Black celebs have been hitting red carpets in pomp and color. And though male actors used to dominate the industry, black women actors have gradually become icons to reckon with. Some are a songwriter, while others are entrepreneurs. This has brought diversity and inclusion to Hollywood.
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Here’s a summary of black women actresses in their 30s, under 20, or even in their 50s to watch in 2023!
Black Women Actresses to Watch in 2023
African American actors have always shown determination and resilience, from Hattie McDaniel, the first black woman to win an Oscar in 1940, to Oprah Winfrey, the first black woman to have a production company. Many are celebrated and have received an Oscar nomination.
This article gives you five outstanding black actresses to know about.
1. Viola Davis
Winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony (EGOT) is rare in the performing industry. But American black actress Viola Davis received an EGOT in 2023. Who is she?
Viola Davis started appearing in small productions when she was young and graduated from the Juilliard School in 1993. In 1999, for her portrayal of Ruby McCollum in “Everybody’s Ruby,” she received an Obie Award.
Aged 57 years, the actress has had modest roles in television and movie projects since the 1990s and early 2000s. Her debut came in the movie “Doubt” (2008), where she played a disturbed mother and earned her maiden Academy nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
Davis’ portrayal of Rose Maxson in the Broadway revival of August won her the 2010 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. In 2022, The New York Times publication described her as the most outstanding actor of her generation.
She has acted in movies like “The Help,” “Fences,” “Widows,” and “The Woman King,” among others.
2. Angela Bassett
Born in 1958, Angela Evelyn Bassett has received 7 Primetime Emmys, 2 Academy, and two Golden Globe Awards. She has made a career portraying several illustrious and trailblazing black women of the 20th century.
She was inspired to venture into acting during a school trip to Washington, D.C., in the 11th grade when she saw actor James Earl Jones acting in “Of Mice and Men.”
Bassett debuted in the movie “What’s Love Got to Do With It” as Tina Turner (1993, which led to her role in “Green Lantern” (2011) as Amanda Waller. She has also featured as the Notorious B.I.G.’s mom in “Notorious” (2009) and Betty Shabazz in “Malcolm X” (1992).
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Here’s a list of her other notable film roles:
- Waiting to Exhale (1995)
- Boyz n the Hood (1991)
- Vampire in Brooklyn (1995)
- Music of the Heart (1999)
- How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998)
- Olympus Has Fallen (2013)
- Black Panther (2018)
- Avengers: Endgame (2019)
- London Has Fallen (2016)
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022). She received a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars in 2023.
People Also Read: 10 Contemporary Black Artists You Should Know
3. Fola Evans- Akingbola
British actress Fola has a Nigerian heritage. She received her training at the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain and the Identity Drama School in London.
The 28-year-old Fola was recognized in 2022 by The Guardian as a new T.V. talent to watch due to her performance in BAFTA-winning actor John Morton’s show “Ten Percent” (Amazon).
She starred in “The Night Agent,” a new spy thriller on Netflix, in 2023. She has also contributed to highly regarded exhibitions around the world, including
- Black Mirror, winner of an Emmy (Netflix)
- The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA)
- (Disney+/Freeform) Siren,
- Television show Game of Thrones (HBO).
4. Marsai Martin
You probably know acclaimed American actress Marsai Martin from her role as Diane Johnson in the sitcom “Black-ish.” However, her acting career began early. At age five, she appeared in a national commercial for Choice Hotels.
Aged 10, she developed and presented a movie idea to Universal and Will Packer. The idea became a feature film, “Little (2019),” that earned her two extra NAACP Awards. As the film’s executive producer, she made history by being the youngest artist to produce a huge Hollywood film.
Martin, 19 years old as of 2023, has a significant fan base and is among the most skilled and well-known rising artists, with 4.5 million followers. Her fans can enjoy her voice in PAW Patrol, which premiered in October 2023.
People Also Read: 10 African American Celebrities Going Back to Africa
5. Halle Bailey
As a young black American actress, Halle Bailey is a multi-talented artist who sings and acts. Her moment of fame happened in the musical “Chloe x Halle,” a duo production with her singer-sister Chloe Bailey. This young black actress was born in March 2000 in Mableton, Georgia, USA. So far, these are the albums they’ve released:
- Ungodly Hour (2020)
- The Kids Are Alright (2018)
Halle has appeared in the television series “Grown-ish (2018-2021)” and the film “Last Holiday” (2006). Mermaid stories have always been fascinating to many fans. If you’re part of this crowd, look out for the remake “The little mermaid.”
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These are just a few black women actors who you need to watch out for in 2023. Others include Lupita Nyong’o, Halle Berry, Gabrielle Union, etc. Let’s see what these incredible black actresses have in store for us!
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