Black Actors on the rise

1. Zoë Kravitz

Zoë Kravitz has stood out in blockbuster big screen franchises such as The Batman, Mad Max and Fantastic Beasts and the celebrated EMMY Award-winning series Big Little Lies. She has captivated audiences in diverse group of acclaimed major motion picture films and notable independent releases.

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2. Lashana Lynch

Actress | No Time to Die

Lashana Lynch (born 27 November 1987) is a British actress. She plays the leading role of Rosaline in the ABC period drama series Still Star-Crossed.

Lynch is a graduate of the BA Acting course at ArtsEd drama school in London. She made her film debut in the 2011 drama film Fast Girls. She later ...

3. John Boyega

Actor | Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens

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 ...

4. Letitia Wright

Actress | Black Panther

With a career spanning over a decade, Emmy-nominated Letitia Wright has cemented her position as one of the industry's most captivating young actresses. From her breakout role as ambitious Summerhouse resident Chantelle in Top Boy, to her critically acclaimed performance as Nish in Black Mirror, ...

5. Cynthia Erivo

Actress | Harriet

Cynthia Erivo is an English actress, singer, and songwriter. She is the recipient of several accolades, including a Daytime Emmy Award, a Grammy Award, and a Tony Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Screen Actors Guild ...

6. Daniel Kaluuya

Actor | Get Out

Daniel Kaluuya is a British actor and writer. He is best known for Get Out (2017), Black Panther (2018) and for portraying Fred Hampton in Judas & The Black Messiah (2021).

He had a supporting role in Sicario (2015).

He also starred in the Black Mirror episode "Fifteen Million Merits".

For his work in...

7. Naomi Ackie

Actress | Lady Macbeth

Naomi Ackie was born on August 22, 1991 in Camden, London, England, UK. She is an actress and producer, known for Lady Macbeth (2016), Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker (2019) and Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (2022).

8. Jayden Fowora-Knight

Actor | The Nutcracker and the Four Realms

Jayden Fowora-Knight is known for The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018), Ready Player One (2018) and Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle (2018).

9. Justice Smith

Actor | The Get Down

Justice Elio Smith is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Franklin Webb in the 2018 science fiction film Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Tim Goodman in Pokémon Detective Pikachu and Theodore Finch in All the Bright Places. Smith was born in California. Smith graduated from the ...

10. Gugu Mbatha-Raw

Actress | Belle

Gugu Mbatha-Raw was born Gugulethu Sophia Mbatha in the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, England. Her father, Patrick Mbatha, is a Black South African doctor, and her mother, Anne Raw, is a Caucasian English nurse. Her parents separated when she was a year old, and she was brought up by her mother ...

11. Joivan Wade

Actor | The First Purge

Joivan Wade was born on August 2, 1993 in Lewisham, London, England, UK. He is an actor and producer, known for The First Purge (2018), Doctor Who (2005) and The Weekend (2016).

12. Ashton Sanders

Actor | Moonlight

Ashton Sanders was born on October 24, 1995 in Carson, California, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Moonlight (2016), The Retrieval (2013) and Captive State (2019).

13. Donald Glover

Actor | Solo: A Star Wars Story

The multi-talented Donald Glover is a writer, actor, musician, comedian, producer and director, who performs under the stage names Childish Gambino and mcDJ. He was born Donald McKinley Glover at Edwards Air Force Base, California, and was raised in Stone Mountain, Georgia. His mother, Beverly (...

14. William Nadylam

Actor | Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

William Nadylam is known for Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022), Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018) and Stillwater (2021).

15. Taylor Russell

Actress | Bones and All

Taylor Russell was born on July 18, 1994 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She is an actress and director, known for Bones and All (2022), Waves (2019) and The Heart Still Hums (2020).

16. Vinette Robinson

Actress | Sherlock

Vinette Robinson was born on March 4, 1982 in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Sherlock (2010), The A Word (2016) and Vera Drake (2004).

17. Michaela Coel

Actress | Chewing Gum

Michaela was born on October 1st 1987 as Michaela Boakye-Collinson to Ghanaian parents and brought up in Tower Hamlets by her mother, a devout member of the Pentecostal church who instilled her religion into Michaela and her sister - something that she would later draw on for her play 'Chewing Gum ...

18. Manny Jae

Actor | Bruno

British actor Manny Jae was born and raised in East London. He has trained in Arts Educational Schools London and Identity School of Acting.

When he was younger he actually wanted to become an engineer. But his love for movies kept on growing until one day he auditioned for drama school. He hasn't ...

19. Amandla Stenberg

Actress | The Hunger Games

Named for the Zulu and Xhosa word for "power," Amandla was born in Los Angeles, California, to Karen Brailsford, a writer, and Tom Stenberg, a businessman. Her mother is African-American and her father is Danish (and of part Inuit-Greenlandic ancestry).

In the summer and fall of 2010, she shot her ...

20. Arinzé Kene

Actor | The Pass

Quite possibly the most underrated and underexposed actor of his caliber in both theatre and screen, Arinze Kene's undeniable talent and ability to successfully bring to life any role he undertakes is on a par with the most praised and revered A-list actors in the business.

Kene was born in Lagos, ...

21. Carmen Ejogo

Actress | Selma

Carmen Elizabeth Ejogo was born in Kensington, London, England, to a Nigerian father and a Scottish mother. Her television career began in the United Kingdom in the early 1990s, where she presented the children's series Saturday Disney (1990). Subsequently, she has had an acting career in the ...

22. Paapa Essiedu

Actor | I May Destroy You

Paapa Essiedu was born on June 11, 1990 in Walthamstow, London, England, UK. He is an actor, known for I May Destroy You (2020), The Outrun (2024) and Men (2022).

23. Wunmi Mosaku

Actress | His House

Wunmi Mosaku was born on July 31, 1986 in Zaria, Nigeria. She is an actress, known for His House (2020), Lovecraft Country (2020) and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016).

24. Leemore Marrett Jr.

Actor | Three Little Birds

Leemore Marrett Jr. is known for Three Little Birds (2023), The Batman (2022) and My Name Is Leon (2022).

25. Zawe Ashton

Actress | Velvet Buzzsaw

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...

26. Christine Adams

Actress | Tron: Legacy

Film and television actress Christine Adams was born in London, United Kingdom.

She starred on several British and American films and television series since early 2000s.

On television, she is known for roles as "Katherine Williams Osgood" on the British miniseries, NY-LON (2004); "Simone Hundin" on ...

27. Ronke Adekoluejo

Actress | Been So Long

Ronke Adekoluejo is known for Been So Long (2018), Christopher Robin (2018) and Doctor Who (2005).

28. Theo Ogundipe

Actor | Top Boy

Theo Ogundipe is known for Top Boy (2011), The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (2019) and Wait for Me (2023).

29. Adrian Derrick-Palmer

Stunts | No Time to Die

Adrian Derrick-Palmer is known for No Time to Die (2021), Six Four (2023) and Enslaved (2020).

30. Leslie Odom Jr.

Actor | Hamilton

Leslie Odom Jr. was born on August 6, 1981 in New York City, New York, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Hamilton (2020), One Night in Miami... (2020) and Central Park (2020). He has been married to Nicolette Robinson since December 1, 2012. They have two children.

31. Sophie Okonedo

Actress | Hotel Rwanda

Sophie Okonedo is a British actress. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Tatiana Rusesabagina in Hotel Rwanda (2004).

Okonedo was born within London in 1968. Her parents were Henry Okonedo (1939-2009) and Joan Allman. Her father was British Nigerian ...

32. Fisayo Akinade

Actor | The Girl with All the Gifts

Fisayo Akinade was born December 28th 1987 in Liverpool, England. He trained at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. As well as his theatre work he is also known for Heartstopper(2022), Atlanta (2022), The Personal History of David Copperfield (2019), Cucumber/Banana (2015) and The Girl ...

33. Gloria Obianyo

Actress | Dune

Gloria Obianyo is known for Dune (2021), High Life (2018) and Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023).

34. Florence Kasumba

Actress | Captain America: Civil War

Born in Kampala, Uganda Florence Kasumba is a German actress living in Berlin. She is best known for her work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe productions Captain America: Civil War (2016), Black Panther (2018), Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021). She has ...

35. Eric André

Actor | The Eric Andre Show

Eric Samuel André is an American stand-up comedian, actor, producer, television host and writer. He is best known as the creator, host, and co-writer of the Adult Swim comedy series The Eric Andre Show (2012-present). He also played Mike on the FXX series Man Seeking Woman (2015-2017) and voiced ...

36. Hannah John-Kamen

Actress | Ant-Man and the Wasp

Hannah Dominique E. John-Kamen is a British actress. She is known for her roles as Dutch in the Syfy television series Killjoys, Ornela in the HBO series Game of Thrones, F'Nale Zandor in Steven Spielberg's Ready Player One, and Ghost in Ant-Man and the Wasp.

Hannah was born in Beverley, Yorkshire, ...

37. Kiersey Clemons

Actress | Dope

Kiersey Clemons was born December 17 in Pensacola, Florida. She grew up in a military family traveling the U.S before settling in Southern California with her parents and three sisters. Always having a love for theatre and performance, the actor/musician has quickly become known for the diverse and...

38. Jessica Sula

Actress | Split

Jessica Sula (born 3 May 1994)[1] is a British actress known for playing the character Grace Blood in the third generation of the British television series Skins and for her role in the M. Night Shyamalan-directed horror film Split (2016).

Sula was born in Swansea to Trinidadian mother Shurla Blades...

39. Kevin Layne

Actor | Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi

Kevin Layne was born in London to Allyson Williams MBE, a senior Midwife, and Vernon 'Fellows" Williams, an entrepreneur and pioneer of London's world-famous Notting Hill Carnival. Layne grew up in Wembley, northwest London, and regularly visited his parents' native Trinidad and Tobago. As a ...

40. Isaiah Mustafa

Actor | It Chapter Two

Isaiah Mustafa was born on February 11, 1974 in Portland, Oregon, USA. He is an actor and director, known for It Chapter Two (2019), Shadowhunters (2016) and Horrible Bosses (2011). He has been married to Lisa Mitchell since May 26, 2018.

41. Chosen Jacobs

Actor | It

Chosen Jacobs is definitely a rising star! Although new to Hollywood, he has always been able to entertain a crowd.

Chosen Jacobs is best known for his role as Mike Hanlon in the box office hit film, "IT Chapter One" and "IT Chapter Two". He has a recurring role on the hit CBS show "Hawaii Five-0," ...

42. Nathan Ives-Moiba

Actor | Roadkill

Nathan Ives-Moiba is known for Roadkill (2020), The Flood (2019) and Salting the Battlefield (2014).

43. JD McCrary

Actor | The Lion King

Jaydon McCrary (born July 18, 2007) is an American singer, dancer and actor. He is currently starring in The Paynes as Kenny Payne on the Oprah Winfrey Network. He starred in 2019's The Lion King as the voice of young Simba. He is signed to Hollywood Records and released his first extended play ...

44. Deobia Oparei

Actor | Dredd

Deobia Oparei was born on March 14, 1971 in London, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Dredd (2012), Doom (2005) and Dark City (1998).

45. O'Shea Jackson Jr.

Actor | Straight Outta Compton

O'Shea Jackson Jr. is an American actor and musician. O'Shea is the son of rapper Ice Cube and he portrayed his father in the 2015 biopic Straight Outta Compton (2015), which was his feature film debut.

His older brother Darrell is also a rapper under the name Doughboy, which is the nickname of the ...

46. Laz Alonso

Actor | Avatar

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. He can also be seen playing opposite Gabrielle Union and Jessica Alba in their new series LA'S FINEST. He previously starred opposite...

47. Jessie T. Usher

Actor | The Boys

Jessie was born in a leap year on 2/29/92. He leap his way through school earning academic excellence from elementary to college as a top honor student. He graduated high school as class salutatorian before moving straight to the Dean's List in college, studying culinary arts and earning the honor ...

48. Kadiff Kirwan

Actor | Slow Horses

Kadiff Kirwan is a British actor of stage and screen.

Kadiff Paterson Kirwan was born in Plymouth, Montserrat, to parents Matilda and Peter Kirwan. In July 1995, Montserrat's Soufrière Hills volcano, dormant for centuries, erupted and buried the island's capital, Plymouth, destroying its airport and...

49. Winston Duke

Actor | Black Panther

Winston Duke was born on November 15, 1986 in Trinidad and Tobago. He is an actor and producer, known for Black Panther (2018), Us (2019) and Nine Days (2020).

50. Keiynan Lonsdale

Actor | The Flash

Keiynan Lonsdale (born 19 December 1991) is an Australian actor, singer, and dancer. He is known for his role as Wally West aka Kid Flash in CW's 'The Flash' & 'Legends Of Tomorrow', Uriah in Lionsgate's 'The Divergent Series', and most recently Bram in the critically acclaimed FOX feature film '...

51. LaKeith Stanfield

Actor | Sorry to Bother You

LaKeith Lee Stanfield is an actor and rapper from Victorville, California. At the age of fifteen, LaKeith began attending the John Casablancas Modeling & Career Center in Orange County. A few years later, he auditioned for Destin Cretton's then college thesis film Short Term 12 (2008). Later, the ...

52. Jermaine Fowler

Actor | Sorry to Bother You

Jermaine Fowler was born on May 16, 1988 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Sorry to Bother You (2018), Coming 2 America (2021) and The Drop (2022).

53. John David Washington

Actor | Tenet

John David Washington is an American actor, producer, and former professional football player. He played college football at Morehouse College and signed with the St. Louis Rams as an Undrafted free agent in 2006. Professionally, Washington spent four years as the running back for the United ...

54. Michael Kenneth Williams

Actor | The Wire

Emmy-nominated actor and producer Michael Kenneth Williams was one of his generation's most respected and acclaimed talents. By bringing complicated and charismatic characters to life--often with surprising tenderness--Williams established himself as a gifted and versatile performer with a unique ...

55. Lance Reddick

Actor | John Wick

Incisive, intense, multi-talented American actor Lance Solomon Reddick was born in Baltimore, Maryland, the younger of two sons, to Solomon Reddick and public schoolteacher Dorothy Gee. Having opted initially for a career in music, he attended first the Peabody Preparatory Institute and the Walden ...

56. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II

Actor | Aquaman

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is an American actor. He portrayed David Kane, the Black Manta in the DC Extended Universe Aquaman films and Bobby Seale in the Netflix historical legal drama The Trial of the Chicago 7. For his portrayal of Cal Abar in the HBO limited series Watchmen, he won a Primetime Emmy ...

57. Shameik Moore

Actor | Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Born in Atlanta of Jamaican descent, Shameik Moore booked his first lead role of Malcolm in Rick Famuyiwa's Dope (2015), produced by Forest Whitaker and Nina Yang Bongiovi. The film, which is narrated by Forest Whitaker, also stars Tony Revolori, Kiersey Clemons, Zoë Kravitz, Kimberly Elise and A$...

58. Ray Fisher

Actor | Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire

Ray Fisher is an American actor with a career spanning both stage and screen.

In 2013, he was lauded for his portrayal of Muhammad Ali in the New York Theatre Workshop's Off-Broadway production of Will Power's 'Fetch Clay, Make Man.' In 2023, Fisher received a Drama Desk nomination for his portrayal...

59. William Catlett

Actor | Abigail

William Catlett is known for Abigail (2024), Constellation (2024) and A Thousand and One (2023).

60. Kingsley Ben-Adir

Actor | The OA

Kingsley Ben-Adir was born on November 20, 1986. He is an actor, known for The OA (2016), High Fidelity (2020) and Peaky Blinders (2013).

61. Ukweli Roach

Actor | Blindspot

Ukweli was born in 1986. Brought up in Woolwich by an English mother and Guyanese father - his name Ukweli means 'Truth' in Swahili, he applied for a law course at University but turned it down in favour of acceptance by London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, from where he graduated in 2009, ...

62. Rochelle Neil

Actress | Three Little Birds

Rochelle Neil is known for Three Little Birds (2023), The Nevers (2021) and Das Boot (2018).

63. Ella Balinska

Actress | Charlie's Angels

Actress Ella Balinska, known for her leading roles in Charlie's Angels (2019), Run Sweetheart Run (2020) and Resident Evil (2022), was born in London, UK and lives in Los Angeles, USA. Balinska trained and graduated at the Guildford School of Acting with honors, and acquired her combat skills at ...

64. Aaron Pierre

Actor | The Underground Railroad

A graduate of the prestigious LAMDA in London, Aaron Pierre is currently recording a lead role as Mufasa in Barry Jenkins' highly anticipated Lion King prequel for Disney. He played Caesar in Barry Jenkins' award-winning limited series The Underground Railroad for Amazon and also starred in M. ...

65. O-T Fagbenle

Actor | The Handmaid's Tale

O-T fagbenle is an Emmy nominated actor, director, writer and producer. From drama to comedy, writing, producing, and acting, O-T Fagbenle has become one of the most-watched talents in the entertainment industry today. He made history in 2020 by becoming the first person to create, write, direct, ...

66. Nina Toussaint-White

Actress | Kandahar

Nina Toussaint-White is an English actress. Toussaint-White was raised in Plumstead, south east London, Toussaint-White was educated at Plumstead Manor School and Negus Sixth Form Centre, and subsequently trained at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, Clapham, on their three-year B.A. acting ...

67. Babou Ceesay

Actor | Free Fire

Babou Ceesay is known for Free Fire (2016), Eye in the Sky (2015) and '71 (2014).

68. Aml Ameen

Actor | Yardie

The son of Caribbean parents, Aml Ameen shone in his breakout performance as Trife in the cult classic KIDULTHOOD, for which he was recognized as one of the Screen International's 2005 Stars of Tomorrow and nominated for Screen Nation's 2006 Best Newcomer award.

Ameen portrayed series regular Lewis ...

69. Lil Rel Howery

Actor | Vacation Friends 2

Comedian, actor, writer, and producer Lil Rel Howery is a movie star. His role as TSA agent Rod Williams in the Oscar-winning instant classic Get Out (2017), written and directed by Jordan Peele ushered Howery into superstar status. His keen ability to mesh humor and honor resonated so deeply with ...

70. Chance Perdomo

Actor | Gen V

Chance Perdomo was born on October 19, 1996 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Gen V (2023), After We Fell (2021) and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2018). He died on March 29, 2024 in New York, USA.