Top five most successful African-American actors

Hollywood is home to some of the most successful actors in the world. In this article, have a look at the top five most successful and hottest African-American actors around.

Action heroes

Will Smith Will Smith can boast an incredible feat - 14 out of the 19 feature films he has made have made more than $100 million at the box office. He has been nominated for Best Actor at the Academy Awards twice – firstly for his portrayal of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali in 2001’s Ali, and then in 2006’s The Pursuit of Happyness. As of 2011, his films have grossed £5.7 billion worldwide, and he shows no sign of slowing down. Denzel Washington Denzel Washington and action film director Tony Scott have essentially created their own genre. Their five collaborations: Crimson Tide, Man on Fire, De Ja Vu, The Taking of Pelham 123 and Unstoppable all took the box office by storm. He is also a two-time Academy Award winner. The first time was for Best Supporting Actor in 1989’s Glory, the second for Best Actor in 2001’s Training Day. He was also nominated for playing Malcolm X in 1992, and activist Steve Biko in 1987 apartheid epic, Cry Freedom.

Comedians

Eddie Murphy Eddie Murphy was the premier attraction on Saturday Night Live in the early Eighties before turning to film. 48Hrs, Beverly Hills Cop and Trading Places established him as a box office star. After an early nineties slump, Murphy struck gold again with the Nutty Professor and Dr. Dolittle franchises, toning his foul-mouthed-but-funny persona down for the family-orientated market. It revived his career and led to an Oscar-nominated role in the musical Dreamgirls in 2003. Playing Donkey in the Shrek franchise has kept Murphy in the limelight, and the films have earned $2,955,807,005 worldwide.
Whoopi Goldberg Whoopi Goldberg has combined comedic and dramatic roles and achieved longevity and box office success in the process. She made her film début in Steven Spielberg’s The Colour Purple, and was nominated for Best Actress at the 1985 Academy Awards. She won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 1990’s Ghost, and has been nominated for 13 Emmy Awards for her work in television. Her latest role was in the extremely successful Pixar film Toy Story 3.

History-making

Halle Berry Halle Berry became the first African-American actress to win the Academy Award for Best Actress, for her role in 2001’s Monster’s Ball. It lead to her becoming one of the highest paid actresses in Hollywood and capped a great career that has seen Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG nominations. She is also popular with comic book fanboys, having played Storm in the successful X-Men franchise.