Baby Boy 2001 premiere

1. Tyrese Gibson

Tyrese Darnell Gibson was born December 30, 1978 in Watts, Los Angeles, California, where he was raised. He is an R&B singer, songwriter, actor, author, television producer and model. He is well known for his actor role as Roman Pearce in the The Fast and Furious movie franchise. Other popular ...

2. Snoop Dogg

Actor | Training Day

Snoop Dogg is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, producer, media personality, entrepreneur, and actor.

His music career began in 1992 when he was discovered by Dr. Dre and featured on Dre's solo debut, "Deep Cover", and then on Dre's solo debut album, The Chronic. He has since sold over 23 ...

3. Ving Rhames

Actor | Pulp Fiction

Strikingly featured and muscular American actor Ving Rhames was born Irving Rameses Rhames in Harlem, New York, to Reather, a homemaker, and Ernest Rhames, an auto mechanic. A good student, Ving entered the New York High School of Performing Arts, where he discovered his love of acting. He studied ...

4. A.J. Johnson

Actress | House Party

A.J. Johnson was born on September 3, 1963 in Orange, New Jersey, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for House Party (1990), Baby Boy (2001) and Dying Young (1991).

5. Taraji P. Henson

Actress | The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Taraji Penda Henson is an American actress and singer. She studied acting at Howard University and began her Hollywood career in guest roles on several television shows before making her breakthrough in Baby Boy (2001). She played a prostitute in Hustle & Flow (2005), for which she received a ...

6. Tamara Bass

Actress | Baby Boy

Tamara Bass was born in Syracuse, New York, USA. She is an actress and director, known for Baby Boy (2001), If Not Now, When? (2019) and All That Matters (2015).

7. Omar Gooding

Actor | Baby Boy

Gooding is best known for appearing in hit television shows such as Deadwood, Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G., Family Time, Barbershop, Hangin' With Mr. Cooper, Playmakers, Smart Guy, and Wild & Crazy Kids. On the big screen, he received critical acclaim for his role as ...

8. John Singleton

Writer | Boyz n the Hood

Son of Danny Singleton, a mortgage broker, and Sheila Ward, a pharmaceutical company sales executive, and raised in separate households by his unmarried parents, John Singleton attended the Film Writing Program at USC, after graduating from high school in 1986. While studying there, he won three ...

9. Dwight Williams

Assistant_director | New Jack City

Dwight Williams is known for New Jack City (1991), Hustle & Flow (2005) and Friday (1995).

10. Ruth E. Carter

Costume_designer | Black Panther

Ms. Carter won 2 Oscars for Costume Design for Black Panther and Wakanda Forever, making history as the first African-American in that category. She also made history being the first African-American woman to win multiple Oscars in any category. A 4-time Academy Award nominee also for Malcolm X and...

11. Bruce Cannon

Editor | Boyz n the Hood

Bruce Cannon is known for Boyz n the Hood (1991), Abduction (2011) and Four Brothers (2005).

12. Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds

Soundtrack | Ghostbusters II

Kenneth Brian Edmonds better known by his stage name Babyface, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has written and produced over 26 number-one R&B hits throughout his career and has won 12 Grammy Awards. He was ranked number 20 on NME's 50 of The Greatest Producers Ever list.

13. Bill Bellamy

Writer | Bill Bellamy: I Want My Life Back

1 brother (deceased) - per TV series "UnSung Hollywood - Bill Bellamy" (S3 Ep7)

Recently aired on TVOne as a repeat on 11/16/2016, It's a Documentary show which details archival film footage and personal, revealing interviews, about the lives and careers of some of the world's most highly talented ...

14. Halle Berry

Actress | Catwoman

Halle Maria Berry was born Maria Halle Berry on August 14, 1966 in Cleveland, Ohio and raised in Oakwood, Ohio to Judith Ann Berry (née Hawkins), a psychiatric nurse & Jerome Jesse Berry, a hospital attendant. Her father was African-American and her mother is of mostly English and German descent. ...

15. Dean Cain

Actor | God's Not Dead

Dean Cain was born Dean George Tanaka in Mount Clemens, Michigan, to actress Sharon Thomas Cain and Roger Tanaka. His mother married his adoptive father, director Christopher Cain, when Dean was three. Though he grew up in Malibu and attended Santa Monica High School, his career plans favored ...

16. Battlecat

Soundtrack | Baby Boy

Battlecat is known for Baby Boy (2001), Save the Last Dance (2001) and Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001).

17. Cedric Ceballos

Actor | Space Jam

Cedric Ceballos was born on August 2, 1969 in Maui, Hawaii, USA. He is an actor, known for Space Jam (1996), Eddie (1996) and Jimi (1995).

18. Cedric The Entertainer

Actor | Barbershop

Cedric the Entertainer is an African-American comedian and actor known for being one of the Original Kings of Comedy. He is also known for his roles in the Barbershop trilogy, the Madagascar trilogy, The Steve Harvey Show, Ice Age, Planes, The Soul Man and The Neighborhood. He has had three ...

19. Morris Chestnut

Actor | Kick-Ass 2

A tall, handsome, and versatile American actor, Morris Chestnut was born in Cerritos, California, to Shirley (Wynn) and Morris Chestnut, Sr. He first came to be recognized by moviegoers starring as Ricky in Boyz n the Hood (1991), a role where he played a high school running back using his football...

20. Taye Diggs

Actor | House on Haunted Hill

Taye Diggs was born in Newark, New Jersey, and was raised in Rochester, New York. He is the son of Marcia (Berry), a teacher and actress, and Andre Young, a visual artist. When he was a child, his mother married Jeffries Diggs, whose surname Taye took. He received a BFA degree in musical theater ...

21. Derek Fisher

Actor | Arli$$

Derek Fisher was born on August 9, 1974 in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA. He is an actor, known for Arli$$ (1996), The Fix (2019) and The Jamie Foxx Show (1996). He was previously married to Candace Fisher.

22. Adele Givens

Actress | The Players Club

Adele Givens was born in Chicago, Illinois, USA. She is known for The Players Club (1998), Beauty Shop (2005) and Martin (1992).

23. Pam Grier

Actress | Jackie Brown

Pam Grier was born in Winston-Salem, NC, one of four children of Gwendolyn Sylvia (Samuels), a nurse, and Clarence Ransom Grier Jr., an Air Force mechanic. Pam has been a major African-American star from the early 1970s. Her career started in 1971, when Roger Corman of New World Pictures launched ...

24. Robert Griffith

Producer | Ride or Die

Building a legacy is no small task even for the most accomplished individuals. Robert Griffith's quest to the NFL has been both unconventional and rocky at times but with hard word, gritty determination and perseverance he has made his peers stand up and take notice.

Griffith, a 6' 0" 200lb hard ...

25. Ron Harper

Actor | Kenan & Kel

Ron Harper was born on January 20, 1964 in Dayton, Ohio, USA. He is an actor, known for Kenan & Kel (1996), NBA on NBC (1990) and The NBA on TNT (1988).

26. Steve Harvey

Producer | The Steve Harvey Show

Broderick Stephen Harvey, Sr. is an American television host, actor, writer, producer, and comedian. He hosts The Steve Harvey Morning Show, Family Feud, Celebrity Family Feud, the Miss Universe competition, Family Feud Africa, and the arbitration-based court comedy Judge Steve Harvey.

Harvey began ...

27. Evander Holyfield

Actor | Summer of Sam

Evander Holyfield is an American former professional boxer who competed between 1984 and 2011. He reigned as the undisputed champion at cruiser-weight in the late 1980s and at heavyweight in the early 1990s, and remains the only boxer in history to win the undisputed championship in two weight ...

28. D.L. Hughley

Actor | Inspector Gadget

Hughley is the second of four children. His father was an airline maintenance worker and his mother was a homemaker.

He grew up in L.A.'s South Central where he was a member of the Bloods gang after getting kicked out of high school. However, he turned his life around after a cousin was shot. He ...

29. Ice Cube

Soundtrack | Friday

Ice Cube was born in South Central Los Angeles, to Doris (Benjamin), a custodian and hospital clerk, and Hosea Jackson, a UCLA groundskeeper. He first came to public notice as a singer and songwriter with the controversial and influential band N.W.A. His compositions with that group included many ...

30. Magic Johnson

Producer | Obsessed

Magic Johnson was born on August 14, 1959 in Lansing, Michigan, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Obsessed (2009), Dead Tone (2007) and Hair Show (2004). He has been married to Cookie Johnson since September 14, 1991. They have two children.

31. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Actor | Airplane!

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is an American retired professional basketball player who played 20 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers. During his career as a center, Abdul-Jabbar was a record six-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), a record...

32. Jerry Buss

Law of the Lawless

Jerry Buss was born on January 27, 1933 in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. He was an actor, known for Law of the Lawless (1964), Arli$$ (1996) and NB80's (2011). He was married to JoAnn Mueller. He died on February 18, 2013 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

33. Jeanie Buss

Producer | Women of Wrestling

Jeanie Buss was born on September 26, 1961 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is a producer and director, known for WOW: Women of Wrestling (2000), Untitled Mindy Kaling/Kate Hudson/Netflix Basketball Series and Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers (2022). She has been married to Jay Mohr ...

34. Phil Jackson

Actor | Three-Peat: The Chicago Bulls' Historic Third Championship Season

Phil Jackson is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

A power forward, Jackson played 12 seasons in the NBA, winning NBA championships with the New York Knicks in 1970 and 1973. Jackson was the head coach of the Chicago ...

35. Roy Jones Jr.

Actor | The Matrix Reloaded

Roy Levesta Jones Jr. is an American former professional boxer, commentator, and trainer who holds dual American and Russian citizenship. He competed in boxing from 1989 to 2018, and held multiple world championships in four weight classes, including titles at middleweight, super middleweight, ...

36. Bernie Mac

Actor | The Bernie Mac Show

Bernard Jeffrey McCollough was born in 1957 in Chicago, the son of Mary McCullough and Jeffery Harrison. He grew up in the city, in a rougher neighborhood than most others, with a large family living under one roof. This situation provided him with a great insight into his comedy, as his family, ...

37. Chris Mills

Actor | Blue Chips

Chris Mills was born on January 25, 1970 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is an actor, known for Blue Chips (1994), Da Game of Life (1998) and 1993 NBA Draft (1993).

38. Kenya Moore

Actress | I Know Who Killed Me

Kenya Moore was born on January 24, 1971 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for I Know Who Killed Me (2007), Dolls of Voodoo (2013) and Life Twirls On (2015). She was previously married to Marc Daly.

39. Elise Neal

Actress | Hustle & Flow

Elise Neal was born in Memphis, Tennessee and began dancing at age six. She credits her success to her mother, Arletha Neal, who always supported her and drove her to many talent shows and recitals. After moving to New York and quickly booking many off-Broadway shows and musical revivals, she ...

40. Shaquille O'Neal

Actor | Steel

Shaquille O'Neal is a retired professional American basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program Inside the NBA on TNT. He is considered one of the greatest players in National Basketball Association (NBA) history. He was one of the tallest and heaviest players ever. O'Neal ...

41. Gervase Peterson

Actor | Jersey Justice

A native of Philadelphia, PA, Gervase faced loss as a young adult when his father was killed in an automobile accident. His mother became the main provider and greatest influence for Gervase, his 2 brothers and sister. This unexpected loss motivated him to realize the importance of making each day ...

42. Shaun Robinson

Actress | Bruce Almighty

Shaun Robinson was born on July 11, 1962 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Bruce Almighty (2003), Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001) and America's Sweethearts (2001). She was previously married to Darryl Hamilton.

43. Raphael Saadiq

Soundtrack | Mudbound

Raphael Saadiq was born on May 14, 1966 in Oakland, California, USA. He is a composer and actor, known for Mudbound (2017), Insecure (2016) and Abduction (2011).

44. Sisqó

Actor | Get Over It

This distinctive silver-haired singer established his performing credentials as a founding member of highly successful urban R&B quartet Dru Hill, who enjoyed transatlantic hits in the late 90s with singles such as 'How Deep Is Your Love' and 'These Are The Times'. The four members of Dru Hill set ...

45. Kerr Smith

Actor | Final Destination

Kerr Smith was born in a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Barbara (Hess) and Rick Smith. He has a younger sister, Alison. Kerr graduated from Henderson High School in 1990 and then went on to attend the University of Vermont, graduating with a degree in Business Administration (Accounting ...

46. George Tillman Jr.

Producer | The Hate U Give

After seeing the films, COOLEY HIGH and TAXI DRIVER, Milwaukee, Wisconsin native George Tillman, Jr. became inspired to make films of his own. In 1994, George wrote and directed his first feature film, SCENES FOR THE SOUL. It was shot entirely in Chicago, using local talent and resources. The film,...

47. Robert Townsend

Producer | Hollywood Shuffle

Robert Townsend transcends any medium he touches whether he's performing stand up, acting, writing, directing, producing, or running a television network. A Chicago native, Townsend is often referred to as one of the "Godfathers" of the Independent Film World." With over 30 years in the business, ...

48. Aisha Tyler

Actress | Archer

Aisha Tyler is an award-winning director, actor, comedian, New York Times bestselling author, podcaster and activist. She is an Emmy-winning television host and multiple award-winning voice actor for Archer (2009).

Aisha's feature directorial debut, Axis (2017), was shot in just seven days on ...

49. Countess Vaughn

Actress | Moesha

Countess Danielle Vaughn was born August 8, 1978 in Idabel, Oklahoma, a small town of approximately 7500 people. She was born to Sandra & Leo Vaughn who taught in the local schools. Very early Countess established herself as a young singer with a dynamic voice. In 1988, she sang her way to stardom ...

50. Denzel Washington

Actor | Fences

Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr. was born on December 28, 1954 in Mount Vernon, New York. He is the middle of three children of a beautician mother, Lennis, from Georgia, and a Pentecostal minister father, Denzel Washington, Sr., from Virginia. After graduating from high school, Denzel enrolled at ...

51. Chris Webber

Actor | Uncle Drew

Chris Webber is an American former professional basketball player. He is a five-time NBA All-Star, a five-time All-NBA Team member, a former NBA Rookie of the Year, and a former number one overall NBA draftee. As a collegiate athlete, he was a first-team All-American and led the Michigan Wolverines...

52. Ladonna Hughley

Producer | Colored My Mind

Ladonna Hughley is known for Colored My Mind (2013) and Black Love (2017). She has been married to D.L. Hughley since February 22, 1986. They have three children.

53. Lorna Wells

Costume_department | City Guys

Lorna Wells is known for City Guys (1997) and Muppets Tonight (1996).

54. Kym Whitley

Actress | Rango

Kym Whitley was born in Cleveland, Ohio and raised in Khartoum, Sudan (Africa). Kym knew she was blessed with the gift to make people laugh, after a chance encounter with Redd Foxx, who told her "she had the Comedic Goods". Kym began living her dream as a stand up comedian in Hollywood. Kym Whitley...

55. Julie Benz

Actress | Dexter

Julie Benz was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA on May 1, 1972. Julie's father is a Pittsburgh surgeon and her mother is a figure skater. The family settled in nearby Murrysville, when Julie was two, and she started ice skating at age three. She competed in the 1988 U.S. Championships in ...

56. Mo'Nique

Actress | Precious

Mo'Nique received a standing ovation when she stepped on stage for the first time in her hometown of Baltimore, Maryland, giving her confidence to pursue a career as a stand-up comedian. After numerous stand-up performances, she took a leap forward with one of the starring roles in The Parkers (...

57. Don Cornelius

Soundtrack | Nutty Professor II: The Klumps

Don Cornelius was born on September 27, 1936 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was a writer and producer, known for Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000), Soul Train (1971) and Jackie's Back! (1999). He was married to Viktoria Chapman and Delores Harrison. He died on February 1, 2012 in Sherman Oaks, ...

58. Jaleel White

Actor | Family Matters

Jaleel White is an American actor, producer, and writer who is known for playing Steve Urkel from "Family Matters" and voicing Sonic the Hedgehog in three cartoon series released during the 1990s. He also acted in "Big Fat Liar" starring Frankie Muniz and Amanda Bynes, "Scooby-Doo", "Guess Who", "...

59. Martin Lawrence

Actor | Martin

Martin Fitzgerald Lawrence is an African-American comedian, producer, writer, director and actor. He is known for his roles in the Bad Boys trilogy, Martin, Def Comedy Jam, Big Momma's House, Open Season, House Party, Boomerang, Wild Hogs, What's Happening Now!!, Nothing to Lose, Life and Blue ...

60. Wesley Snipes

Actor | Blade

Wesley Trent Snipes was born in Orlando, Florida, to Marian (Long), a teacher's assistant, and SMSGT Wesley Rudolph Snipes, an aircraft engineer. He grew up on the streets of the South Bronx in New York City, where he very early decided that dance and the theatre were to be his career. He attended ...

61. Dave Chappelle

Writer | Chappelle's Show

Dave Chappelle's career started while he was in high school at Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC where he studied theatre arts. At the age of 14, he began performing stand-up comedy in nightclubs. Shortly after graduation, he moved to New York City where he quickly established ...

62. James Avery

Actor | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Although known as the uncle/patriarch and judge "Philip Banks" on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990), James Avery was a classically trained actor and scholar. A native of Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA, he joined the US Navy after graduating high school and served in Vietnam from 1968 to 1969. Upon...

63. Angell Conwell

Actress | The Young and the Restless

Moving from Orangeburg, South Carolina to the states capital, Columbia at the age of 2, Angell Conwell began her journey in entertainment at a very young age. After winning numerous awards locally and in the surrounding states of Georgia and North Carolina, she signed with Wilhelmina's Kids Division...

64. Wendy Raquel Robinson

Actress | The Game

Wendy Raquel Robinson was born July 25, 1967, in Los Angeles, California. She is of African-American and Native American descent. Robinson is a cum laude graduate of Howard University of the School of Fine Arts and received her B.F.A. in drama. She's appeared in several plays, such as "The Vagina ...

65. Kaylan Bolton

Actor | Baby Boy

Kaylan Bolton was born on June 9, 1996 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is an actor, known for Baby Boy (2001), Monk (2002) and Miss Match (2003).

66. Kylan Bolton

Actor | Baby Boy

Kylan Bolton was born on June 9, 1996 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is an actor, known for Baby Boy (2001), Miss Match (2003) and Lift Off (2010).

67. Cuba Gooding

Soundtrack | Sudden Death

Cuba Gooding was born on April 27, 1944 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Sudden Death (1985), Thank God It's Friday (1978) and Children of the Struggle (1999). He was married to Shirley Sullivan and Gail Barbara Harris. He died on April 20, 2017 in Woodland Hills, ...

68. Tracey Cherelle Jones

Actress | Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood

Actress, writer, artist, designer, and TV personality, Tracey Cherelle Jones is the epitome of a contemporary renaissance woman. Tracey began acting at the tender age of 8 years old after nailing her very first audition, a national McDonald's commercial. This inspired her, and she went on to do ...

69. Tanya Wright

Actress | Butterfly Rising

TANYA WRIGHT BIO Tanya is a two time winner of the Screen Actor's Guild (SAG) Award, Best Acting Ensemble for her portrayal of Crystal Burset in Orange is the New Black. She appears as NSA Adviser of the United Staes in Season 5 (2018) of CBS' Madame Secretary and starred for 7 seasons as Deputy ...

70. Guy Torry

Actor | American History X

Guy Torry is a native of St. Louis, Missouri. Known as "Torry" by college friends, Guy attended Southeast Missouri State University, the alma mater of fellow comedian and St. Louisan, Cedric The Entertainer. His comic genius was evident to fellow students during these college years. Guy often held ...

71. Eve

Actress | Barbershop

Eve was born on November 10, 1978 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Barbershop (2002), xXx (2002) and Whip It (2009). She has been married to Maximillion Cooper since June 14, 2014. They have one child.

72. Mablean Ephriam

Actress | Madea's Family Reunion

Mablean Ephriam was born on April 23, 1949 in Hazlehurst, Mississippi, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Madea's Family Reunion (2006), Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005) and Madea Goes to Jail (2009). She was previously married to Cassuis Paxton.

73. Larry 'Jazz' Anthony

Soundtrack | Like Mike 2: Streetball

Jazz (born Larry Eugene Anthony, Jr. on April 23, 1977 in Baltimore, Maryland) is an African-American R&B singer. He is best known as a member of the successful R&B group Dru Hill, serving as second lead singer for the group.

During Dru Hill's 1999 - 2002 hiatus, Jazz recorded a traditional R&B solo...

74. Lawrence Bender

Producer | Pulp Fiction

Lawrence Bender is a movie producer working in the entertainment industry for 20 years. He helped produce Hollywood films like Reservoir Dogs (1992), Good Will Hunting (1997), Inglourious Basterds (2009) and Django (2012). Lawrence won 6 Academy Awards with 29 nominations including 3 Best Picture ...

75. Peter Schlessel

Producer | Looper

Peter Schlessel is known for Looper (2012), Self/less (2015) and Dead Man Down (2013).

76. Amy Baer

Producer | Brian Banks

Amy Baer's three decade entertainment career is multi-faceted - experience with major studios, an entrepreneurial start-up, and traditional producing. Collectively, the films she has supervised and/or produced have grossed over $2 billion worldwide.

Currently (2022), Baer is President of Landline ...

77. Roger Guenveur Smith

Actor | Dope

Roger Guenveur Smith is an internationally acclaimed actor, writer, and director who has created a prolific body of work on stage and screen.

He adapted his Obie Award-winning solo performance of A Huey P. Newton Story into a Peabody Award-winning telefilm, directed by his longtime colleague Spike ...

78. Danny Glover

Actor | Lethal Weapon

Actor, producer and humanitarian Danny Glover has been a commanding presence on screen, stage and television for more than 35 years.

Glover was born in San Francisco, California, to Carrie (Hunley) and James Glover, postal workers who were also active in civil rights. Glover trained at the Black ...

79. Gregory Hines

Actor | History of the World: Part I

Gregory Hines was born on February 14, 1946 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor and director, known for History of the World: Part I (1981), Running Scared (1986) and Renaissance Man (1994). He was married to Pamela Koslow and Patricia Panella. He died on August 9, 2003 in Los Angeles,...

80. Jeffrey Wright

Actor | The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun

Born and raised in Washington DC, Jeffrey Wright graduated from Amherst College in 1987. Although he studied Political Science while at Amherst, Wright left the school with a love for acting. Shortly after graduating he won an acting scholarship to NYU, but dropped out after only two months to ...

81. Angela Bassett

Actress | Strange Days

Captivating, gifted, and sensational, Angela Bassett's presence has been felt in theaters and on stages and television screens throughout the world. Angela Evelyn Bassett was born on August 16, 1958 in New York City, to Betty Jane (Gilbert), a social worker, and Daniel Benjamin Bassett, a ...

82. Nicole Ari Parker

Actress | Boogie Nights

Nicole Ari Parker Kodjoe is an American actress and model. She made her screen debut with a leading role in the critically acclaimed independent film The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love (1995) and went on to appear in Boogie Nights (1997), directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Parker has...

83. Phylicia Rashad

Actress | The Cosby Show

Phylicia Rashad was born in Houston, Texas to African-American parents Vivian Elizabeth (Ayers), a poet and art director, and Andrew Arthur Allen, an orthodontist. As a child, Phylicia, her older brother Andrew (called Tex), and younger sister, dancer and actress Debbie Allen, lived in Mexico. She ...

84. Yolonda Ross

Actress | The Chi

Yolonda Ross was born in Omaha, Nebraska, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for The Chi (2018), The Get Down (2016) and Whitney (2015).

85. Reggie Rock Bythewood

Producer | Dancing in September

After attending the Million Man March, Bythewood wrote the screenplay for Spike Lee's indie film, "Get On The Bus." Bythewood was also one of the film's investors. Bythewood did the rewrites for the Fox Searchlight film, "Notorious" and was awarded first-position written by credit along with the ...

86. Cheryl Dunye

Director | The Watermelon Woman

Cheryl Dunye was born on May 13, 1966 in Liberia. She is a director and producer, known for The Watermelon Woman (1996), The Owls (2010) and Mommy Is Coming (2012).

87. Euzhan Palcy

Writer | Siméon

Euzhan Palcy was born in Saint-Joseph, Martinique, France. Euzhan is a writer and director, known for Siméon (1992), Sugar Cane Alley (1983) and A Dry White Season (1989).

88. Lee Davis

Director | 3 A.M.

Born and raised in the Northeast Bronx, Lee Davis credits his love of filmmaking to his father taking him to the movies at a young age.

After graduating from Fordham University in the Bronx, Davis worked at Tower Records in the village a job that afforded him the opportunity to work on films while ...

89. Spike Lee

Director | Do the Right Thing

Spike Lee was born Shelton Jackson Lee on March 20, 1957, in Atlanta, Georgia. At a very young age, he moved from pre-civil rights Georgia, to Brooklyn, New York. Lee came from artistic, education-grounded background; his father was a jazz musician, and his mother, a schoolteacher. He attended ...

90. Terrence Howard

Actor | Crash

Terrence Howard was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Anita Jeanine Williams (née Hawkins) and Tyrone Howard. He was raised in Cleveland, Ohio. His love for acting came naturally, through summers spent with his great-grandmother, New York stage actress Minnie Gentry. He later began his acting career ...

91. Erik Dellums

Actor | Homicide: Life on the Street

Erik Dellums was born on September 23, 1964 in San Francisco, California, USA. He is an actor, known for Homicide: Life on the Street (1993), The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011) and Doctor Dolittle (1998).

92. Mekhi Phifer

Actor | ER

Mekhi Phifer was born in Harlem, Manhattan, and was raised by his mother, Rhoda, a high school teacher. Phifer's acting career began when he auditioned at an open casting call for director Spike Lee's Clockers (1995) and was selected for the leading role. Working alongside Harvey Keitel and Delroy ...

93. Reg E. Cathey

Actor | Fantastic Four

Born into a military family in Huntsville, Alabama -- his father was an army vet who had served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam, while his mother held a somewhat mysterious job in the Department of Defence -- Reg E. Cathey spent much of his early childhood living on a rural farmhouse in Germany....

94. Vicellous Shannon

Actor | The Hurricane

Vicellous Shannon was born on April 11, 1971 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for The Hurricane (1999), 24 (2001) and Annapolis (2006).

95. Kimberly Elise

Actress | Diary of a Mad Black Woman

Kimberly Elise was born on April 17, 1967 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. She is an actress and executive, known for Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005), The Manchurian Candidate (2004) and John Q (2002). She was previously married to Maurice Oldham.

96. CCH Pounder

Actress | The Shield

The CCH stands for Carol Christine Hilaria, her birth name. Most of her characters are enriched with positive attributes -- strength, confidence, integrity, strong-mindedness -- and it is a testament to the abilities of this four-time Emmy nominated actress that she continues on such a high plane ...

97. Davenia McFadden

Actress | Double Jeopardy

Davenia McFadden was born on February 21, 1961 in Abbeyville, South Carolina, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Double Jeopardy (1999), Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (1985) and Wild Card (2015). She is married to Naseer El-Kadi. They have one child.

98. Jurnee Smollett

Actress | The Burial

Jurnee Smollett is an award-winning actress and activist of rare talent and conviction. In the fall of 2020, she starred in J.J. Abrams, Jordan Peele and Misha Green's critically acclaimed drama for HBO, "Lovecraft Country." Smollett's performance was lauded by industry insiders and critics alike. ...

99. Michelle Rodriguez

Actress | Fast & Furious 7

Mayte Michelle Rodríguez was born on July 12, 1978 in San Antonio, Texas to Carmen Milady Pared Espinal, a housewife, and Rafael Rodríguez Santiago, a U.S. Army solider. Known for tough-chick roles, Michelle is proof that there is a cross between beauty and brawn. Michelle always knew she was ...

100. Samuel L. Jackson

Actor | Pulp Fiction

Samuel L. Jackson is an American producer and highly prolific actor, having appeared in over 100 films, including Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995), Unbreakable (2000), Shaft (2000), Formula 51 (2001), Black Snake Moan (2006), Snakes on a Plane (2006), and the Star Wars prequel trilogy (1999-2005), ...