19 Black Actors In Their First Roles Vs. Now

1.

Viola Davis in her first role as a nurse in The Substance of Fire in 1996:

2.

Gabrielle Union in one of her first roles as Ashli in Moesha in 1996:

3.

Idris Elba in one of his first roles as a pizza delivery man in Space Precinct in 1994:

4.

Regina King in her first role as Brenda Jenkins in 227 from 1985 to 1990:

5.

Samuel L. Jackson in one of his first roles in The Displaced Person in 1977:

6.

Halle Berry in her first role as Emily Franklin in Living Dolls in 1989:

7.

Denzel Washington as Robert Eldridge in Wilma in 1977:

8.

Angela Bassett in her first role as Salina McCulla in Search for Tomorrow in 1985:

9.

Zendaya in her first role as Rocky Blue in Shake It Up from 2010 to 2013:

10.

Jamie Foxx in In Living Color from 1991 to 1994:

11.

Lupita Nyong’o as F in East River in 2008:

12.

Will Smith in his first role as Will Smith in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in 1990:

13.

Don Cheadle in one of his first roles as Elliott Washburn in Hamburger Hill in 1987:

14.

Octavia Spencer in her first role as Nurse Annette in A Time To Kill in 1996:

15.

Tracee Ellis Ross in her first role as Kiki in Far Harbor in 1996:

16.

Laurence Fishburne in one of his first roles as Josh Hall in One Life to Live from 1973 to 1976:

17.

Keke Palmer in her first role as Gina’s niece in Barbershop 2 in 2004:

18.

Mahershala Ali in his first role as Dr. Trey Sanders in Crossing Jordan from 2001 to 2002:

19.

And finally, Whoopi Goldberg in one of her first roles as Celie in The Color Purple in 1985:

Black History Month is here! Join us from Feb. 1 to Feb. 28 (or all year round) and support our content celebrating the culture.