10 Black Female Actresses Who Killed It in Their Roles
Black girl magic at its finest…
Black women have been making it into the forefronts of our screens in record numbers these days.
Kerry Washington becoming the first African American woman since 1974 to headline a network TV drama made history.
Issa Rae being nominated for an Emmy for Insecure was just icing on the cake.
In honor of black history month, let’s count 10 black female actresses that killed it in their roles.
1. Kerry Washington as Olivia Pope on Scandal (ABC)
Who doesn’t love a good Scandal? With her snappy one-liners and tireless ambition, Kerry Washington is fierce in this role, shining the light on powerful, driven successful black women everywhere.
The only flaw she possesses as this stunning, cut throat beauty is the fact that she’s sleeping with a married man when the show first begins and on various occasions throughout.
While this makes for juicy storytelling, we can’t deny it’s a character flaw we could do without (especially since she’s the first black woman to have a starring role in a TV series since the 70s.
2. Viola Davis as Annalise Keating on HTGAWM (ABC)
Viola Davis delivers a knockout performance as the talented, powerhouse attorney, Annalise Keating.
Annalise is strong, determined, and unforgettably vulnerable, which might make her somewhat unlikable to outsiders, especially after the first few seasons.
Although she’s distant with her actual family, she takes care of those around her, keeping the dark secrets that threaten to destroy them all.
Viola Davis won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role as the witty, cunning Keating and hopefully, she’s not finished yet.
3. Yara Shahidi as Zoey Johnson on Black-ish (ABC) & Grown-ish (Freeform)
Yara Shahidi plays the character of Rainbow and Andre Johnson’s teenaged daughter, Zoey Johnson.
Like her father, she’s stylish, she’s popular and she’s super-smart.
In fact, she did so well as Zoey that she landed herself a spin-off on the Freeform network called Grown-ish.
The spinoff focuses on the character of Zoey, centering on her life as she goes off to college.
The show is doing what The Cosby Show did for Denise when she headed off to college (A Different World), which makes sense, considering the show is supposed to be a modern-day rendering of The Cosby Show.
Shahidi does an excellent job playing the somewhat wealthy, witty, one-line-snapping Zoey, giving black girls everywhere a new role model on a major network.
4. Michaela Coel as Tracey on Chewing Gum (Netflix)
Michaela Coel stars as Tracey in the short-lived, but still hilarious Netflix Original comedy series Chewing Gum, which is a refreshingly non-stereotypical look at the life of a somewhat average young black woman in the UK.
What makes this even better is that Michaela Coel also wrote the show, showcasing her black girl magic in all the right ways.
What we love about the character Tracey is that she’s hilariously clueless on how to go about certain social situations. She’s considerably awkward and comes from an overly religious family, which she tries to break free from when the show begins (by watching adult videos online…hilariously, btw).
Watching Tracey, you never know what to expect, which makes for some pretty memorable can’t-look-away comedic situations that stick with you.
Just wish it had more seasons.
5. Gabrielle Union as Mary Jane on BMJ (BET)
Gabrielle Union didn’t disappoint in her portrayal as the emotionally troubled TV anchorwoman Mary Jane Paul, aka Pauletta Patterson. Coming from money, Mary Jane is sophisticated, well-educated and career-driven.
She can have any man she wants, but like the complex and emotional mess that she is Mary Jane opts for married or otherwise unavailable men in the first few seasons.
But (spoilers!) the fourth season shows another side to Mary Jane — the vulnerable, relationship-savvy (well, sorta), giving-it-all-up-for-love Mary Jane.
That is, until she begins falling for the man who got her fired from SNC (her last successful position within a TV network), Gary Dourdan’s Sheldon.
The steamy affair may be Mary Jane slipping back into old ways, but we can’t help but root for our girl to find her happily ever after.
6. Jerrika Hinton as Dr. Stephanie Edwards on Grey’s Anatomy
Jerrika Hinton did the character of Dr. Stephanie Edwards proud on the series drama Grey’s Anatomy, now heading into its nineteenth season.
A cast member since 2012 (she exited the show in 2017), Hinton played Dr. Stephanie Edwards, a super-smart, witty, headstrong, and career-driven, almost reminiscent of an intern-year Cristina Yang.
She’s passionate about medicine and she’s also a really good friend to Dr. Jo Wilson (who kind of craps on her in return) and anyone else she deems worthy.
She’s playful and funny when she wants to be, but is also very competitive (in a healthy way). She’s genuine and there’s no other like her.
Not to mention, she’s a top surgeon in her program (and the only black woman to get some attention in the storyline other than Miranda Bailey before Meredith’s sister, Maggie, starts working at the hospital).
7. Tracee Ellis Ross as Rainbow Johnson on Black-ish (ABC)
Tracee Ellis Ross, the daughter of the legendary Diana Ross, may have been better known most recently as Joan Clayton from the show Girlfriends (2000–2008), but that’s certainly changed with the premiere and success of Black-ish.
Rainbow Johnson is a spunky doctor and mother of four with a heart of gold and a husband who’s more like a grown man-child than an actual grown man.
Rainbow’s got her work cut out for her and her good deeds often go unrewarded or unnoticed, however, we have love for you, ‘Bow. Rainbow struggles to fit in with her family on many occasions, such as through cooking (but nobody likes her mulatto mealtime madness).
Poor, sweet Rainbow. She tries. And that’s what makes us love her.
8. Danielle Brooks as Taystee on OITNB (Netflix)
Nobody steals the show like our girl, Taystee!
Danielle Brooks exploded onto our TV screens in 2013 as Ms. Tasha Jefferson, better known as Taystee. With a personality for days, Taystee is all around entertaining and she’s been a cast favorite since the very beginning.
Smart, sassy, and alarmingly hilarious, Taystee gives viewers much more than they bargained for in the Netflix Original series Orange is the New Black.
Despite the fact that the show’s writing crew severely lacks diversity, we loved watching Taystee’s character unfold onscreen.
We got to see Taystee’s harsh upbringing in the first season, her strained relationship and subsequent struggles with Vee in the second season, and we got an up close and personal look at what made Taystee who she is. And from there we only fall more in love with her.
9. Chandra Wilson as Miranda Bailey on Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)
Chandra Wilson charms as Miranda Bailey in the 18-season long (now 19-season-long) show. What we love about Bailey is simple: she takes no BS, she’s loyal, and she’s dedicated to her job.
Up until she had her son, Tuck, however, she was more of a…shall I say, Nazi?
But as the seasons have progressed, we’ve gotten to see a softer side of Bailey, even as far as seeing her cry (at work!), which is so uncharacteristic of her — that shows that she’s grown (yay, character development!).
Bailey also lands the Chief of Surgery position in later seasons. She’s got command of the entire hospital and we love seeing her sweat in the beginning and then start to feel her way around her new position.
Bailey’s also an amazing surgeon (hence why she became Chief) and has even saved the life of Meredith’s son, Bailey (named after her). There’s no limit to the amazing things Miranda Bailey can do.
Honorable Mention: Samira Wiley as Poussey Washington on OITNB (Netflix)
The world was devastated when we lost one of the great ones. RIP Poussey. You’ll forever be missed on Orange is the New Black! 🥲
Taystee’s Ride or Die, Poussey Washington, was the lovable, charismatic, level-headed one of the group. She always tried to keep the peace between the girls, especially when the black girls’ group was infiltrated by Vee in the second season.
Samira Wiley, played a former army brat and daughter of a college professor. We liked that Poussey’s upbringing isn’t stereotypical, like many of the cast members.
She stands out because she can speak German, she’s traveled all over the world (so she’s very cultured), and she’s just down to earth and laid back.
The show wasn’t the same without her, but we look forward to seeing what Samira Wiley does next.
10. Issa Rae as Isssa Dee & Yvonne Orji as Molly Carter on Insecure
If you haven’t seen Insecure on HBO, you’ve been missing out. Issa Rae and Yvonna Orji play best friends Issa Dee and Molly Carter as they navigate their late 20s and early 30s in L.A.
Insecure is a fresh take on the black experience and gives us hella laughs and even more drama.
It’s one of the first depictions of a black L.A. experience without all the gun violence and gangs — and it’s a breath of fresh air.
Issa has us cracking up throughout the entire series, whether it’s her rapping to herself in the mirror about her awkward life experiences or her getting embarrassed by a classroom full of kids thanks to her job working with kids through a non-profit called We Got Y’all.
And we can’t forget Kelly and her crazy antics making us either shake our heads or pass out from laughter.
Season after season, Issa (who’s also one of the show’s writers — it’s co-written by Larry Wilmore) delivers fresh, hilarious content. If you haven’t already, go check it out. It’s streaming on HBO Max.
Who are some of your favorite black actors and actresses? Let me know in the comments.
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