Best African-American Comedians

1. Richard Pryor

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. He has been acknowledged by many modern comic artist's as ...

2. Eddie Murphy

Actor | The Nutty Professor

Edward Regan Murphy was born April 3, 1961 in Brooklyn, New York, to Lillian Lynch (born: Lillian Laney), a telephone operator, and Charles Edward Murphy, a transit police officer who was also an amateur comedian and actor. After his father died, his mother married Vernon Lynch, a foreman at a ...

3. Craig Robinson

Actor | This Is the End

Craig Robinson is an African-American actor, singer, musician and comedian who is known for portraying Darryl Philbin from The Office, LeVar Brown from The Cleveland Show, Doug Judy from Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Cookie from Shrek Forever After, himself from This Is The End, and Nick Webber-Agnew from ...

4. Aisha Tyler

Actress | Archer

Aisha Tyler is an award-winning director, actor, comedian, New York Times bestselling author, podcaster and activist. She is an Emmy-winning television host and multiple award-winning voice actor for Archer (2009).

Aisha's feature directorial debut, Axis (2017), was shot in just seven days on ...

5. Samuel L. Jackson

Actor | Pulp Fiction

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), ...

He's mainly an actor but he does plenty of comedy.

6. Debra Wilson

Actress | Over the Hedge

Debra Wilson was born on April 26, 1962 in South Ozone Park, Queens, New York City, New York, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for Over the Hedge (2006), Batman: The Enemy Within (2017) and Scary Movie 4 (2006). She has been married to Cliff Skelton since April 8, 2006.

7. Tim Meadows

Actor | Mean Girls

Tim Meadows was born on February 5, 1961 in Highland Park, Michigan, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Mean Girls (2004), The Ladies Man (2000) and Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007). He was previously married to Michelle Taylor.

8. Dave Chappelle

Writer | Chappelle's Show

Dave Chappelle's career started while he was in high school at Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC where he studied theatre arts. At the age of 14, he began performing stand-up comedy in nightclubs. Shortly after graduation, he moved to New York City where he quickly established ...

9. Aries Spears

Actor | Jerry Maguire

Chicago native Aries Spears discovered his comedic abilities at the young age of 14, when he started doing his own comedy routine around his hometown. By the age of 17, he landed a part in the movie Home of Angels (1995), starring Abe Vigoda, Sherman Hemsley and Joe Frazier. Spears' additional film...

10. Wayne Brady

Actor | Foodfight!

Wayne Brady was born in Columbus, Georgia and lived in Orlando, Florida. At 16, Brady had already decided on a career in the military. Little did he know that a chance performance in a high school play would garner him not only rave reviews but also permanently alter his long-range plans. Soon, he ...

11. Mike Yard

Writer | Urban Scout

Mike Yard is known for Urban Scout (2019), Thanksgiving (2016) and Inside Amy Schumer (2013). He was previously married to Mia Amber Davis.

12. Keenen Ivory Wayans

Writer | White Chicks

The trail-blazing linchpin of a sprawling family dynasty of comic entertainers, it was multi-talented writer/director/producer Keenen Ivory Wayans (born June 8, 1958, in New York City) who led the familial pack and was the first to achieve national prominence when he successfully created, launched,...

13. Larry Wilmore

Writer | The Bernie Mac Show

Larry Wilmore was born in Los Angeles and grew up in suburban Pomona. He graduated from Damien High School in La Verne in 1979. He studied theatre at California State Polytechnic University but dropped out because he wanted to get his Actors' Equity Association card and begin his career as a ...

14. Kevin Hart

Actor | Ride Along

Kevin Darnell Hart is an African-American comedian and actor who is known for his roles in the Jumanji sequels including Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) and Jumanji: The Next Level (2019), Undeclared (2001), Scary Movie 3 (2003), Think Like a Man (2012), Ride Along (2014), The Secret Life of ...

15. Damon Wayans

Writer | My Wife and Kids

A tall (6'2"), sly, cueball-domed comedian of film and television satire, Damon Wayans hit outrageous 90's TV stardom playing various wise guys and streetwise slick characters on older brother Keenen Ivory Wayans' landmark, black-oriented TV sketch comedy In Living Color (1990). The show was pretty...

16. Phil LaMarr

Actor | Pulp Fiction

A Los Angeles native, Phil is a graduate of Harvard-Westlake School, Yale University and The Groundlings Theater and is perhaps best known as one of the original cast members of Mad TV (1995) and as Marvin in Pulp Fiction (1994).

In addition to numerous appearances on stages across the country, in ...

17. Patrice O'Neal

Actor | 25th Hour

O'Neal was born in New York in 1969, but moved to Boston when he was just 1 year old. He was educated at West Roxbury High School and went on to attend Northeastern University, both in Boston. After this, various jobs followed including a sausage cart vendor at a train station, flower seller and ...

18. David Alan Grier

Actor | Joe Pickett

David Alan Grier was born in Detroit, Michigan, to Aretas Ruth (Dudley), a schoolteacher, and William Henry Grier, a psychiatrist and writer. He trained in Shakespeare at Yale University, where he received an MFA from the Yale School of Drama.

Grier began his professional career on Broadway as ...

19. Michael Winslow

Actor | Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol

Michael Winslow was born on September 6, 1958 in Spokane, Washington, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol (1987), Spaceballs (1987) and Police Academy 3: Back in Training (1986). He was previously married to Sharon Larrieu, Angela Baytops and Belinda ...

20. Chris Rock

Actor | Top Five

Christopher Julius Rock was born in Andrews, South Carolina and raised in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York. He is the son of Rosalie (Tingman), a teacher and social worker for the mentally handicapped, and Julius Rock, a truck driver and newspaper deliveryman, whose own father was a preacher.

...

21. Maya Rudolph

Actress | Bridesmaids

Maya Rudolph was born on July 27, 1972 in Gainesville, Florida, to Richard Rudolph, a music producer, and soul singer Minnie Riperton. Her mother was African-American and her father is Ashkenazi Jewish (from a family from Lithuania, Russia, Germany, and Hungary). In 1973, Maya, her parents, and her...

22. Anthony Anderson

Actor | The Departed

Anthony Anderson is an American actor, comedian and game show host who is known for playing Louis Booker from Kangaroo Jack, Glen Whitmann from Transformers, Ray Ray from The Proud Family and Antwon Mitchell from The Shield. He also acted in Blackish, Hoodwinked, The Departed, Agent Cody Banks 2 ...

23. Tommy Davidson

Actor | In Living Color

Davidson started his career as a stand-up comedian in Washington DC, earning an ardent following with sheer hard work in various comedy clubs. As one of the cutting-edge, young stand-ups, he was spotted by major concert promoters, who booked him as the opening act for A-list touring acts, including ...

24. Will Smith

Producer | The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

Willard Carroll "Will" Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, comedian, producer, rapper, and songwriter. He has enjoyed success in television, film, and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him "the most powerful actor in Hollywood". Smith has been nominated for five Golden ...

Another comedian-turned-dramatic actor.

25. Queen Latifah

Actress | Chicago

Often considered hip-hop's first lady, the woman behind the moniker Queen Latifah was born Dana Elaine Owens on March 18, 1970, in East Orange, New Jersey. 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 ...

26. Whoopi Goldberg

Actress | Ghost

Whoopi Goldberg was born Caryn Elaine Johnson in the Chelsea section of Manhattan on November 13, 1955. Her mother, Emma (Harris), was a teacher and a nurse, and her father, Robert James Johnson, Jr., was a clergyman. Whoopi's recent ancestors were from Georgia, Florida, and Virginia. She worked in...

27. Rashida Jones

Actress | Parks and Recreation

Rashida Jones was born in Los Angeles, California, the younger daughter of media mogul, producer, and musician Quincy Jones and actress Peggy Lipton. She has an older sister, Kidada Jones, and five half-siblings by her father's other relationships. Her father is African-American and her mother is ...

28. Keegan-Michael Key

Actor | Keanu

Keegan-Michael Key was born in Southfield, Michigan and raised in Detroit. He was adopted as a child by a black father and a white mother. In 1989, he graduated from Shrine Catholic High School in Royal Oak, Michigan. Key attended the University of Detroit Mercy as an undergraduate and earned his ...

29. Kenan Thompson

Actor | Saturday Night Live

Kenan Thompson was born on May 10, 1978 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Saturday Night Live (1975), Snakes on a Plane (2006) and Good Burger (1997). He has been married to Christina Evangeline since November 11, 2011. They have two children.

30. Terry Crews

Actor | Idiocracy

Terry Crews was born in Flint, Michigan, to Patricia and Terry Crews Sr. He earned an art excellence scholarship to attend Western Michigan University and also earned a full-ride athletic scholarship to play football. Crews was an All-Conference defensive end, and was a major contributor on the ...

Another actor who does both dramatic and comedic works.

31. Garrett Morris

Actor | Coneheads

Garrett Morris was born on February 1, 1937 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Coneheads (1993), Saturday Night Live (1975) and How High (2001). He has been married to Freda Morris since September 20, 1996.

32. Robert Townsend

Producer | Hollywood Shuffle

Robert Townsend transcends any medium he touches whether he's performing stand up, acting, writing, directing, producing, or running a television network. A Chicago native, Townsend is often referred to as one of the "Godfathers" of the Independent Film World." With over 30 years in the business, ...

33. Leslie Jones

Actress | Ghostbusters

Leslie Jones is an American actress and comedienne from Memphis, Tennessee who is known for playing in Saturday Night Live, Trainwreck, Sing, Top Five, Lottery Ticket, Coming 2 America, Masterminds and The Angry Birds Movie 2. She played Patty Tolan in the 2016 reboot of Ghostbusters, directed by ...

34. Jordan Peele

Writer | Nope

Jordan Peele is an Oscar- and Emmy-winning director, writer, actor, producer, and founder of Monkeypaw Productions. Peele's first feature film, "Get Out," was a critically acclaimed blockbuster, recognized with four Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. The film would earn Peele the ...

35. Dean Edwards

Actor | Spider-Man 3

Dean Edwards was born on July 30, 1970 in The Bronx, New York City, New York, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Spider-Man 3 (2007), Top Five (2014) and Goyband (2008).

36. Deon Cole

Actor | Black·ish

Deon Cole was born on January 9, 1972 in Roseland, Cook County, Chicago, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Black-ish (2014), The Harder They Fall (2021) and Barbershop: The Next Cut (2016).

37. Paul Mooney

Actor | Bamboozled

Paul Mooney was born on August 4, 1941 in Shreveport, Louisiana, USA. He was a writer and actor, known for Bamboozled (2000), Brewster's Millions (1985) and Pryor's Place (1984). He was married to Yvonne Mooney. He died on May 19, 2021 in Oakland, California, USA.

38. Ellen Cleghorne

Actress | Armageddon

Ellen Cleghorne was born on November 29, 1965 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for Armageddon (1998), Little Nicky (2000) and Coyote Ugly (2000).

39. Charlie Murphy

Actor | Norbit

Charlie Murphy was born on July 12, 1959 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Norbit (2007), Night at the Museum (2006) and Chappelle's Show (2003). He was married to Tisha Taylor Murphy. He died on April 12, 2017 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, ...

40. Jay Pharoah

Actor | Saturday Night Live

Jay Pharoah was born on October 14, 1987 in Chesapeake, Virginia, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Saturday Night Live (1975), Unsane (2018) and White Famous (2017).

41. Alfonso Ribeiro

Actor | The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

Alfonso Ribeiro was born in New York on September 21, 1971. Alfonso's family is from Trinidad & Tobago. Although rumor has been that he is of Dominican descent, he has stated in an interview that this is false. Neither he nor his family are from the Dominican Republic; they originate from Trinidad ...

42. Malcolm-Jamal Warner

Actor | The Cosby Show

Emmy-nominated actor and director Malcolm-Jamal Warner was born in Jersey City, New Jersey. He was named after Malcolm X and legendary jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal.

Warner first rose to national prominence by starring on the celebrated and long-running classic television series "The Cosby Show." His ...

Also, mainly does drama nowadays but back in the day it was mainly comedy based sketches.

43. Reggie Reg

Actor | I Got the Hook Up 2

Reginald Muhammad (Reggie Reg) is an actor and comedian, but he's best known for his many impressions, which have been seen on BET's Comic View, HBO's PDiddy Presents The Bad Boys of Comedy, Live in Hollywood with Keke Sheppard, Bill Bellamy's Who's Got Jokes, Jamie Foxx's Laffapalooza and the #1 ...

44. Jerry Minor

Actor | Drillbit Taylor

Jerry Minor was born on October 4, 1969 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Drillbit Taylor (2008), Saturday Night Live (1975) and Melvin Goes to Dinner (2003).

45. Don Cheadle

Actor | Crash

Donald Frank Cheadle was born in Kansas City, Missouri, on November 29, 1964. His childhood found him moving from city to city with his family: mother Bettye (née North), a teacher; father Donald Frank Cheadle Sr., a clinical psychologist; sister Cindy; and brother Colin. After graduating from high...

Another dramatic personal who occasionally does scene-stealing comedy.

46. Wendell Pierce

Actor | The Wire

Wendell Edward Pierce is an American actor and businessman. He is known for roles in HBO dramas such as Detective Bunk Moreland in The Wire and trombonist Antoine Batiste in Treme; as well as portraying James Greer in Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan, high-powered attorney Robert Zane in Suits, and Michael ...

Ditto.

47. Morgan Freeman

Actor | Driving Miss Daisy

With an authoritative voice and calm demeanor, this ever popular American actor has grown into one of the most respected figures in modern US cinema. Morgan was born on June 1, 1937 in Memphis, Tennessee, to Mayme Edna (Revere), a teacher, and Morgan Porterfield Freeman, a barber. The young Freeman...

Ditto again!

48. Michael Clarke Duncan

Actor | The Green Mile

Michael Clarke Duncan was born on December 10, 1957 in Chicago, Illinois. Raised on Chicago's South Side by his single mother, Jean, a house cleaner, Duncan grew up resisting drugs and alcohol, instead concentrating on school. He wanted to play football in high school, but his mother wouldn't let ...

Ditto once more!

49. Ving Rhames

Actor | Pulp Fiction

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. A good student, Ving entered the New York High School of Performing Arts, where he discovered his love of acting. He studied ...

Ditto!

50. 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 ...

Ditto (surprised?).

51. Dennis Haysbert

Actor | Far from Heaven

Dennis Haysbert was born on June 2, 1954 in San Mateo, California, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Far from Heaven (2002), 24 (2001) and Heat (1995). He was previously married to Lynn Griffith and Elena Simms.

Ditto; again, he's more reknown for his serious material but in comedy shows and films which he's a supporting character, he will steal the spotlight.

52. Michael Jai White

Actor | Black Dynamite

Michael Jai White is an American actor and martial artist who has appeared in numerous films and television series. He is the first African American to portray a major comic book superhero in a major motion picture, having starred as Al Simmons, the protagonist in the 1997 film Spawn. White ...

Ditto!

53. Jamie Foxx

Actor | Collateral

Jamie Foxx is an American actor, singer and comedian. 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). The same year, he was nominated for the Academy...

Ditto again.

54. Ernie Hudson

Actor | Ghostbusters

As a child growing up in Benton Harbor, Michigan, Ernie Hudson wrote short stories, poems and songs, always thinking that his words might one day come to life on stage. After a short stint in the Marine Corps, he moved to Detroit where he became the resident playwright at Concept East, the oldest ...

Ditto!!!!

55. Lester Speight

Actor | Faster

Lester Speight is a film and television actor best known for his portrayal of Terry Tate: Office Linebacker in a series of Reebok commercials that first aired during Super Bowl XXXVII in 2003. The spots feature Speight, a former All-American Football player himself, as a linebacker charged with the...

Ditto.

56. Laurence Fishburne

Actor | The Matrix

Critically hailed for his forceful, militant, authoritative figures and one of Hollywood's most talented and versatile performers, Laurence (John) Fishburne III has been the recipient of numerous awards, including a number of NAACP Image honors.

Born in Augusta, Georgia on July 30, 1961, to Hattie ...

Ditto once more! Don't believe me? Didn't care for his movie roles? I suggest you see Pee-Wee's Playhouse and Black-ish.

57. Andre Braugher

Actor | Homicide: Life on the Street

Many actors have attempted to crack both genres of drama and comedy. Few have succeeded, among them the genial Andre Braugher (pronounced 'Ahn-drey Braw-ger'). A two-time Emmy Award winner, he is especially remembered for two seminal roles: as the intense, often explosive Detective Frank Pembleton ...

Ditto.

58. Damon Wayans Jr.

Actor | Big Hero 6

Damon Wayans Jr. was born at his grandmother's home in Vermont, in November 1982, and was raised in Los Angeles. He is the son of Lisa Thorner and actor Damon Wayans.

He made his film debut at age 11 in the 1994 film "Blank Man" playing the role of young Kevin. Later, Damon pursued his early passion...

59. Kadeem Hardison

Actor | A Different World

Kadeem Hardison was born on July 24, 1965 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. He is an actor and director, known for A Different World (1987), White Men Can't Jump (1992) and Drive (1997). He was previously married to Chanté Moore.

60. Mike Epps

Actor | Resident Evil: Apocalypse

Mike Epps was born on November 18, 1970 in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004), Friday After Next (2002) and The Hangover (2009). He has been married to Kyra Robinson Epps since June 23, 2019. They have two children. He was previously ...

61. Chris Tucker

Actor | Rush Hour 2

At one point in time, Chris Tucker was the highest-paid actor in Hollywood.

Tucker was born in Atlanta, Georgia, to Mary Louise (Bryant) and Norris Tucker, who owned a janitorial service. After graduating from high school, Tucker made a change to move to Hollywood from Georgia to pursue a career in ...

Again, he varies from audience to audience but when he's got his act together, he can get a fair share of laughs from the audience.

62. Tracy Morgan

Actor | 30 Rock

Tracy Morgan is an African-American comedian and actor from New York City who is known for playing Tracy Jordan from 30 Rock, Luiz from the Blue Sky Studios Rio franchise, Tray Barker from The Last O.G. and several roles on Saturday Night Live. He also was in Scoob, Fist Fight, G-Force, The ...

Ditto.

63. Bernie Mac

Actor | The Bernie Mac Show

Bernard Jeffrey McCollough was born in 1957 in Chicago, the son of Mary McCullough and Jeffery Harrison. He grew up in the city, in a rougher neighborhood than most others, with a large family living under one roof. This situation provided him with a great insight into his comedy, as his family, ...

64. Redd Foxx

Actor | Sanford and Son

Redd Foxx began doing stand-up comedy on the infamous "Chitlin' Circuit" in the 1940s and 1950s. Foxx was one of the premier "blue humor" comedians. Blue humor was very dirty, too dirty for white audiences. For years his party albums were not available in white record stores. In the 1960s his ...

65. Sinbad

Actor | Jingle All the Way

Sinbad was born in Benton Harbor, Michigan to two parents, Louise and the Baptist Rev. Dr. Donald Beckley Adkins and was then known as David Adkins. He is primarily known as an actor and somewhat a writer and proved his comedic acting style in House Guest (1994), Jingle All the Way (1996), First ...

Varies but has had some interesting stand-up in recent years.

66. Cedric The Entertainer

Actor | Barbershop

Cedric the Entertainer is an African-American comedian and actor known for being one of the Original Kings of Comedy. He is also known for his roles in the Barbershop trilogy, the Madagascar trilogy, The Steve Harvey Show, Ice Age, Planes, The Soul Man and The Neighborhood. He has had three ...

67. Danitra Vance

Actress | The War of the Roses

Danitra Vance was born on July 13, 1954 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. She was an actress, known for The War of the Roses (1989), Jumpin' at the Boneyard (1991) and Miami Vice (1984). She died on August 21, 1994 in Markham, Illinois, USA.

68. DJ Jazzy Jeff

Actor | The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

DJ Jazzy Jeff was born on January 15, 1965 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990), Strange Days (1995) and The Parent Trap (1998). He has been married to Lynette C. Jackson since July 31, 2010. They have two children.

69. Nyima Funk

Actress | Key and Peele

Nyima Funk was born on March 22, 1975 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for Key and Peele (2012) and Teachers (2016). She has been married to Joshua Funk since November 25, 2000. They have two children.

70. Joseph Marcell

Actor | The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

Joseph Marcell was born on August 14, 1948 in St. Lucia, Caribbean. He is an actor and director, known for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990), The Exorcism of God (2021) and The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019). He has been married to Joyce T. Walsh since June 1995. They have one child. He was ...

71. James Avery

Actor | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Although known as the uncle/patriarch and judge "Philip Banks" on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990), James Avery was a classically trained actor and scholar. A native of Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA, he joined the US Navy after graduating high school and served in Vietnam from 1968 to 1969. Upon...

The great Uncle Phil didn't do much comedy outside of that role but alas he must be on this list nevertheless.

72. Xosha Roquemore

Actress | Precious

Xosha Roquemore was born on December 11, 1984 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for Precious (2009), G.B.F. (2013) and The Disaster Artist (2017).

73. Retta

Actress | Parks and Recreation

Retta was born in Newark, New Jersey, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Parks and Recreation (2009), Fracture (2007) and The Lego Ninjago Movie (2017).

74. Donald Faison

Actor | Scrubs

Donald Faison was born on June 22, 1974 in New York City, New York, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Scrubs (2001), Clueless (1995) and Skyline (2010). He has been married to Cacee Cobb since December 15, 2012. They have two children. He was previously married to Lisa Askey.

75. Yvonne Hudson

Actress | Saturday Night Live

Yvonne Hudson is known for Saturday Night Live (1975) and Motown Returns to the Apollo (1985).

76. Garrett Morris

Actor | Coneheads

Garrett Morris was born on February 1, 1937 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Coneheads (1993), Saturday Night Live (1975) and How High (2001). He has been married to Freda Morris since September 20, 1996.

77. Kevin Michael Richardson

Actor | Mortal Kombat

Well-known, king-sized actor and voice artist Kevin Michael Richardson was born in Bronx, New York. He is, perhaps, mostly recognizable for his deep voice, which he uses in many of his works.

Richardson is a classically trained actor. He first gained recognition as one of only eight U.S. high school...

Primarily a voice actor but still does mainly comedic roles and occasionally live-action material.

78. Gary Anthony Williams

Actor | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows

Gary Anthony Williams is an African-American actor, comedian and writer from Atlanta, Georgia who is known for playing Uncle Ruckus from The Boondocks, Bebop from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows and Tarik Jackson from Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle. He is married to Leslie ...

Ditto!

79. Ice-T

Actor | New Jack City

The legendary gangsta hip-hop emcee Ice-T was born Tracy Marrow on February 16, 1958, in Newark, New Jersey. He moved to Los Angeles, California, to live with his paternal aunt after the death of his father while he was in the sixth grade; his mother had died earlier when he was in the third grade....

Again, primarily a serious rapper-turned-actor but he does plenty of witty retorts, comedic one-liners and other amusing segments.

80. Ice Cube

Soundtrack | Friday

Ice Cube was born in South Central Los Angeles, to Doris (Benjamin), a custodian and hospital clerk, and Hosea Jackson, a UCLA groundskeeper. He first came to public notice as a singer and songwriter with the controversial and influential band N.W.A. His compositions with that group included many ...

Ditto.

81. Coolio

Soundtrack | Dangerous Minds

With over 17 million records sold worldwide, Grammy award-winning and multi-platinum recording artist Coolio is an artist known around the world as a musical and cooking master of extraordinary reinvention. Growing up during the time of tremendous change in Compton, Calif., Coolio fed on struggle ...

Ditto; while some may argue he's funny for the wrong reasons, he has done some intentionally hilarious bits.

82. J.B. Smoove

Actor | Spider-Man: Far from Home

Jerry Angelo Brooks is an American comic actor and writer who acted in various works including Spider-Man: Far From Home and No Way Home, Curb Your Enthusiasm, High on Life, Barbershop: The Next Cut, Mr. Deeds, Harley Quinn, Def Comedy Jam and Saturday Night Live. He's been married to his wife ...

83. Leslie David Baker

Actor | The Office

Leslie David Baker is an African-American actor from Chicago, Illinois who is widely known for playing the pretzel and crossword puzzle loving worker Stanley Hudson from The Office. He also acted in Raven's Home, Vivo, The Happytime Murders, Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie, Key & Peele, ...

84. 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 (...

85. George D. Wallace

Actor | Minority Report

George D. Wallace was born in New York and, at age 13, moved with his mom and her new husband to McMechen, West Virginia, a coal mining town where the boy began working in the mines. He joined the Navy in 1936, got out in 1940, and then went right back in again when World War II started. A chief ...

86. Jessica Williams

Actress | Shrinking

Jessica Renee Williams, born July 31, 1989 in Los Angeles County, California, is an American actress and comedian. She is best known for her work as a senior correspondent on The Daily Show, where she was the youngest correspondent ever at the age of twenty-two, and as co-host of the podcast 2 Dope...

87. Gina Yashere

Actress | Bob Hearts Abishola

This dynamic young comedienne hailing from London via Nigeria has taken the comedy world by storm since her debut. In a few short years, she has become one of the most sought after comics in the country, making numerous appearances on Television, radio and the big screen.

This former lift engineer's...

88. Luke Youngblood

Actor | Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Luke Youngblood was born on June 12, 1986 in Westminster, London, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001), Community (2009) and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002).

89. Donnell Rawlings

Actor | Spider-Man 2

Donnell is a force both on and off the stage as a comedian, actor, podcaster, and this year, Donnell debuted his first Netflix stand-up special A NEW DAY which was produced by his long-time friend Dave Chappelle.

This is one of four specials Dave is producing for Netflix who stated, "I've been doing...

90. Michael Che

Writer | Saturday Night Live

Michael Che was born on May 19, 1983 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA. He is a writer and actor, known for Saturday Night Live (1975), War (2007) and Top Five (2014).

91. Niecy Nash

Actress | Reno 911!

Niecy Nash was born on February 23, 1970 in Palmdale, California, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Reno 911! (2003), Guess Who (2005) and Claws (2017). She has been married to Jessica Betts since August 29, 2020. She was previously married to Jay Tucker and Don Nash.

92. Arsenio Hall

Actor | Coming to America

Arsenio Hall was born on February 12, 1956 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. He is a producer and actor, known for Coming to America (1988), Harlem Nights (1989) and Coming 2 America (2021).

93. David Spates

Actor | Sofa King Funny

David Spates is a multi-talented producer, actor, and director. He was discovered by his first agent while he was performing stand-up comedy and quickly began landing roles on films and television shows. Ironically for years he played dramatic roles so to keep his comedic edge sharp he wrote four ...

94. Andrew Bachelor

Actor | When We First Met

Over the last few years, Andrew Bachelor, better known as King Bach, has quickly parlayed from one of the most influential names on the internet to being an in-demand actor, producer, and content creator. His comedy has spawned national catchphrases, captured a global audience, and has launched him...

95. Romany Malco

Actor | Weeds

The first US-born member of his West Indian family, Brooklyn-bred Romany Malco began his career at the age of seven, when he picked up a microphone and started rapping. As a teen he moved to Texas and formed the rap group R.M.G., and upon relocating to Los Angeles, the crew signed a deal to Virgin ...

96. Jeremy Tardy

Actor | 68 Whiskey

Jeremy Tardy is an actor, director and musician from Milwaukee, WI. Jeremy got his start working in professional theater at First Stage Children's Theater where he performed in several plays and musicals, making a name for himself in the Milwaukee area. Jeremy went on to study at The Juilliard ...

97. Pierre Bernard Jr.

Actor | Stargate SG-1

Pierre Bernard Jr. is known for Stargate SG-1 (1997), Conan (2010) and 2014 MTV Movie Awards (2014).

Conan O'Brien's skit performer.

98. Kevin Daniels

Actor | Not Another Church Movie

Kevin Daniels was born on December 9, 1976 in San Diego, California, USA. He is an actor, known for Not Another Church Movie (2024), Will Trent (2023) and Frasier (2023).

99. Guy Torry

Actor | American History X

Guy Torry is a native of St. Louis, Missouri. Known as "Torry" by college friends, Guy attended Southeast Missouri State University, the alma mater of fellow comedian and St. Louisan, Cedric The Entertainer. His comic genius was evident to fellow students during these college years. Guy often held ...

100. DeRay Davis

Actor | 21 Jump Street

Born and raised on the south side of Chicago, comedian-turned-actor DeRay Davis can most recently be "scene" starring opposite Taraji P. Henson's "Cookie Lyons" as her go-to hitman/cousin "Jermel" in seasons 1 and 2 of the Lee Daniels and Danny Strong, creative collaboration, Empire on the FOX ...