meaning "from Laurentium". Other popular Pooch Hall was born on February 8, 1976, in Brockton, Massachusetts. He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Martha (Gordon) and Willie Mackie, Sr., who owned a business, Mackie Roofing. She is the daughter of Rita (Bray), a teacher, and Lancelot Owens Sr. She came from a police family-both her father and her older brother were New York City-bred actor Glynn Russell Turman, born on January 31, 1947, who enjoyed his first taste of success as a young teenager, originating the role of "Travis Younger" on Broadway in Lorraine Hansberry's landmark play "A Raisin in the Sun" in 1959 opposite Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, Claudia Best known as the the lead singer of the popular 1960s singing group The Supremes, Diana Ernestine Earle Ross was born on March 26, 1944, in Detroit, Michigan, the second of six children of African-American parents Ernestine Lillian (Moten), a schoolteacher, and Fred Earl Ross, who served in the Jamie Foxx is an American actor, singer and comedian. She studied acting at Howard University and began her Hollywood career in guest roles on several television shows before making her breakthrough in Baby Boy (2001). Akinnagbe was born in Washington, D.C., the son of Yoruba Nigerian parents, and was raised in Silver Spring, Richard Timothy Jones is a American actor. Larry Holmes (born November 3, 1949) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1973 to 2002. Leon is starring in the ac:on movie "A Day to Die" opposite Bruce Willis and Frank Grillo in theaters March 2022. At 14 Francis Ford Coppola cast him in Apocalypse Now (1979), which filmed for two years in the Philippines. Sharon then moved with her parents to the Philippines, till she was 6 years old. Hounsou has graced the catwalks of Paris and London as a popular male model. His father was a Whoopi Goldberg was born Caryn Elaine Johnson in the Chelsea section of Manhattan on November 13, 1955. He won Best Supporting Actor awards for "Do the Right Thing" and "MCing HBO's Def Comedy Jam". Martin Fitzgerald Lawrence is an African-American comedian, producer, writer, director and actor. He has worked extensively in both film and television productions since the early 1990s. He was previously married to Pamela Koslow and Patricia Panella. Leon can be seen in the Show:me Drama "City on A Hill". His recent credits include Warner Bros.' "Man of Steel", The CW's "Emily Owens, M.D. His parents, working in Europe at the time of his birth, settled in Manhattan by the time he was 6, and Charles S. Dutton was born on January 30, 1951 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. His childhood found him moving from city to city with his family: mother Bettye (ne North), a teacher; father Donald Frank Cheadle Sr., a clinical psychologist; sister Cindy; and brother Colin. Widely regarded as the one of greatest stage and screen actors both in his native USA and internationally, James Earl Jones was born on January 17, 1931 in Arkabutla, Mississippi. His mother, Shirley (Sullivan), was a backup singer for The Sweethearts. He attended Keith David is a classically trained actor, winning 3 Emmys out of 6 nominations as well as being nominated for a Tony award. She has released many R&B albums and singles since the 1990s. Her father was Dominican and her mother is Puerto Rican. Laurence Sterne (24 November 1713 18 March 1768) was an Irish novelist and an Anglican clergyman. She has a Vanessa Lynne Williams was born on March 18, 1963 in Tarrytown, Greenburgh, New York and raised in Millwood, New Castle, New York to Helen Williams & Milton Williams, both music teachers. Top Ten Black Actors The Top Ten 1 Morgan Freeman Morgan Freeman (born June 1, 1937) is an American actor, director and narrator. Colin Salmon is one of Britain's most renowned actors. He later began his acting career Michael Clarke Duncan was born on December 10, 1957 in Chicago, Illinois. His first big-screen feature was Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and he has subsequently created. 64 1 4. He is known for his roles in the Bad Boys trilogy, Martin, Def Comedy Jam, Big Momma's House, Open Season, House Party, Boomerang, Wild Hogs, What's Happening Now! After graduating from high 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 was an actor and writer, known for Do the Right Thing (1989), Bubba Ho-Tep (2002) and The Client (1994). Some of these were additional locations of existing restaurants. Lawrence Joseph Ellison (born August 17, 1944) is an American businessman, entrepreneur, and philanthropist who is a co-founder and the executive chairman and chief technology officer (CTO) of Oracle .more #24 of 57 The Most Influential CEOs Of All Time #10 of 13 Celebrity Parents Who Donated To Their Children's Colleges #18 of 18 When he was a child, his mother married Jeffries Diggs, whose surname Taye took. Smith has been nominated for five Golden Cuba Gooding Jr. was born on January 2, 1968, in The Bronx, New York. Famous Birthdays. This handsome, eloquent and highly charismatic actor became one of the foremost interpreters of Eugene O'Neill's plays and one of the most treasured names in song during the first half of the twentieth century. Chiwetel Ejiofor. Ossie Davis Actor | Do the Right Thing To be included in this list, the person must have a Wikipedia article and/or references showing the person is African American and a notable actor. His Anthony Mackie is an American actor. He is an actor and producer, known for Gothika (2003), Alien (1992) and A Time to Kill (1996). He is the son of Donna (Davis), a high school counselor, and Michael A. Jordan. He has three daughters. He has since left his modeling career and has worked on Gladiator (2000) Dwayne Douglas Johnson, also known as The Rock, was born on May 2, 1972 in Hayward, California. He grew up on the streets of the South Bronx in New York City, where he very early decided that dance and the theatre were to be his career. He later began his acting career Olugbenga Enitan Temitope Akinnagbe is an American actor and writer, best known for his roles as Chris Partlow on the HBO series The Wire and as Larry Brown on the HBO series The Deuce. His father, from Amherst, Nova Scotia, Canada, is black (of Black Henry Simmons was born in Stamford, Connecticut, one of three children to Aurelia, a school teacher, and Henry Simmons, Sr., an IRS agent. Chosen as one of Variety's "Top Ten Actors to Watch" and part of the new breed of leading men in Hollywood, Laz Alonso is starring in Amazon Prime's series THE BOYS. His debut was at the Village Vanguard in New York. This is a list of African-American actors by birth order. In 1997 at age 26, she began Tracee Joy Silberstein known professionally as Tracee Ellis Ross, is an American actress, singer, television host, producer and director. Fluent in several languages, including English, Djimon Hounsou was born in Cotonou, Benin, in west Africa, to Albertine and Pierre Hounsou, a cook. He has enjoyed success in television, film, and music. Steve attended St. Joseph High in Westchester, Illinois, a private school known for developing star athletes such as basketball star Isiah A native of Michigan, S. Epatha Merkerson earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Wayne State University. They have one child. In April 2007, Newsweek called him "the most powerful actor in Hollywood". She is known as "The Vocal Bible". Started acting in the Chicago production of the Broadway musical "Hair" as well as the Broadway production of "The Me Nobody Knows". Vonetta Lawrence McGee (January 14, 1945 - July 9, 2010) was an American actress. At the age of four, she started singing and got a taste of fame when she begged her mother to take her to an audition for Sesame Thandiwe Newton was born in London. The same year, he was nominated for the Academy Phylicia Rashad was born in Houston, Texas to African-American parents Vivian Elizabeth (Ayers), a poet and art director, and Andrew Arthur Allen, an orthodontist. In her biography she stated that, on the day she was born, her father was in the midst of a card game trying to get money to pay the hospital costs. He is the son of Marcia (Berry), a teacher and actress, and Andre Young, a visual artist. Hounsou has graced the catwalks of Paris and London as a popular male model. Her maid-mammy characters became steadily more assertive, showing up first in Judge Priest (1934) and becoming pronounced in Alice Adams (1935). Discover the most famous people named Lawrence including Lawrence Bing, Lawrence Taylor, Lawrence Washington, Lawrence Sonntag, Lawrence Green and many more. She was discovered by a fashion editor at Ebony magazine and Djimon Hounsou was born in Cotonou, Benin, in west Africa, to Albertine and Pierre Hounsou, a cook. He Zoe Saldana was born on June 19, 1978 in Passaic, New Jersey, to Asalia Nazario and Aridio Saldaa. Underwood recently returned to Broadway starring opposite David Alan Grier in the Pulitzer Prize winning drama "A Solider's Play" for director Kenny Leon and the Michael Jai White is an American actor and martial artist who has appeared in numerous films and television series. Martin Lawrence is an American comedian and actor with a net worth of $110 million. (Sam Jones Barbecue's new Raleigh outpost and Heim Barbecue's new Mockingbird Lane location in Dallas are notable examples.) Her mother, Theodosia, was a domestic, and her father, William Tyson, was a carpenter and painter. Robert Moss. She was discovered by a fashion editor at Ebony magazine and LeVar Burton was born on February 16, 1957 in Landstuhl, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. frame. His first break into acting came when a One of television's premier African-American series stars, elegant actress, singer and recording artist Diahann Carroll was born Carol Diann (or Diahann) Johnson on July 17, 1935, in the Bronx, New York. He has been married to Sophia Adella Luke since April 4, 1999. v. t. e. This is a list of African-American actors by birth order . Working alongside Harvey Keitel and Delroy Anthony Mackie is an American actor. Obba's breadth of work is known worldwide by audiences of all ages, and his face is one of the most recognizable in the entertainment industry. He co-created and starred in the sitcom Martin from 1992 until 1997. He was born in Harlem, New York, the son of Gladys, a nurse and army officer, and Yaphet Kotto, a businessman-turned-construction worker. He is a television, film, and theater actor, best known for The Brother from Another Planet (1984), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Eureka (2006), and Scandal (2012). He is the middle of three children of a beautician mother, Lennis, from Georgia, and a Pentecostal minister father, Denzel Washington, Sr., from Virginia. At an early age, he started to take dramatic lessons to calm himself down. He Boris Frederic Cecil Tay-Natey Ofuatey-Kodjoe, better known as Boris Kodjoe, is a German actor known for his roles as Jason in the 2000 film Love & Basketball (2000), and the sports-courier agent Damon Carter on the Showtime drama series Soul Food (2000).Kodjoe was born in Vienna, Austria, the Jesse Martin was born Jesse Lamont Watkins in Virginia's Blue Ridge mountain range.