The most well-known Black actors in modern-day cinema

This is my list of all of the well-known male black actors (or 'blacktors) in today's cinema. I have no idea why I chose to put this list together, but I think this provides a good counterpoint to everyone who thinks that the black man is too often misrepresented in movies.

These outstanding actors are a great example of our ability to succeed on the big screen (I only wish that this list was bigger).

If I left anybody out, by all means let me know.

The first thirteen guys I have listed are what I call the 'Heavy hitters'. These are the megastars and vetrans of black cinema. Their current and/or future big screen projects are listed next to their names.

  1. Morgan Freeman (Amistad; Hard Rain; Deep Impact)
  2. Sidney Poitier (Sneakers; The Jackal)
  3. Samuel L. Jackson (Sphere; The Negotiator; Star Wars: The Phantom Menace)
  4. Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix; Event Horizon; Hoodlum)
  5. James Earl Jones (Meteor Man; Gang Related)
  6. Charles S. Dutton (Nick of Time; The Relic; Mimic)
  7. Denzel Washington (Fallen; The Seige; He Got Game)
  8. Harry Belafonte (White Man's Burden; Kansas City)
  9. Wesley Snipes (Down on the Delta; The Big Hit; Blade; Upcoming: Shaft; Have Gun, Will Travel; Blade 2)
  10. Danny Glover (To Sleep With Anger; the Rainmaker; Beloved; Switchback; Lethal Weapon 1-4)
  11. Carl Weathers (Happy Gilmore)
  12. Cuba Gooding, Jr. (Boyz N Da Hood; Gladiator; Judgement Night; Jerry McGuire; As Good As It Gets; upcoming: Instinct)
  13. Mario Van Peebles (the Posse; Solo)
  14. Will Smith (Wild, Wild West; the Mark; Enemy of the State; Shaft)

Hey, wouldn't it be cool if we could get all of these guys onto one movie together? Just a thought.

In any case, the next batch is of established screen actors who may be only one great film away from being on the same level as the Heavy Hitters. Some are screen vetrans who haven't quite reached the status of the 'heavy hitter' list, and others are still building their reputations. Keep your eyes on these guys. (especially the ones in bold)

  1. Omar Epps (Juice; Higher Learning; Scream 2; upcoming:the Wood; Mod Squad)
  2. Ving Rhames (Pulp Fiction; Mission Impossible; Armageddon; Out of sight; upcoming:Entrapment; Bringing in the Dead)
  3. Chris Rock (I'm Gonna Get You Sucka; New Jack City; CB4; Beverly Hills Ninja; Leathal Weapon 4)
  4. Chris Scott Cherot (Havplenty)
  5. John Kennedy Horne (Unconditional Love)
  6. Gary Leroi Gray II (Stinkers)
  7. Djimon Hountsu (Amistad)
  8. Michael Jai White (Spawn; Ringmaster; upcoming: Universal Soldier 2; Spawn 2)
  9. Larenz Tate (Menace 2 Society; Dead Presidents; Love Jones; The Postman; Why Do fools Fall in Love?)
  10. A.J. Johnson (How to Be a Player; I got the Hookup; Player's Club)
  11. Mekhi Phipher (Clockers; High School High; Soul Food; Ride; I still know what you did last summer)
  12. Michael Beach (Waiting to Exhale; Soul Food)
  13. Clarence Gilliard (Die Hard)
  14. Louis Gosset Jr. (Iron Eagle 3)
  15. Taye Diggs (HavPlenty; How Stella Got Her Groove Back; upcoming: Go; The Wood)
  16. Richard T. Jones (The Wood)
  17. Keenan Ivory Wayans (The Glimmer Man; Most Wanted)
  18. Eddie Murphy (Life; Doctor Doolittle; Nutty Proffessor 2)
  19. Billy Dee Williams (Return of the Jedi..Special Edition)
  20. David Alan Grier (Down Periscope)
  21. Robert Townsend (Meteor Man)
  22. Blair Underwood (Set It Off)
  23. Leon (Cliffhanger; Cool Runnings; Bad Attitude; the Five Heartbeats; Above the Rim; Waiting to Exhale)
  24. Damon Saleem (Caught Up)
  25. Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters 1&2; The Substitute; all upcoming:Stranger in the Kingdom; Bang; Fakin' Da Funk)
  26. Marlon Wayans (the 6th Man; Senseless)
  27. Bokeem Woodbine (The Rock; Panther; Dead Presidents; Crooklyn; Jason's Lyric; Dangerous Minds; Caught Up; The Big Hit)
  28. Tiny Lister (the 5th Element)

Here are a bunch of Men from other entertainment fields (sports, Television, Music, Stand-up comedy) who made a splash onscreen.

  1. Chris Tucker (Dead Presidents; Friday; the 5th Element; Money Talks; Rush Hour; Double-0 Soul)
  2. Eddie Griffith (Armageddon; Foolish)
  3. Sean 'Puffy' Combs (Rhyme & Reason; upcoming: On any Given Sunday)
  4. Jay Lamont (upcoming: Blackman's guide to understanding the Blackwoman)
  5. Mike Tyson (upcoming: Black and White)
  6. David Chapelle (Half-Baked; Woo; upcoming: Ballbusters)
  7. Method Man (The Great White Hype; Copland; Belly)
  8. DMX (Belly)
  9. Nasir 'Escobar' Jones (Belly)
  10. Sherman Hemsley (upcoming: Ballbusters)
  11. Percy 'Master P' Miller (I got the Hookup; Foolish)
  12. Shaquille O'Neal (Blue Chips; CB4; Kazaam; Steel)
  13. Levar Burton (Star trek-First Contact; Star Trek- Insurrection)
  14. Michael Dorn (Star Trek-First Contact; Star Trek-Insurrection)
  15. Christopher Williams (New Jack City)
  16. James 'LL Cool J' Smith (Toys; BAPS; Out of Sync; The Hard Way; Woo; Halloween- H20)
  17. Bernie Mac (House Party 3; Player's Club)
  18. Oshea 'Ice Cube' Jackson (Boyz N Da Hood; Glass Shield; Anaconda; Dangerous Ground; Player's Club; upcoming: Three Kings)
  19. Keenan (Good Burger)
  20. Kel (Good Burger)
  21. Ray Allen (He Got Game)
  22. Ice T (New Jack City; CB4; Tresspass; Tank Girl; Rhyme & Reason)
  23. Calvin 'Snoop Doggy Dogg' Broadus (Half-baked; Caught Up)
  24. Fredro Starr (Sunset Park; Ride)
  25. Jaimie Foxx (Booty Call; Player's Club)
  26. Malik Yoba (Cop land; Ride)
  27. Tupac 'Makivelli' Shakur (Juice; Gridlok'd; Gang Related)
  28. Michael Jordan (Space Jam)
  29. Bill Cosby (Ghost Dad; Meteor Man)
  30. Jim Brown (Original Gangsters; Mars Attacks)
  31. Sinbad (Jingle all the Way)
  32. Martin Lawrence (Life; Nothing to Lose; upcoming?:Bad Boys 2)
  33. Damon Wayans (Bulletproof)
  34. Coolio (Burn Hollywood Burn)
  35. Chuck D. (Burn Hollywood Burn)
  36. Arsenio Hall (Amazon Women on the Moon; Coming to America)
  37. Isaac Hayes (Flipper; Devil's Advocate; South Park-the Movie)
  38. Richard Pryor (Harlem Nights)
  39. Usher Raymond (the Faculty)
  40. Little Richard (Why Do fools Fall in Love?)
  41. Tommy Davidson (Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls; Booty Call; Woo)
  42. Kadeem Hardison (Panther; Vampire in Brooklyn; The 6th Man)
  43. Anfernee Hardaway (Blue Chips)
  44. Ed Lover (Who's the Man?)
  45. Dr. Dre (Who's the Man?)
  46. Mark Curry (Armageddon)
  47. Bobby Brown (A thin Line Between Love and Hate)
  48. Dennis Rodman (Double Team)
  49. Orenthal James Simpson (The Naked Gun 33 1/3)
In Parenthesis I have either upcoming movies from the actors, and/or the last few movies I can remember them being in. If I've made a mistake with any of them, please let me know.

For more info on the person who put this list together, check out this link...and sign the guestbook!