African Diaspora Actors & Actresses
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- Mahdi Cocci was born on 5 October 1980 in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. He is an actor, known for The Lovebirds (2020), She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022) and The Terminal List (2022).
- From sleeping in parks to drug addicted parents, writer, actor, model and motivational speaker, Monti Washington, has had quite a journey to living out his American Dream. Because of the constant change and frequent moving around as a foster child, Monti was determined to break the stigma and stereotypes of foster children and decided to take action to reaching his goals and following his dreams as a prestigious actor and motivational speaker. For nearly 8 years, Monti has had the pleasure of starring in independent films, as well as being featured in numerous commercials, and being awarded the opportunity to speak at more than 130 venues (including colleges and conferences) across the nation.
Monti has appeared on a number of television stations including CBS and Spike TV, and stars in a recurring role as Terrence in BET's newest drama series titled Games People Play. - Actor
- Producer
- Director
Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Barry Brewer began his career as a stand-up comedian in 2002. Originally getting his start performing at local churches, Brewer perfected his craft performing in comedy clubs throughout Chicago before moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting in 2004.
Brewer's early success came from televised comedy competitions such as Bill Bellamy's Who's Got Jokes on TV One alongside his peers, Tiffany Haddish and Lil Rel Howery, and BET's Coming to the Stage.
Brewer is best known for his stand-up comedy special Chicago I'm Home and Tyler Perry's Bruh. He recently had a recurring role on the BET series Games People Play and appeared in Kevin Hart's Netflix special, Kevin Hart's Guide to Black History.- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
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, not forgetting her scene-stealing turn as Shuri - lead scientist and Princess of Wakanda in Black Panther, Wright has played an integral role in what are arguably the most culture defining projects of the last ten years and whose impact is still felt to this day.
In 2019, Wright won the BAFTA Rising Star Award and a SAG Award as part of Black Panther's 'Best Ensemble'. The film grossed over $1.3B at the global box office and was nominated for a 2019 Academy Award for 'Best Picture' - a first for a superhero film. In 2020, Wright had repeated success with a starring role in Steve McQueen's anthology series, Small Axe, where she played British Black Panther Party leader, Altheia Jones-LeCointe. Wright's episode, "Mangrove", was included in the Cannes 2020 official selection and the series was nominated for 2 Golden Globes, including Best Television Motion Picture. Wrights performance in Small Axe also gained her a leading actress nomination at the 2021 BAFTA Television Awards.
Led by a passion to create meaningful content within the industry, Wright's creative endeavors extended behind the scenes with the launch of her independent production company 3.16 Productions in 2020. The company joined forces with BRON Studios for their first forthcoming feature, Surrounded, starring Wright, Jamie Bell and the late Michael K. Williams. Wright also flexed her production muscles in the BAFTA-nominated, female-led anthology series I Am for Channel 4, developing the powerful story line for her episode "I Am Danielle" in creative partnership with director Dominic Savage.
2022 is set to be Wright's biggest year yet with upcoming projects including The Silent Twins, Ireland-set drama, Aisha, written and directed by Frank Berry also starring Josh O'Connor; as well as the long-awaited sequel to the Marvel/Disney blockbuster - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
- Actress
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Lupita Amondi Nyong'o was born March 1, 1983 in Mexico City, Mexico, to Kenyan parents, Dorothy Ogada Buyu and Peter Anyang' Nyong'o. Her father, a senator, was then a visiting lecturer in political science. She was raised in Kenya. At age 16, her parents sent her back to Mexico for seven months to learn Spanish. She read film studies at Hampshire College, Massachusetts and, after working as a production assistant on several films, graduated from the Yale School of Drama's acting program. In 2013, she impressed cinema audiences in her film debut, as brutalized slave Patsey in acclaimed director Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave (2013). She was also the lead in MTV's award-winning drama series, Shuga (2009), appeared in the thriller Non-Stop (2014) and had roles in the big-budget films Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015) and The Jungle Book (2016).
Lupita's stage credits include playing "Perdita" in "The Winter's Tale", (Yale Repertory Theater), "Sonya" in "Uncle Vanya", "Katherine" in "The Taming of the Shrew", as well as being in the original production of Michael Mitnick's "Elijah".
Lupita played the female lead, Nakia, in the 2018 superhero film Black Panther (2018).- Actress
- Producer
Nathalie Emmanuel is an English actress, known for her role as Missandei on the HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones (2011) and Ramsey in Furious 7 (2015).
Nathalie was born in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England, to a father of Saint Lucian and English descent and a mother of Dominican origin. Nathalie credits her mother for the initial motivation to become an actress. At the age of 10, she played Young Nala in the West End production of The Lion King. In 2006, she made her television break by starring as Sasha Valentine in the teen soap opera Hollyoaks (1995). Emmanuel appeared on the show until 2010, her character's story-lines included prostitution, and heroin addiction.
Nathalie presented BBC Three's Web-sex: What's the Harm?, investigating the online sexual habits of 16-24 year-old in the UK. Later in the same year she made her film debut in the thriller Twenty8. The following year, she was cast as Missandei, Daenerys Targaryen's translator, in HBO's fantasy drama series Game of Thrones (2011). In 2015, Emmanuel was promoted to a regular cast member on the show. In the same year, she played computer hacker Ramsey in the action film Furious 7 (2015) and Harriet in the sci-fi sequel Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015).
FHM magazine ranked Emmanuel as 99th in their 100 Sexiest Women of 2013. In 2015, she appeared in the April issues of InStyle and GQ magazines.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Beautiful multi-talented Sheila Guyse was a popular, well-loved figure on the stage and screen of the Dorothy Dandridge era. Some critics even felt she was a better actress than Dandridge, some said if Sheila ever decided to go to Hollywood, she would give her a run for her money. She appeared in three independent black films, "Boy, What A Girl", "Sepia Cinderella" and "Miracle In Harlem" giving magnificent performances in all of them.
Guyse wasn't an experienced or trained actress but you never know it. She appeared in many stage productions such as "Lost in the Stars" and "Finian's Rainbow" which were both long-running. Her singing voice was as beautiful as she was, divine, sweet, easy on the ears whether singing jazz, pop, or gospel.
Very popular in the 1940s and 1950s, Sheila graced many covers of magazines like Jet, Ebony, Our World and many others, reviews were always flattering.- Actor
- Producer
- Manager
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 Debra Messing and Josh Lucas in NBC's THE MYSTERIES OF LAURA. Laz's extensive television credits also include leading roles in NBC's DECEPTION and A&E's BREAKOUT KINGS.
Theatrically, Laz recently played Carlos Jones in Guy Ritche's CASH TRUCK, opposite Jason Statham, Josh Hartnett and Holt McCallany. Previously he portrayed Congressman John Conyers, in the Annapurna critically acclaimed film DETROIT, directed by Kathryn Bigelow. He also starred opposite Paula Patton and Omar Epps in the independent Thriller TRAFFIK. Alonso previously starred opposite Patton in the hit romantic comedy JUMPING THE BROOM for Columbia Pictures, for which he received a NAACP IMAGE AWARD for Outstanding Actor In A Motion Picture . He has also been nominated for a BET Best Actor Award. Prior to that, he played the heroic role of "Tsu'Tey" in the highest grossing film of all time, James Cameron's AVATAR. Laz played the lead villain role of "Fenix Calderon" in Universal's FAST AND FURIOUS, which reunited the original cast and relaunched the successful franchise. His past movie credits include lead roles in the Sony/Screen Gems' hits STOMP THE YARD and THIS CHRISTMAS, a co-starring role in Sam Mendes' hit JARHEAD, for Universal Pictures opposite Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx, Jake Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard, and a supporting role in Rod Lurie's remake of the Sam Peckinpah classic STRAW DOGS. Laz also starred in Spike Lee's MIRACLE AT ST. ANNA, in which he played "Hector Negron", based on a true story of a black and Puerto Rican WWII Buffalo Soldier that witnessed something that he carried inside for over 30 years until his past meets him again.
Laz has also executive produced and starred opposite Danny Glover in Alan Jacobs' DOWN FOR LIFE, which ended up with a much-coveted position in the Toronto Film Festival, where it received critical acclaim. He has directed a mini documentary that premiered at Art Basel titled I AM, which highlighted a Washington DC artist who paints homeless people in prestigious settings.
Born and raised in Washington DC, Laz always knew he wanted to be an actor. He graduated from the prestigious Howard University School of Business, earning a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing. After college, he worked on Wall Street as an investment banker at MERRILL LYNCH and began his acting career simultaneously, doing NY off-Broadway theater. He credits his ability to tackle so many different types of roles by his theater training. He now splits his time between Los Angeles and New York City.
WINNER BEST ACTOR NAACP IMAGE AWARDS- Actress
- Producer
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Malinda Williams was born on 24 September 1970 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for High School High (1996), First Sunday (2008) and The Undershepherd (2012). She has been married to Tariq Walker since January 2020. She was previously married to D-Nice and Mekhi Phifer.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Award-winning actor, producer, musician, and entrepreneur Cliff "Method Man" Smith, has been forging an extraordinary and unparalleled path across all mediums since he first entered the scene 30 years ago.
Smith currently stars as 'Attorney Davis MacLean' opposite Mary J. Blige in the worldwide hit STARZ series Power Book II: Ghost. The show, which completed production on its fourth season, follows the on-going journey of some of "Power's" most controversial characters, in addition to introducing new fan favorites.
He was last seen in Paramount+'s feature film On the Come Up, which is based on a novel written by New York Times bestselling author, Angie Thomas. The film premiered at Toronto International Film Festival and was released in Septemeber 2022. Method received a 2023 NAACP Image Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for this role. He recently wrapped production on Lionsgate's action thriller, Shadow Force, alongside Kerry Washington and Da'Vine Joy Randolph, and on Carnegie Hill Entertainment's feature Bad Shabbos. Smith made his film debut in One Eight Seven and Belly, and his additional film credits include Concrete Cowboy, Peppermint, Last Looks, Keanu, Trainwreck, Red Tails, The Wackness, The Sitter, The Cobbler, the award-winning drama Garden State amongst many others.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
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 Davenport in Waiting to Exhale. Pierce also had roles in the films Malcolm X, Ray, and Selma, and performed the lead role of Willy Loman in the 2019 revival of a play Death of a Salesman on the West End in London at the Piccadilly Theatre, which earned him a nomination for a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Play. He has been thrice nominated for Independent Spirit Awards.- Actor
- Director
- Producer
David Harewood was born on 8 December 1965 in Birmingham, England, UK. He is an actor and director, known for Blood Diamond (2006), The Merchant of Venice (2004) and Supergirl (2015). He has been married to Kirsty Handy since 26 February 2013. They have two children.- Actress
- Additional Crew
Paula Newsome is an American actress. In 2021, she appeared in the crime television series CSI: Vegas, as well as the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Spider-Man: No Way Home. Newsome grew up in Chicago and is a graduate of Morgan Park Academy. She received a bachelor's degree from Webster University's Conservatory of Theater Arts.- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Timothy Darrell Russ was born on June 22, 1956, in Washington, D.C., to Air Force officer Walt and his wife Josephine. He and his younger siblings Michael and Angela grew up on several military bases, including Niagara Falls, Elmendorf (Alaska) AFB, Omaha, Taiwan, Philippines and Turkey. During these moves around the world, he graduated from Izmir High School in Turkey, and received his diploma from Rome Free Academy in Rome, New York. Afterwards he attended Saint Edwards University and earned a B.S. in Theater Arts but continued his studies with a full scholarship to continue theater studies at Illinois State University. His first professional job came while he was at St. Edward's University in Austin, when he appeared in a PBS Masterpiece Theater production, but he started to pursue acting full time in 1985. During that time he's been on many TV shows and movies - including The Twilight Zone (1985), Amazing Stories (1985), Thirtysomething (1987), Jake and the Fatman (1987), 21 Jump Street (1987), Beauty and the Beast (1987), The People Next Door (1989), Mancuso, FBI (1989), Family Matters (1989), The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990), Tequila and Bonetti (1992), SeaQuest 2032 (1993), Dark Justice (1991), Murphy Brown (1988), Monty (1994), Star Trek: Voyager (1995), Melrose Place (1992), Any Day Now (1998), The Highwayman (1987), Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993), among others.
Along with his television experience he has also played in a variety of films, including Crossroads (1986), Fire with Fire (1986), Timestalkers (1987), Spaceballs (1987), Death Wish 4: The Crackdown (1987), Pulse (1988), Bird (1988), Roots: The Gift (1988), Eve of Destruction (1991), Dead Silence (1997), Night Eyes II (1991), Mr. Saturday Night (1992), Star Trek: Generations (1994), Dead Connection (1994), East of Hope Street (1997). During his comprehensive acting career he appeared in numerous theatrical productions including "Romeo & Juliet", "Barrabas", "Dream Girls", "As You Like It", "Twelfth Night", "Cave Dwellers" among others. When not acting, Russ finds time for music and film producing. Songs sung by Tim Russ are available on the CDs "Only a Dream in Rio", "Tim Russ", "Kushangaza" and "Brave New World". He lives in the area of Los Angeles where his whole family resides.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
In 2023, Mr. Domingo was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play as a producer for the Pulitzer Prize winning play Fat Ham. Colman won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor Drama for his role as Ali in the HBO series Euphoria. Domingo has been honored with the inaugural Denver Film CinemaQ-LaBahn Ikon Film Award, the National Hispanic Media Coalition Impact Award, the Creative Coalition Television Humanitarian Award and the Atlanta's Out On Film Icon Award. Colman Domingo stars in the Netflix, Higher Ground film Rustin as Bayard Rustin slated for the fall of 2023. He also stars as Mister in the Warner Brothers, Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg produced The Color Purple musical motion picture. A two time Film Independent Spirit, Gotham, SAG, Critics Choice and NAACP award nominee, he won a Hollywood Critics Association Award for Best Actor in a Limited Series/Anthology and an Imagen Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama for his work in Euphoria. Domingo is a Tony®, Sir Lawrence Olivier, Drama Desk, Drama League and NAACP Theatre Award nominated, OBIE and Lucille Lortel Award winning actor, playwright, director and producer. Colman received his Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Ursinus College. He is on the faculty of University of Southern California, School of Dramatic Arts as a Professor of acting, after having served as a Juilliard School Creative Associate and a faculty member of the Yale School of Drama. Colman has starred in some of the most profound films in recent years such as Barry Jenkins' If Beale Street Could Talk, Steven Spielbergs' Lincoln, Lee Daniel's The Butler, Ava DuVernay's Selma, Nia DaCosta's Candyman and Janicza Bravo's Zola.- Actor
- Producer
From dancing on stage alongside best-selling music artists Beyonce', Rihanna, and Mariah Carey to starring in back-to-back hit television series, the striking, commanding and charismatic multi-hyphenate talent Skyh Black dominates Hollywood in the new generation of leading men.
This year, Black returns in the electrifying, leading role of 'Amp' Addiction Anthony in Tyler Perry's smash hit, male exotic dancer drama, All the Queen's Men on BET. The series follows Amp, an ex-con with a hidden past who is lured into the lucrative yet dangerous world of male exotic dancing by Madam (Eva Marcille), Club Eden's fierce yet vengeful owner. Amp struggles with navigating the complexities of loyalty and his newfound high-stakes life after lockup. Season two recently wrapped production for Tyler Perry Studios and is slated for release in 2023.
In Showtime's critically acclaimed dark comedy Black Monday, Black stars opposite Don Cheadle and Regina Hall as 80's music executive Arnie Markowitz and as attorney Othello Charles in season one of the steamy AMC ALL Black legal drama series, Lace. Black also starred as the fan-favorite Jacobi in seasons two and three of Tyler Perry's highest-rated, #1 mega-hit drama, Sistas.
On the film front, Black stars as Jesse Holmes in the psychological thriller Stranger Next Door, directed by Emmy-award-winning director Victoria Rowell. The film tells the story of a former police detective (Vicky Jeudy) who is retired, divorced and lives a life of seclusion as her father's caretaker (Tim Reid). When Holmes moves in next door, her seemingly stagnant life is flipped. Stranger Next Door made its debut during the Summer 2022 American Black Film Festival in Miami Beach as part of 12 hand-selected spotlight screenings.
Skyh can next be seen executive producing and starring as Patrick Casey in the romantic drama A Haitian Wedding. The film centers on the love story of a Haitian-born bride-to-be and her fiancé, the American go-getter Patrick Casey (Skyh). When Casey accidentally breaks tradition by proposing to his bride-to-be without her strict Haitian parents' approval, the two must travel to her native country and do damage control, ultimately turning into a journey of self-discovery. A Haitian Wedding, which recently wrapped production in Haiti and Miami, is slated for theatrical release in 2023.
Black was recently tapped to lead the BET Studios thriller Love Marry Kill as police detective Marcus Bardot, co-executive producing for Pinetree Park Entertainment, a division of Blackhouse Inc. The film follows Bardot, a New Orleans detective investigating the hit-and-run death of prominent philanthropist and socialite Elisha Harrington. Filmed in New Orleans, LA, Love Marry Kill is slated for release in 2024.
Born and raised in Miami, FL, Skyh has always held a strong passion for the arts. Inspired by Michael Jackson at a young age, Skyh enrolled in dance classes at just five years old and became fully immersed in the worlds of dancing, singing, and acting in just a few years. Professionally trained in tap and ballet, Skyh has attended the New World School of Arts in Miami, New York's School of American Ballet, Miami City Ballet, American Ballet Theater, and the Atlanta Ballet.
Following his professional training, Skyh made the move to Los Angeles and went on to dance on tour with music legend Beyoncé as her lead male dancer (most notably in her iconic MTV VMA Video Vanguard performance of "Mine"). After completing a handful of successful tours with Beyonce' and artists alike, Skyh booked the lead role in Michael Jackson's music video for "A Place with No Name" from his second posthumous album, "Xscape." Acclaimed award-winning director and choreographer Debbie Allen also noticed Skyh's potential as an actor. In a career-altering moment for Skyh, he cemented his passion for acting and compelled him to pursue the art.
After catching the acting bug, Skyh hit pause on dancing professionally and took a side job doing valet parking in Hollywood to afford acting classes and rent while honing this new passion and craft, which led to a life-changing audition for Academy award-winning director, producer and showrunner Tyler Perry. After a series of callbacks and chemistry reads, Skyh booked the role of Jacobi on BET's Sistas, earning widespread praise and acclaim for his performance by critics, fans, and Perry himself.
Skyh is making his mark on Hollywood as an actor, producer and philanthropist. He advocates mental health and wellness, diversity and inclusion in entertainment, and preserving the performing arts. He is committed to building community through dance, inspiring and enriching the lives of the next generation of young, black and gifted performers.