Greatest Black Actors and Actresses to Win an Oscar

The Top Ten
1 Sidney Poitier Sir Sidney Poitier was a Bahamian-American actor, film director, author, and diplomat. In 1964, Poitier became the first Bahamian and first black actor to win an Academy Award for Best Actor, and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for his role in Lilies of the Field.

He became the First Black Actor to win an Oscar. Shattering barriers for people of all colors.

2 Denzel Washington Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr. is an American actor and filmmaker. He has received three Golden Globe awards, a Tony Award, and two Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actor for the historical war drama film Glory and Best Actor for his role as a corrupt cop in the crime thriller Training Day.
3 Morgan Freeman Morgan Freeman (born June 1, 1937) is an American actor, director and narrator. He has appeared in a range of film genres portraying character roles and is particularly known for his distinctive deep voice. Freeman won an Academy Award in 2005 for Best Supporting Actor with Million Dollar Baby (2004), ...read more.
4 Halle Berry Halle Maria Berry is an American actress. Berry won the 2002 Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the romantic drama Monster's Ball. As of 2018, she is the only black woman to have won the award.
5 Jamie Foxx Eric Marlon Bishop, known professionally by his stage name Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer, songwriter and comedian.
6 Cuba Gooding Jr. Cuba Gooding Jr. is an American actor. He is best known for his breakthrough role as Tre Styles in Boyz n the Hood, his role in Tuskegee Airmen, TheThe Tuskegee Airmen', 'his Academy Award–winning role as Rod Tidwell in Cameron Crowe's Jerry Maguire, his role in the epic Pearl Harbor as historical ...read more.
7 Lupita Nyong'o

Tied with Emma Stone as the greatest actress to be born in the 1980s.

8 Whoopi Goldberg Caryn Elaine Johnson, known professionally by her stage name Whoopi Goldberg, is an American actress, comedian, and television host.
9 Mahershala Ali
10 Hattie McDaniel
The Contenders
11 Danai Gurira
12 Viola Davis Viola Davis is an American actress and producer. After graduating from the Juilliard School in 1993, Davis began her career on stage and won an Obie Award in 1999 for her performance as Ruby McCollum in Everybody's Ruby.
13 Octavia Spencer Octavia Lenora Spencer is an American actress and author. She is best known for her role as Minny Jackson in the 2011 film The Help, for which she won the BAFTA, Golden Globe, SAG, Critics' Choice, and Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
14 Harry Belafonte
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