Thursday, March 28

African-American actors and actresses who succeeded in the cinema | Digital Trends Spanish


The film industry is constantly criticized for being exclusive and not very diverse. This may be a fair claim, since big productions usually leave minorities aside.

This can affect those of a sexual, racial, religious, social and cultural nature, which can cause a significant number of viewers not to feel represented by the characters and plots that appear on the screen.

Hattie McDaniel in 1939. Getty Images

Over the years, African-American actors have been the most excluded in this industry. In fact, a small number of them have been nominated for the most important film awards and even fewer have won.

If we focus on the Oscar Awards, the most important in the industry, only five African-American actors and actresses have won the award for best actor, which barely constitutes 5 percent of all the winners.

Denzel Washington and Halle Berry show off their 2001 Oscars.
Denzel Washington and Halle Berry in 2001. Getty Images

If the Best Supporting (or Supporting) Actor category is considered, the percentage improves a bit, although it is still far away, since only 15 African-Americans have won this award.

Morgan Freeman with her 2004 Oscar Award.
Morgan Freeman in 2004. Getty Images

As part of Black History Month, we want to highlight some of the African-American personalities who have left their mark on the film industry.

Viola Davis with her 2016 Oscar Award.
Viola Davis. Getty Images

This is the complete list of Afro-descendant actors and actresses who have won an Oscar.

Mahershala Ali and her 2016 Oscar Award.
Mahershala Ali. Getty Images
  • Hattie McDaniel, Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, for her role in Gone with the Windfrom 1939.
  • Sidney Poitier, Oscar for Best Actor, for Lilies of the Fieldfrom 1963
  • Lou Gosset Jr, Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for An Officer and a Gentlemanfrom 1982.
  • Denzel Washington, Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for gloryfrom 1989.
  • Whoopi Goldberg, Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for Ghostfrom 1991.
  • Cuba Gooding Jr., Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for Jerry Maguirefrom 1996.
  • Halle Berry, Oscar for Best Actress for Monster’s Ballfrom 2001.
  • Denzel Washington, Oscar for Best Actor for Training dayfrom 2001.
  • Jamie Foxx, Oscar for Best Actor for Rayfrom 2004.
  • Morgan Freeman, Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for million dollar Babyfrom 2004.
  • Forest Whitaker, Oscar for Best Actor for the last king of scotlandfrom 2006.
  • Jennifer Hudson, Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for dreamgirlsfrom 2006.
  • Mo’ Nique, Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for Preciousfrom 2009.
  • Octavia Spencer, Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for Helpfrom 2011.
  • Lupita Nyong’o, Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for 12 Years a Slaveof 2013.
  • Viola Davis, Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for fencesfrom 2016.
  • Mahershala Ali, Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for moonlitfrom 2016.
  • Regina King, Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for Beale Street Bluesfrom 2018.
  • Mahershala Ali, Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for Green Bookfrom 2018.
  • Daniel Kaluuya, Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for Judas and the Black Messiahof 2021.

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