Hollywood has inspired the acting and fashion industries all around the world. Some of the most desirable male celebrities, like Idris Elba and Daniel Kaluyaa, are black actors. These actors are among the most desirable men in the world.
It is said that dark-skinned males are the most attractive! And it’s understandable why there are several black performers worldwide who, thanks to their skill on film, are even more alluring. It was challenging to limit the list to just 30 since it is rather lengthy. But we made every effort.
The hot chocolate black performers have entertained us all with their incredible acting abilities, whether on the big or little screen. They are talented characters, overcoming prejudices and discrimination about skin color to achieve great success in the Hollywood movie capital.
1. Idris Elba

Full Name | Idrissa Akuna Elba |
Date of Birth | September 6, 1972 |
Place of Birth | London, England |
Occupation | Actor, producer, disc jockey, rapper, singer |
Idrissa Akuna Elba OBE who is an English actor. He is most recognized for his roles as Nelson Mandela in the historical film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, Stringer Bell in HBO’s The Wire, and DCI John Luther in BBC One’s Luther. He graduated from London’s National Youth Theatre. For Luther, he was nominated four times for the Primetime Emmy Award and for Outstanding Lead Actor and once for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor, winning the latter.
2. Michael B. Jordan

Full Name | Michael Bakari Jordan |
Date of Birth | February 9, 1987 |
Place of Birth | Santa Ana, California, U.S. |
Occupation | Actor, producer |
Actor and producer Michael Bakari Jordan is American. He is well-known for his performances as the gunshot victim Oscar Grant in the Ryan Coogler-written and -directed drama Fruitvale Station, boxer Adonis Creed in Creed, and Erik Killmonger in Black Panther. In Creed II and Creed III, which will also be his directorial debut, Jordan resumed his role as Creed.
3. Denzel Washington

Full Name | Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. |
Date of Birth | December 28, 1954 |
Place of Birth | Mount Vernon, New York, U.S. |
Occupation | Actor, director, producer |
Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. is an American actor and director. He has been regarded as an actor who reconstructed “the concept of classic movie fame”. He has garnered numerous honors, including a Tony Award, Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, and two Silver Bears. In 2016, he earned the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award, The New York Times ranked him the finest actor of the twenty-first century. Washington earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2022.
Washington is one of only five male performers to be considered for an Academy Award in five distinct decades. He received the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for Fences in 2010 and produced, directed, and starred in the film adaptation.
4. Chadwick Boseman

Full Name | Chadwick Aaron Boseman |
Date of Birth | November 29, 1976 |
Died | August 28, 2020 |
Occupation | Actor, playwright |
Chadwick Aaron Boseman was an American actor who rose to prominence in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the Marvel Comics superhero Black Panther (MCU). He won two Screen Actors Guild Awards, a Critics’ Choice Movie Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and was nominated for an Academy Award. He was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2016 and continued to perform until his death from the disease in 2020. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, his final film, was released posthumously the following year to critical acclaim.
5. Mahershala Ali

Full Name | Mahershalalhashbaz Gilmore |
Date of Birth | February 16, 1974 |
Place of Birth | Oakland, California, U.S. |
Occupation | Actor |
American actor Mahershala Ali. He has won numerous honors, such as two Academy Awards, a Golden Globe, and a Primetime Emmy. Before landing his breakthrough role as Richard Tyler in the science fiction series The 4400, he started his career as a regular on television shows like Crossing Jordan and Threat Matrix. He played his first significant movie role. He became more well-known thanks to his supporting performances in House of Cards and the last two installments of The Hunger Games movie series.
For his roles as a drug dealer in the drama Moonlight and as Don Shirley in the comedy-drama Green Book, he was honored with the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He is the second Black actor to win multiple acting Oscars and the first Muslim actor to do so. He also appeared in the first season of the Netflix series Luke Cage as Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes.
6. Terrence Howard

Full Name | Terrence Dashon Howard |
Date of Birth | March 11, 1969 |
Place of Birth | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
Occupation | Actor, rapper, singer, producer |
American actor, rapper, singer, and producer Terrence Dashon Howard also performs music. Between 2004 and 2006, a string of television and movie appearances helped him break into the mainstream. For his performance in Hustle & Flow, he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. He has had major roles in several more films, including Ray, Winnie Mandela, Lackawant to Blues, Four Brothers, Crash, Big Momma’s House, Biker Boyz, Get Rich or Die Tryin’, Idlewild, The Brave One, August Rush and Prisoners. Shine Through It, his debut album, was published in 2008.
He declared his acting retirement in September 2019. However, in February 2021, it was revealed that he would feature in the British sci-fi/thriller film Beneath.
7. Billy Porter

Full Name | William Ellis Porter II |
Date of Birth | September 21, 1969 |
Place of Birth | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Occupation | Actor, singer, writer |
William Ellis Porter II is a singer, songwriter, and director from the United States. For role as Lola in Kinky Boots, he won the 2013 Tony Award, as well as the Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, and Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. He starred in all three seasons of Pose, for which he received three Golden Globe nominations and won the Primetime Emmy Award. He was named to Time’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2020. With the romantic comedy film Anything’s Possible, he made his directorial debut in 2022.
8. Sterling K. Brown

Full Name | Sterling Kelby Brown |
Date of Birth | April 5, 1976 |
Place of Birth | St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
Occupation | Actor |
Sterling Kelby Brown is an actor from the United States. He has received numerous awards, including three Primetime Emmys and a Golden Globe. He was named to Time magazine’s list of the world’s 100 most influential people in 2018.
Brown has played Christopher Darden in FX’s limited tv show The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story and Randall Pearson in NBC’s drama series This Is Us. Both roles garnered him Primetime Emmy nominations, with the latter also earning him a Golden Globe nomination. He also appeared in the films Black Panther and Waves as a supporting actor, and in 2019 he appeared in the Amazon Prime comedy series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
9. Omari Hardwick

Full Name | Omari Latif Hardwick |
Date of Birth | January 9, 1974 |
Place of Birth | Savannah, Georgia |
Occupation | Actor |
Omari Latif Hardwick is an American actor best known for his roles as James “Ghost” St. Patrick in Starz’s Power and Vanderohe in Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead. He is also known for his roles in Spike Lee’s Miracle at St. Anna, Kick-Ass, Tyler Perry’s For Colored Girls, and as Andre in BET Network’s Being Mary Jane.
10. Trevante Rhodes

Full Name | Trevante Nemour Rhodes |
Date of Birth | February 10, 1990 |
Place of Birth | Ponchatoula, Louisiana, U.S. |
Occupation | Actor |
Trevante Nemour Rhodes is an actor from the United States. He received numerous honors and plaudits in 2016 for his work as Chiron in the Academy Award-winning picture Moonlight. Since then, he has appeared in films such as The Predator, Bird Box, and The United States vs. Billie Holiday. He was a talented track and field sprinter in his childhood, achieving a gold medal at the Pan American Junior Athletics Championships.
11. Daniel Kaluuya

Full Name | Daniel Kaluuya |
Date of Birth | February 24, 1989 |
Place of Birth | London, England |
Occupation | Actor |
Daniel Kaluuya is a well-known British actor. He has won numerous awards, including an Academy Award, two BAFTAs, and a Golden Globe. He began his acting career in improvisational theatre and starred in Skins as Posh Kenneth. He went on to gain attention for his television roles in the Doctor Who special episode “Planet of the Dead”, Psychoville, The Fades, and the Black Mirror episode “Fifteen Million Merits”. He also appeared in Johnny English Reborn, Kick-Ass 2, and Sicario as a supporting actor.
In 2017, he made his breakthrough as the lead in Jordan Peele’s horror film Get Out, for which he received an Academy Award.
12. David Oyelowo

Full Name | David Oyetokunbo Oyelowo |
Date of Birth | April 1, 1976 |
Place of Birth | Oxford, Oxfordshire, England |
Occupation | Actor, director, producer |
David Oyetokunbo Oyelowo OBE who is a British actor, producer, and director. He became well-known for his performances as Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma and Peter Snowdin in Nightingale. He has also appeared in the films The Help, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Lincoln, Red Tails, and Jack Reacher as a supporting actor. He has portrayed MI5 officer Danny Hunter in Spooks and Javert in Les Misérables on television. In the Lucasfilm Animation tv show Star Wars Rebels, he also provided the voice of Agent Alexsandr Kallus.
13. John Boyega

Full Name | John Adedayo Bamidele Adegboyega |
Date of Birth | March 17, 1992 |
Place of Birth | London, England |
Occupation | Actor, producer |
John Adedayo Bamidele Adegboyega is a British actor and producer. He rose to prominence in his native Britain for role as Moses in the sci-fi comedy film Attack the Block. His international breakthrough arrived with role as Finn in the Star Wars sequel films The Last Jedi, The Force Awakens, and The Rise of Skywalker. His other films include the drama Imperial Dreams, the historical epic The Woman King, and the thriller Breaking. In 2016, he won the BAFTA Rising Star Award and the Trophée Chopard at the Cannes Film Festival.
In 2020, New African magazine named him one of the top 100 most influential Africans.
14. Leslie Odom Jr.

Full Name | Leslie Lloyd Odom Jr. |
Date of Birth | August 6, 1981 |
Place of Birth | New York City, U.S. |
Occupation | Actor, singer |
Leslie Lloyd Odom Jr. is a singer and actor from the United States. He made his Broadway debut in 1998 and rose to prominence for his portrayal of Aaron Burr in the musical Hamilton, for which he received a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical and a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album the same year. His work in the Disney+ live stage recording of Hamilton garnered him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Leading Role in a Limited Series or Movie.
15. Aldis Hodge

Full Name | Aldis Alexander Basil Hodge |
Date of Birth | September 20, 1986 |
Place of Birth | Onslow County, North Carolina, U.S. |
Occupation | Actor |
Alexander Aldiss Basil Hodge is an actor from the United States. Among his notable parts are Alec Hardison in TNT’s Leverage, MC Ren biopic Straight Outta Compton, Levi Jackson film Hidden Figures, Noah in WGN America’s Underground, Matthew in Girlfriends, and Jim Brown in the 2020 feature One Night in Miami…. In the DC Extended Universe, he plays Carter Hall / Hawkman, beginning with Black Adam (2022).
16. Joe Morton

Full Name | Joseph Thomas Morton Jr. |
Date of Birth | October 18, 1947 |
Place of Birth | Harlem, New York, U.S. |
Occupation | Actor |
An American actor who works in theater, television, and movies is Joseph Thomas Morton Jr..
The son of Evelyn, a typist, and Joseph Thomas Morton Sr., a U.S. Army intelligence officer, Morton was born in Harlem. He spent some of his formative years in West Germany and Okinawa as a result of his father’s military career. Morton’s father passed away when he was ten years old.
Morton attended Hofstra University to study acting after graduating from Andrew Jackson High School.
17. Brian Tyree Henry

Full Name | Brian Tyree Henry |
Date of Birth | March 31, 1982 |
Place of Birth | Fayetteville, North Carolina, U.S. |
Occupation | Actor |
Brian Tyree Henry is an American actor. He became well-known for his part as Alfred “Paper Boi” Miles in the FX comedy-drama Atlanta, for which he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in a Comedy Series.
Although Henry was reared primarily in Washington, D.C., he was really born in Fayetteville, North Carolina. While Willow Dean Kearse, his mother, was a teacher, his father served in the military. Early in the 2000s, Henry was a business major at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, before switching to acting. He then earned his master’s at Yale School of Drama.
18. Jordan Peele

Full Name | Jordan Haworth Peele |
Date of Birth | February 21, 1979 |
Place of Birth | New York City, U.S. |
Occupation | Actor, comedian, filmmaker |
Jordan Haworth Peele is an actor, comedian, and filmmaker from the United States.
Peele is derived from the colonial Woodhull family, which includes Brigadier General Nathaniel Woodhull and Culper Ring Spy Abraham Woodhull, through his mother, Lucinda Williams (the latter of whom is his first cousin, 8 times removed).
Jordan Peele has explored every aspect of comedy, production, directing, writing, and acting in his quest for recognition. He is most known for his role in the comedy sketch show “Key and Peele,” in which he co-stars with Keegan Michael Key and portrays a number of identities. The critically acclaimed film “Get Out,” directed by Peele, is caustic and slightly mocking.
19. Winston Duke

Full Name | Winston Duke |
Date of Birth | November 15, 1986 |
Place of Birth | Argyle, Saint Paul, Trinidad and Tobago |
Occupation | Actor |
Winston Duke is an actor from Trinidad and Tobago. He made his feature film debut as M’Baku in Black Panther (2018) and is most recognized for playing the character in four Marvel Cinematic Universe features.
Duke appeared in minor roles in plays and television series such as Person of Interest and Modern Family. He played M’Baku in four Marvel Studios films as well as Jordan Peele’s horror feature Us (2019). Duke’s most recent appearance was as M’Baku in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022).
20. Jay Ellis

Full Name | Wendell Ramone Ellis Jr. |
Date of Birth | December 27, 1981 |
Place of Birth | Sumter, South Carolina, U.S. |
Occupation | Actor |
Wendell Ramone “Jay” Ellis Jr. is an American actor. Ellis landed his first significant role on BET’s The Game in 2013. He is a prominent cast member on HBO’s Insecure, which aired in 2016. Also played the secondary antagonist in the horror thriller Escape Room, and he featured in Top Gun: Maverick.
His father served in the Air Force, while his mother, Paula Bryant-Ellis, was a financial professional. He is the only child in the family. He attended 12 schools in 13 years before enrolling at Concordia University in Oregon, where he played basketball.
21. Lakeith Stanfield

Full Name | LaKeith Lee Stanfield |
Date of Birth | August 12, 1991 |
Place of Birth | San Bernardino, California, U.S. |
Occupation | Actor, musician |
LaKeith Lee Stanfield is a musician and actor from the United States. He made LaKeith’s feature film debut in Short Term 12, for which he received an Independent Spirit Award nomination.
Karen is the name of his mother. He has remarked that he “grew up very impoverished in a fragmented home that was dysfunctional on both sides”. When he was 14, he decided to become an actor after joining his high school’s theater club. In Los Angeles, he attended the John Casablancas Modeling and Career Center, where he was hired by an agency and began competing for commercials.
22. Ncuti Gatwa

Full Name | Mizero Ncuti Gatwa |
Date of Birth | October 15, 1992 |
Place of Birth | Kigali, Rwanda |
Occupation | Actor |
Mizero Ncuti Gatwa is a Scottish-Rwandan actor.
The family fled Rwanda during the 1994 massacre against the Tutsi and landed in Scotland. They were residents of Edinburgh and Dunfermline. Gatwa went to Boroughmuir and Dunfermline High Schools before coming to Glasgow to study at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Acting in 2013. During the class of 2022 graduation ceremony, the Conservatoire bestowed upon him an honorary Doctorate.
23. James Earl Jones

Full Name | James Earl Jones |
Date of Birth | January 17, 1931 |
Place of Birth | Arkabutla, Mississippi, U.S. |
Occupation | Actor |
James Earl Jones is a well-known American actor. Jones began his acting career at Manistee’s Ramsdell Theatre. He worked as a stage carpenter in 1953 and as an actor and stage manager between 1955 and 1957. He played Othello in his debut acting season at the Ramsdell. In his early career, he also appeared in the ABC radio anthology series Theatre-Five. In 1957, he made James’s Broadway debut as Lloyd Richards’ understudy in Molly Kazan’s short-lived comedy The Egghead. The play only ran for 21 performances, but three months later, in January 1958, Jones created the prominent character of Edward the butler in Dore Schary’s Sunrise on Campobello at the Cort Theatre.
24. Forest Whitaker

Full Name | Forest Steven Whitaker |
Date of Birth | July 15, 1961 |
Place of Birth | Longview, Texas, U.S. |
Occupation | Actor, producer, director |
Forest Steven Whitaker is a well-known American actor. Among his many honors are an Academy Award, a British Academy, a Golden Globe Award, Film Award, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Whitaker is well-known for his humanitarian efforts and advocacy in addition to his acting profession. He was named a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador in 2011, and then promoted to Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation. He is also the CEO of the Whitaker Peace and a non-profit outreach organization, Development Initiative (WPDI).
25. Giancarlo Esposito

Full Name | Giancarlo Giuseppe Alessandro Esposito |
Date of Birth | April 26, 1958 |
Place of Birth | Copenhagen, Denmark |
Occupation | Actor |
Giuseppe Giancarlo Alessandro Esposito is an actor from the United States.
Giovanni “John” C. Esposito, an Italian stagehand and carpenter from Naples, and Elizabeth “Leesa” Foster, an African-American opera and nightclub singer from Alabama, gave birth to Giancarlo Giuseppe Alessandro Esposito in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Esposito’s family relocated to Manhattan when he was six years old. He got a two-year degree in radio and television communications from Elizabeth Seton College in New York.
26. Djimon Hounsou

Full Name | Djimon Gaston Hounsou |
Date of Birth | April 24, 1964 |
Place of Birth | Cotonou, Dahomey (present-day Cotonou, Benin) |
Occupation | Actor, model |
Djimon Gaston Hounsou is a model and actor of Beninese descent.
He and his brother, Edmond, moved to Lyon, France, when he was 12 years old. He dropped out of school soon after arrival and was homeless for a while. After meeting a photographer by coincidence, Hounsou was introduced to fashion designer Thierry Mugler, who urged her to pursue a modeling career. He became a model in 1987 and built a career in Paris. In 1990, he immigrated to the United States.
27. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje

Full Name | Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje |
Date of Birth | August 22, 1967 |
Place of Birth | Islington, London, England |
Occupation | Actor, director, fashion model, producer, writer |
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje is a former fashion model and English actor, director, and producer.
Akinnuoye-Agbaje currently resides in Los Angeles. He is a Nichiren Buddhist and a member of the international Buddhist organization Soka Gakkai.
Akinnuoye-Agbaje requested to be removed from Lost, stating a desire to travel to London after the deaths of his foster parents to create a film there. He is a fan of Arsenal F.C.
28. J. August Richards

Full Name | Jaime Augusto Richards III |
Date of Birth | August 28, 1973 |
Place of Birth | Washington, D.C., U.S. |
Occupation | Actor |
Jaime Augusto Richards III, sometimes known as J. August Richards, is an actor from the United States.
Richards’ ancestry is Afro-Panamanian. He was raised in Bladensburg, Maryland. Richards graduated in 1991 from the Visual and Performing Arts department at Suitland High School in Suitland, Maryland. He received a scholarship at the USC School of Dramatic Arts.
29. Damson Idris

Full Name | Damson Idris |
Date of Birth | September 2, 1991 |
Place of Birth | Peckham, London, UK |
Occupation | Actor |
Damson Idris is a British-Nigerian actor. He is the youngest of six children. He loved soccer and aspired to be the next Cristiano Ronaldo. He also played rugby, and in 2002, he shook Queen Elizabeth II’s hand during her Golden Jubilee celebrations. Idris’ elder siblings—three brothers and two sisters—have all gone on to successful professions in law, commerce, and information technology. He ended up studying theater at Brunel University London. He earned a BA Honours degree in Theatre, Film, and Television studies. He subsequently completed his education at Identity School of Acting in London, where he studied with John Boyega, Letitia Wright, and Malachi Kirby.
30. Jharrel Jerome

Full Name | Jharrel Jerome |
Date of Birth | October 9, 1997 |
Place of Birth | New York City, U.S. |
Occupation | Actor, musician |
Jharrel Jerome is a rapper and actor from the United States.
He is of Dominican heritage and considers himself to be Afro-Latino. He grew up in a close-knit household with “loving” parents. When he was in eighth school, his mother advised him to pursue acting, and he joined the Riverdale Children’s Theatre, a local child theater company. He went to and graduated from Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School and commuted to Manhattan by train every day.
31. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II

Full Name | Yahya Abdul-Mateen II |
Date of Birth | July 15, 1986 |
Place of Birth | New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
Occupation | Actor |
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is an actor from the United States.
A teammate that Mateen attend a theatrical class while he was at the University of California, Berkeley, where he was initiated as a member of Alpha Phi Alpha and competed as a sprinter for the California Golden Bears. That class helped him overcome his stutter. He earned a degree in architecture before working as a city planner in Saan Francisco. After being laid off from his employment, he took use of the chance to apply to drama schools, and he was accepted by New York University Tisch School of the Arts, Harvard University’s Institute for Advanced Theater Training, and Yale School of Drama.
32. Delroy Lindo

Full Name | Delroy George Lindo |
Date of Birth | November 18, 1952 |
Place of Birth | Lewisham, London, England |
Occupation | Actor |
Delroy George Lindo is an actor of English and American descent.
Lindo attended Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys after growing up in neighboring Eltham. He grew interested in acting as a child after performing in a school nativity play. Lindo and his mother relocated to Toronto, Ontario, when he was a youngster. They moved to San Francisco when he was 16. Lindo began his acting education at the American Conservatory Theater at the age of 24, graduating in 1979.
33. Nathan Stewart-Jarrett

Full Name | Nathan Lloyd Stewart-Jarrett |
Date of Birth | December 4, 1985 |
Place of Birth | London, England, UK |
Occupation | Actor |
Nathan Lloyd Stewart-Jarrett who is a British actor best known for his roles as Curtis Donovan in E4’s Misfits and Ian in Channel 4’s Utopia.
Stewart-Jarrett had his professional stage debut in Brixton Stories at the Lyric Hammersmith in a variety of roles, and he has also featured on stage in The History Boys. He appeared in the 2012 revival of Pitchfork Disney. He made his Misfits debut as Curtis Donovan in 2009. He was the show’s final remaining original Misfits cast member until he was written out during the fourth series in 2012. He appeared in the Utopia conspiracy thriller series.
34. Donald Faison

Full Name | Donald Adeosun Faison |
Date of Birth | June 22, 1974 |
Place of Birth | New York City, U.S. |
Occupation | Actor, comedian |
An American actor and comedian by the name of Donald Adeosun Faison.
His role as the witty Turk in the television medical drama “Scrubs” is what most people remember him for. He portrayed Murray, Dionne Davenport’s lover, in the TV series and the well-known movie “Clueless,” which starred Alicia Silverstone. Faison, a comedian by profession, manages to maintain a clean-shaven look with an unmatched level of finesse!
35. Jason Mitchell

Full Name | Jason Mitchell |
Date of Birth | January 5, 1987 |
Place of Birth | New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
Occupation | Actor |
Jason Mitchell is an actor from the United States.
Mitchell made his cinematic debut as a 7-Eleven cashier in Texas Killing Fields in 2011. In 2014, he played Compton rapper Eazy-E in the film F. Straight Outta Compton is a biopic directed by Gary Gray. He was nominated for several accolades, including the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. In 2016, he appeared in Keanu, a film starring Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, as well as Barack Obama’s Netflix biography.
36. Tone Bell

Full Name | Michael Anthony Bell II |
Date of Birth | August 10, 1983 |
Place of Birth | Decatur, Georgia, U.S. |
Occupation | Stand-up comedian, actor |
Tone Bell, born Michael Anthony Bell II, is an American stand-up comedian and actor.
He won the NBC Stand Up For Diversity Talent Search, shortly after arriving to Los Angeles, and was given a development deal by the network. In the NBC sitcom Whitney, he played “RJ,” the bartender, and later as “Tedward” in the NBC sitcom Bad Judge. Bell has also been in VH1’s Single Ladies, Comedy Central’s Key and Peele, Mean It with Whitney Cummings, ELove !’s You, and Game Show Network’s Mind of a Man, as well as hosting the inaugural season of MTV’s hidden camera show Jerks with Cameras.
37. Elijah Kelly

Full Name | Elijah Kelley |
Date of Birth | August 1, 1986 |
Place of Birth | LaGrange, Georgia, U.S. |
Occupation | Actor, singer, dancer |
Elijah Kelley is an American actor, singer, and dancer.
He was cast as musician Ricky Bell in the 2017 BET Biography Miniseries The New Edition Story. He was credited for his assistance in considering Luke James, a long-time musical associate of his, to audition for the makers of the miniseries to play bandmate Johnny Gill.
38. Kendrick Sampson

Full Name | Kendrick Sampson |
Date of Birth | March 8, 1988 |
Place of Birth | Houston, Texas, U.S. |
Occupation | Actor, activist |
Kendrick Sampson is an activist and actor from the United States.
Sampson had taken music lessons as a child. At the age of ten, Sampson exhibited an interest in acting after seeing a Gap commercial. Sampson was referred to the Kim Terry Studio in Texas after finding an agency. While attending Elkins High School, he began acting in theater performances. Sampson is a committed Christian.
39. Rotimi

Full Name | Olurotimi Akinosho |
Date of Birth | November 30, 1988 |
Place of Birth | Maplewood, New Jersey, U.S. |
Occupation | Actor, singer, model |
Rotimi is an American actor and singer whose real name is Olurotimi Akinosho Listen.
Rotimi auditioned for and received his first acting part on Boss as drug dealer Darius Morrison during his first acting trial. Rotimi also appeared in three episodes of Betrayal on ABC.
Rotimi made his feature film debut in Black Nativity. Following that, Rotimi starred in Imperial Dreams, which received “Best of NEXT” at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.
Rotimi next appeared in the box office success Divergent. He also appeared in the 2016 film Deuces alongside Lance Gross and Larenz Tate.
40. Nicco Annan

Full Name | Nicco Annan |
Date of Birth | May 7, 1989 |
Place of Birth | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
Occupation | Actor, dancer, choreographer |
Nicco Annan is a dancer, choreographer, and actor from the United States. He is most known for his role as Uncle Clifford in the Starz drama series P-Valley, which is an adaptation of the Katori Hall play Pussy Valley, which Annan invented.
He has always aspired to be an actor and has studied improv and theater since he was a child. He joined a dance ensemble when he was 17 years old. Annan graduated from Cass Technical High School and went on to study drama at State University of New York-Purchase, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.
41. Alano Miller

Full Name | Alano Herberto Miller |
Date of Birth | 1980 |
Place of Birth | Orlando, Florida, U.S. |
Occupation | Actor |
Alano Herberto Miller is an actor from the United States. He is most recognized for his role as Cato on WGN America’s short-lived drama series Underground.
Miller’s film career began with All Wifed Out in 2012. Miller rose to prominence after appearing in the 2016 film Loving. He was nominated for the 48th NAACP Image Award to Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture in December 2016.
Miller now lives in Pasadena, California.
After three months of courtship, he married fellow actor DeWanda Wise on June 26, 2009. Miller and Wise are both vegan.
42. Arinzé Kene

Full Name | Arinzé Mokwe Kene |
Date of Birth | 1987 |
Place of Birth | Lagos, Nigeria |
Occupation | Actor, playwright |
Arinzé Mokwe Kene MBE is a British actress and dramatist of Nigerian origin.
Growing up, Kene was bullied and was urged to take kickboxing instruction. He began his amateur kickboxing career at the age of 16 and went on to win two national titles. He retired from kickboxing at the age of 21 to pursue a career in acting.
43. Morgan Freeman

Full Name | Morgan Freeman |
Date of Birth | June 1, 1937 |
Place of Birth | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
Occupation | Actor, director, producer, narrator |
The actor, filmmaker, and narrator Morgan Freeman is American. In addition to playing a number of parts in a wide range of cinema genres, he is well renowned for his unique deep voice.
In addition, he likes doing good. Initially named as the Grenada Relief Fund, he launched what is today called “Plan It.” Assisting individuals trying to survive after a natural disaster is how Freeman uses the funds donated. Additionally, he has started a robust pro-education for women campaign.
44. Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine

Full Name | Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine |
Date of Birth | 1967 |
Place of Birth | New Hampshire, U.S. |
Occupation | Stage and film actor, playwright, photographer and documentarian |
Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine is a stage and cinema actor, dramatist, photographer, and documentarian from the United States.
Mwine’s first play, Biro, is a bare stage one-man piece about an HIV-positive Ugandan former rebel soldier who enters the US illegally for treatment. The play, which depicted the eponymous character’s 90-minute explanation to his lawyer about how he ended up in a Texas jail, opened in early 2003 at Uganda’s National Theatre. It was later performed in New York’s Joseph Papp Public Theater, as well as in Los Angeles, Seattle, London, and throughout Africa. Mwine completed the job in 2004 for several African leaders of state as well as then-UN General Secretary Kofi Annan.
45. Ludacris

Full Name | Christopher Brian Bridges |
Date of Birth | September 11, 1977 |
Place of Birth | Champaign, Illinois, U.S. |
Occupation | Rapper, actor, songwriter, record producer, record executive, aircraft pilot |
Christopher Brian Bridges, better known as Ludacris, is a rapper, actor, record producer, and record executive from the United States.
He graduated from Banneker High School in Atlanta, Georgia in 1995. He studied music management at Georgia State University from 1998 to 1999. Ludacris’ parents are both African Americans, and he also has English and Native American ancestors who are more distant. He is related to late comedian Richard Pryor. Ludacris wrote his first rap song at the age of nine after moving to Atlanta, Georgia, and three years later joined an amateur rap group.
46. Terry Crews

Full Name | Terry Alan Crews |
Date of Birth | July 30, 1968 |
Place of Birth | Flint, Michigan, U.S. |
Occupation | Actor, television host, football player |
Terry Alan Crews is a former American football player, actor, television personality, and artist.
He attended Interlochen Arts Academy for a summer before enrolling in Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo on an art scholarship. He tried out for the football team after his freshman year and received a full athletic scholarship.
47. Jamie Foxx

Full Name | Eric Marlon Bishop |
Date of Birth | December 13, 1967 |
Place of Birth | Terrell, Texas, U.S. |
Occupation | Actor, comedian, singer, record producer, songwriter |
Jamie Foxx, born Eric Marlon Bishop, is an American actor, comedian, and singer.
Foxx began playing the piano at the age of five. He grew up in a conservative Baptist household and was a part-time pianist and choir director at Terrell’s New Hope Baptist Church as a youngster. As a third grader, his inherent ability for cracking jokes was on display when his teacher used Jamie as a reward: if the class behaved well, Foxx would tell them jokes. He went to Terrell High School, where he excelled academically and played basketball and football. Jamie’s dream was to play for the Dallas Cowboys, as he was the first player in school history to throw for 1,000 yards.
48. Corbin Bleu

Full Name | Corbin Bleu Reivers |
Date of Birth | February 21, 1989 |
Place of Birth | Brooklyn, New York City, U.S. |
Occupation | Actor, singer, songwriter, dancer |
Corbin Bleu Reivers, commonly known as Corbin Bleu, is an American singer and actor.
Corbin appeared in his first professional theater show off Broadway, at The Town Hall, when he was six years old. Scott Siegel produced, wrote, and hosted this three-concert series, which took place over one weekend and included a homage to David Merrick. In the movie Tiny Tim is Dead, Corbin Bleu plays an abandoned homeless mute.
49. Damon Wayans Jr.

Full Name | Damon Kyle Wayans Jr. |
Date of Birth | November 18, 1982 |
Place of Birth | Huntington, Vermont, U.S. |
Occupation | Actor, comedian |
Damon Kyle Wayans Jr. is a comedian and actor from the United States.
Wayans made his cinematic debut in 1994, as Young Kevin in his father’s feature picture Blankman. He then starred as John, one of Junior’s buddies, on his father’s sitcom My Wife and Kids. He then became a staff writer for the show. In fact, Wayans Jr. was partially modeled on the character of Junior.
50. Drake

Full Name | Aubrey Drake Graham |
Date of Birth | October 24, 1986 |
Place of Birth | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
Occupation | Rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, businessman |
Drake rose to prominence as a rapper after signing with Young Money Entertainment. You’ll be surprised to learn that the owner of this record label is another well-known senior of Drake’s – veteran male rapper Lil Wayne.
The 35-year-old singer, composer, and actor may have had a rocky start in the entertainment industry. Nonetheless, his outstanding performance in the groundbreaking television series “Degrassi: The Next Generation” catapulted him to the top of the industry.
Everyone wishes to be as successful as Drake, who rose from a reserved adolescent to a powerful young man. He is at the top of our list because of his ethereal voice and impeccable appearance.