1.
Queen Latifah in her first role as Lashawn in Jungle Fever in 1991:
2.
Eddie Murphy in his first role as Reggie Hammond in 48 Hrs. in 1982:
3.
Raven-Symoné in her first role as Olivia Kendall in The Cosby Show from 1989–1992:
4.
Viola Davis in her first role as a nurse in The Substance of Fire in 1996:
6.
Idris Elba in one of his first roles as a pizza delivery man in Space Precinct in 1994:
7.
Regina King in her first role as Brenda Jenkins in 227 from 1985–1990:
8.
Samuel L. Jackson in one of his first roles in The Displaced Person in 1977:
9.
Halle Berry in her first role as Emily Franklin in Living Dolls in 1989:
10.
Denzel Washington as Robert Eldridge in Wilma in 1977:
11.
Angela Bassett in her first role as Salina McCulla in Search for Tomorrow in 1985:
12.
Zendaya in her first role as Rocky Blue in Shake It Up from 2010–2013:
13.
Jamie Foxx in In Living Color from 1991–1994:
14.
Lupita Nyong’o in her first role as F in East River in 2008:
15.
Will Smith in his first role as Will Smith in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in 1990:
16.
Octavia Spencer in her first role as Nurse Annette in A Time To Kill in 1996:
17.
Don Cheadle in one of his first roles as Elliott Washburn in Hamburger Hill in 1987:
18.
Tracee Ellis Ross in her first role as Kiki in Far Harbor in 1996:
19.
Laurence Fishburne in one of his first roles as Josh Hall in One Life to Live from 1973–1976:
20.
Keke Palmer in her first role as Gina’s niece in Barbershop 2 in 2004:
21.
Mahershala Ali in his first role as Dr. Trey Sanders in Crossing Jordan from 2001–2002:
22.
Whoopi Goldberg in one of her first roles as Celie in The Color Purple in 1985:
23.
Tessa Thompson in her first role as Wilhelmina “Billie” Doucette in Cold Case in 2005:
24.
And finally, Kerry Washington in her first role in ABC Afterschool Special in 1994:
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