The 25 beautiful black actresses in Hollywood include Viola Davis, Keke Palmer, Sydney Park, Halle Berry, Meagan Good, and Jessica Lucas, among others we have discussed in this article.
Over the years, Hollywood has prided itself in producing blockbusters featuring beautiful actresses. Meanwhile, the film industry now seems to be more welcoming than it was many years ago, void of racism. Hence, young black girls who are interested in acting now have the encouragement to pursue their dreams and equally get the roles they deserve.
25 Beautiful Black Actresses
In no particular order, below are 25 black actresses we have considered most beautiful among other black actresses in Hollywood.
1. Viola Davis
- Date of Birth: 11th August 1965
- Age: 58 years old
- Ethnicity: African-American
- Nationality: American
- Best Known For: Her role in Fences and The Help
Viola Davis is one of the most beautiful black American actresses who has since become successfully established in Hollywood. Significantly, Viola Davis became the first black woman ever to win a Grammy, an Oscar, an Emmy, a Tony (EGOT), a BAFTA, a Golden Globe, and a SAG award. She has been acting since 1988 and is one of the highly respected stars in the American movie industry.
2. Megalyn Echikunwoke
- Date of Birth: 28th May 1983
- Age: 40 years old as of 2024
- Ethnicity: Mixed
- Nationality: Nigerian-American
- Best Known For: Her role as Nicole Palmer in the first season of 24 (2001)
Megalyn Echikunwoke is yet another one of the most beautiful black actresses in Hollywood. She was born on 28th May 1983 and is half Nigerian/half American. Her father, Mark Onigwe Versato Echikunwoke, is an Igbo Nigerian man, while her mother, Anita Laurie, is an American and of English and Scots-Irish descent.
Echikunwoke started acting at age 14 and has since starred in more than 50 successful blockbuster movies and television shows. She came into public recognition for appearing in The Steve Harvey Show and is best known for her roles in Fox series 24, Step Sisters, An Actor Prepares, Damsels in Distress, Night School, and others.
3. Gabrielle Union
- Date of Birth: 29th October 1972
- Age: 51 years old as of 2024
- Ethnicity: African-American
- Best Known For: Her roles in 10 Things I Hate About You Bring It On
Born Gabrielle Monique Union-Wade on 29th October 1972 in Omaha, Nebraska, Union is one of the long-standing Hollywood actresses whose career dates back to the early 1990s. She got her breakthrough and achieved significant success with her roles in 10 Things I Hate About You and the iconic Bring It On. Gabrielle Union has remained active and relevant in the movie industry since she launched her acting career.
4. Meagan Good
- Date of Birth: 8th August 1981
- Age: 42 years old as of 2024
- Ethnicity: African-American
- Best Known For: Her role in Eve’s Bayou
Ranked in the list of 25 most beautiful black actresses in Hollywood is Meagan Good, an actress and model born on 8th August 1981. Meagan is outstandingly beautiful. In 2016, People Magazine rated her at No. 6 on PEOPLE’s Most Beautiful List. The beautiful American actress kicked off her acting career as a child in 1994 when she was barely four years old.
She has since remained active and relevant in the industry, having appeared in numerous successful films and TV shows such as House Party 4: Down to the Last Minute, The Secret Life of Girls, White Famous, The Eric Andre Show, Think Like a Man, Monster Hunter, The Unborn, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, and many others.
5. Halle Berry
- Date of Birth: 14th August 1966
- Age: 57 years old as of 2024
- Ethnicity: Mixed; African-American
- Best Known For: Her roles in Catwoman and Monster’s Ball
Born on 14th August 1966, Halle Berry is a black American actress who came into the limelight in 1985 after she won the Miss Teen All-American Pageant, representing the state of Ohio. Before she became a full-time actress, she briefly worked as a model. Berry got her breakthrough in 1998 when she played a street-smart young woman in Warren Beatty’s Bulworth. Her other well-known movies are Catwoman and Monster’s Ball.
6. Alexandra Shipp
- Date of Birth: 16th July 1991
- Age: 54 years old as of 2024
- Ethnicity: African-American
- Best Known For: Her role as Storm in X-Men: Apocalypse
American actress and singer Alexandra Shipp is considered to be among the top beautiful black actresses in Hollywood. She rose to prominence in 2014 for portraying singer Aaliyah in the TV film, Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B. She is also popular for playing the iconic mohawked super heroine ‘Storm’ in Twentieth Century Fox’s X-Men: Apocalypse (2016).
7. Nathalie Emmanuel
- Date of Birth: 2nd March 1989
- Age: 54 years old as of 2024
- Ethnicity: Mixed-race
- Best Known For: Her role as Missandei on Game of Thrones
Nathalie Emmanuel was born on 2nd March 1989 and developed a passion for acting during her high school days at St Hilda’s School. Her mother registered her for acting, singing, and dancing classes and she gained worldwide recognition for playing Missandei in the HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones. Other movies she is famous for are Fast 7, Maze Runner, The Fate of the Furious, and Army of Thieves.
8. Kylie Bunbury
- Date of Birth: 30th January 1989
- Age: 35 years old as of 2024
- Ethnicity: Half white and half black
- Best Known For: Her roles in Big Sky and When They See Us
Kylie Bunbury is a stunningly beautiful Canadian-American whose ethnicity is half-white and half-black. Before she started acting, Kylie worked as a professional model and only started acting at her agency’s suggestion. She has since then starred in many films and television shows some of which are Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Eat Wheaties!, Big Skies, etc.
9. Karla-Simone Spence
- Date of Birth: 19th July 1996
- Age: 27 years old as of 2024
- Ethnicity: Mixed (Jamaica and Kenyan)
- Best Known For: Her role in Blue Story
Karla-Simone Spence is another beautiful black actress in Hollywood who made it to our list. She was born on 19th July 1996 and is best known for her role as Leah in the movie, Blue Story. As a TV star, Spence is popular for her appearances in Gold Digger and The Confessions of Frannie Langton. Karla-Simone Spence’s acting career has been thriving since 2016 and she has been nominated for a couple of awards.
10. Rochelle Aytes
- Date of Birth: 17th May 1976
- Age: 47 years old as of 2024
- Ethnicity: African-American
- Best Known For: Her role as April Malloy on the ABC drama series Mistresses
Rochelle Aytes’ career in Hollywood began in 2004 when she starred as Denise Porter in White Chicks. She has spent over three active decades in the film industry and some of her other prominent roles are Lisa Breaux in Family Reunion, Nicole Jamieson in House of Payne, April Malloy on the ABC drama series Mistresses, among others.
11. Sydney Park
- Date of Birth: 31st October 1997
- Age: 26 years old as of 2024
- Ethnicity: Black
- Best Known For: Her role as Cyndie in AMC’s The Walking Dead
Sydney Park is unarguably one of the most beautiful black actresses in Hollywood. Park, born on 31st October 1997 is an actress and comedian best known for her roles as Cyndie in AMC’s The Walking Dead, Caitlin Park-Lewis in Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists, Gabby Phillips in Instant Mom, and Makani Young in the Netflix film There’s Someone Inside Your House. She has been acting since 2003 and has starred in many other successful movies.
12. Amanda Du Pont
- Date of Birth: 26th June 1988
- Age: 35 years old as of 2024
- Ethnicity: Black
- Best Known For: Her role in the series, Life is Wild and Shadow
Amanda Du Pont made it to our list of 25 beautiful black actresses in Hollywood. She is a South African native of the black ethnic background. In addition to acting, she is also a model, TV host/anchor, and voice-over artist. She is popularly known for her appearance as Senna in the CW drama series Life is Wild and currently stars as Ashley in the Netflix series, Shadow.
13. Sharon Leal
- Date of Birth: 17th October 1972
- Age: 51 years old as of 2024
- Ethnicity: African-American
- Best Known For: Her roles in Dreamgirls, This Christmas, and Why Did I Get Married
The charming Sharon Leal is an African-American actress and singer whose name we won’t fail to mention in this list. She is one of the black actresses in Hollywood who still maintains beauty and relevance in the industry, despite her age. She started acting in 1996 and has remained relevantly active since then. Her other popular appearances are in the TV series, Legacy, Boston Public, and Guiding Light.
14. Jayme Lawson
- Date of Birth: 19th September 1997
- Age: 26 years old as of 2024
- Ethnicity: Black
- Best Known For: Her role as Bella Reál in The Batman
Jayme Lawson is a young fast-rising actress who has been gracing the screens with both her beauty and acting skills. Born on 19th September 1997, Lawson graduated from Juilliard School in May 2019 and landed her first acting gig in 2020 with a role as Sylvia in Farewell Amor. She stands out for both her beauty and distinctive performances on stage and screen.
15. Jessica Lucas
- Date of Birth: 24th September 1985
- Age: 38 years old as of 2024
- Ethnicity: Mixed; Black Canadian and European Canadian
- Best Known For: Edgemont, Melrose Place, The Covenant, Cloverfield
Jessica Lucas is a beautiful black Hollywood actress who started her acting career in 2000 with a role as the recurring character Bekka Lawrence in the series Edgemont. Some of her other notable films and TV shows include That Awkward Moment, The Covenant, Evil Dead, and Cloverfield.
16. Lauren Keyana “Keke” Palmer
- Date of Birth: 26th August 1993
- Age: 30 years old as of 2024
- Ethnicity: African-American
- Best Known For: Akeelah and the Bee
The beautiful black Hollywood actress Keke Palmer is most famous for her portrayal as Akeelah Anderson in the popular 2006 film, Akeelah and the Bee. In fact, in the movie, the then-young Akeeleh was admired by many people for her black beauty combined with unique and strong performances. She has since been growing into a more beautiful young woman and is still flourishing in her acting career.
17. Kiersey Clemons
- Date of Birth: 17th December 1993
- Age: 30 years old as of 2024
- Ethnicity: African-American
- Best Known For: Her role as Cassandra “Diggy” Andrews in Dope
Another super-talented actress who makes it to our list of most beautiful black actresses in Hollywood is Kiersey Clemons. She started acting professionally in 2010 and some of her well-known films and TV series include Hearts Beat Loud, Fairfax, Little Bitches, The Flash, and others.
18. Alix Lapri
- Date of Birth: 6th November 1996
- Age: 27 years old as of 2024
- Ethnicity: mixed (African-American)
- Best Known For: Playing Effie Morales on Power & Power Book II: Ghost
Alexus Lapri is a beautiful African-American actress well-known for playing the role of Effie Morales on Power and its sequel and spin-off, Power Book II: Ghost. She has been acting since 2008 and is obviously one of the most beautiful black actresses in Hollywood.
19. Rashida Jones
- Date of Birth: 25th February 1976
- Age: 48 years old as of 2024
- Ethnicity: African-American
- Best Known For: Starring on the NBC comedy series Parks and Recreation
Rashida Jones is one of the biggest names in Hollywood. Combining her unique acting skills with her outstanding beauty, and despite her age, Jones has over the course of her almost three-decade-long career become a force to reckon with in the American movie industry. She became popularly known for her role as Ann Perkins on the NBC comedy series Parks and Recreation. She is also a producer, director, and writer.
20. Thuso Mbedu
- Date of Birth: 8th July 1991
- Age: 32 years old as of 2024
- Ethnicity: African
- Best Known For: Her role as Cora in Barry Jenkins’ The Underground Railroad
Thuso Mbedu is a beautiful black South African native Hollywood actress who had her breakthrough in 2021 following her role as Cora in the Amazon Video limited series The Underground Railroad. Other movies she is best known for include Scandal, Saints and Sinners, and The Woman King, among others.
21. Marsai Martin
- Date of Birth: 14th August 2004
- Age: 19 years old as of 2024
- Ethnicity: African-American
- Best Known For: Her role as Diane Johnson on the ABC sitcom Black-ish
One of the brains and talents behind Hollywood productions, Marsai Martin is a clear definition of black beauty. The beautiful actress and producer started acting in 2013 with her role as Diane Johnson, the daughter of Andre (Anthony Anderson) and Rainbow Johnson (Tracee Ellis Ross) on the ABC sitcom Black-ish. In 2019, she became the youngest person ever to produce a studio film after she produced Little wherein she also starred.
22. Sanaa Lathan
- Date of Birth: 19th September 1971
- Age: 52 years old as of 2024
- Ethnicity: African-American
- Best Known For: Blade and The Best Man
Yet another beautiful black actress in Hollywood, Sanaa Lathan was born on 19th September 1971 and has had a considerably long career as an actress. She started acting in 1996 and has been in the acting business since then. She has also extended her efforts into directing and producing. Some of her popular movies include Love & Basketball, Disappearing Acts, and Brown Sugar.
23. Briana Middleton
- Date of Birth: 22nd November 1997
- Age: 26 years old as of 2024
- Ethnicity: Black
- Best Known For: Her roles in Sharper, The Tender Bar, and The Silent Planet
Briana Middleton is a beautiful talented fast-rising Hollywood actress, singer, and songwriter. She is rapidly gathering a massive fan base, thanks to her unique acting talents. Middleton has been praised and recognized for her acting prowess and graceful stage performance. Some of her notable appearances are in the movies, The Inheritance, Sharper, The Tender Bar, etc.
24. Zoe Saldana
- Date of Birth: 19th June 1978
- Age: 45 years old as of 2024
- Ethnicity: Black Latina
- Best Known For: Portraying in Star Trek, Avatar, and Guardians of the Galaxy
Zoe Saldana is one of the established Hollywood actresses who have been in the industry for decades. A wife and mother of three, Saldana does the most in striking a balance between her career life, motherhood, and family life, and yet, maintains her elegance and beauty. She is primarily known for her works in the blockbusters of all time (Avatar, Avatar: The Way of Water, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame.
25. Yara Shahidi
- Date of Birth: 10th February 2000
- Age: 24 years old as of 2024
- Ethnicity: African-American
- Best Known For: Her roles in Salt, Black-ish, and Grown-ish
Yara Shahidi is a beautiful black Iranian Hollywood actress, producer, and model born on 10th February 2000. She is best known for portraying the oldest daughter of Zoey Johnson on the sitcom Black-ish and its spin-off series Grown-ish. Her other notable film credits are Sun Is Also a Star, Smallfoot, Imagine That, My Father’s Dragon, and Sitting in Bars with Cake, among others.