Hollywood is filled with actors looking to make it big. Not all of them do. Most will never reach the heights of success reserved for the few. It’s a special privilege to make it in Hollywood. Sometimes, the road to the top is more challenging for black actors who battled discrimination and a lack of opportunity. In celebration of Hollywood’s many excellent black actors, here is a list of some of the best male actors in the business.
Washington is one of Hollywood’s most respected actors and has had a phenomenal four-decade career. He made his television debut in 1977, starring in The Wilma Rudolph Story and was cast in his first film role in 1980, appearing in the comedy-drama Carbon Copy.
The Equalizer star won his first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in the war film Glory (1989) as Private Silas Trip. He went on to win multiple awards, and his impressive list of accolades testifies to his immense talents.
His other famous appearances are as freedom fighter Steve Biko in Cry Freedom (1987), dirty cop Alonzo Harris in Training Day (2001), Malcolm X (1992), Bleek Gilliam in the musical Mo’ Better Blues (1990), Flight (2012), and Fences (2016).
The actor is one of the most respected in Hollywood. Washington can cross genres from drama to action, proving his versatility and undeniable talent. He has opened many doors for the current generation of young black actors.
Can you discuss the best black actors of all time without mentioning Sidney Poitier? Before stars like Denzel, there was Sidney Poitier. In 1964, he was the first black man to win an Academy Award for Best Actor in Lilies of the Field.
As one of the last significant stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood Cinema, he was granted knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II in 1974, received an Honorary Academy Award for his outstanding accomplishments as an actor, and also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama in 2009. His most recent achievements saw him claim the BAFTA Fellowship for
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