Buzz
In modern Hollywood, African-American actors like Will Smith, Denzel Washington, and the legendary Morgan Freeman are among the most successful stars. However, their talents might have been overlooked in classic Hollywood. Hattie McDaniel made history as the first African-American actress to win an Oscar, yet she and her peers were often limited to roles portraying servants or slaves.
Despite the challenges, there were moments when the stereotype of African-Americans being confined to subservient roles was defied. This list highlights performances from 1929 to the 1960s by a group of talented African-American actors, many of whom have been overlooked by history.
10. Everett Brown
Everett Brown, born in Texas (1902–1953), appeared in forty films from the silent era to the early 1950s. Often typecast in minor, stereotypical roles, many of his performances went uncredited. In the iconic 1939 film Gone with the Wind, he played “Big Sam,” a role that, while memorable, largely reinforced stereotypes, with only one scene offering a glimpse of depth.
In a tense scene from the film, Scarlett O’Hara is driving a buggy alone through a shantytown when she is ambushed by a vagrant and his black accomplice. Hearing her screams, Big Sam rushes to her aid and subdues the attacker. This moment often escapes the notice of modern viewers.
Yet, just over twenty years after black boxer Jack Johnson’s heavyweight reign, this scene held great significance. During that era, cameramen were instructed not to capture footage of a black champion knocking out a white opponent. Alongside the use of the word “damn” in the film’s climax, this was likely another instance of producer David O. Selznick bypassing censorship and the Motion Picture Production Code.
9. Emmett Smith
Emmett Smith, one of the lesser-known black actors on this list, never rose to stardom. However, keen-eyed viewers can spot him as a bartender in John Wayne’s adventure film Hatari! (1962). Smith also appeared in minor roles in iconic movies such as Sunset Blvd. (1950), Stanley and Livingstone (1939), and To Have and Have Not (1944).
One of his most unforgettable moments on screen came in the 1945 holiday classic Christmas in Connecticut. Portraying Sam, a seemingly stereotypical waiter in a Hungarian restaurant, Smith is approached by his overwhelmed boss to translate the English word “catastrophe.” In a rare depiction of a black man as intellectual and refined, Sam not only defines the word but also explains its meaning and Greek roots. This subtle yet powerful scene, likely overlooked by modern audiences, was director Peter Godfrey’s deliberate nod to challenging stereotypes.
8. Esther Brown
UCLA student Esther Brown left an indelible mark on cinema despite appearing in just one scene with only 17 seconds of dialogue in a single film. Her brief moment of fame arrived when Cecil B. De Mille cast her as Princess Tharbis of Ethiopia in his 1956 epic The Ten Commandments. In her memorable scene, she hands Charlton Heston’s Moses a precious emerald, sparking jealousy from Anne Baxter’s Princess Nefretiri, who calls her “such a beautiful enemy.”
The hinted romance between Moses and Princess Tharbis is arguably more surprising than Heston’s interracial kiss with Rosalind Cash in the 1971 film The Omega Man. Produced fifteen years earlier, The Ten Commandments predated the Supreme Court’s overturning of anti-miscegenation laws in the U.S. Despite her captivating presence, this would be Brown’s sole film role, though her performance continues to be celebrated in the movie, which is still aired on network TV every Easter and Passover.
7. James Edwards
James Edwards (1918–1970), an Indiana native and Northwestern University graduate, was a trailblazer for black actors, predating Sidney Poitier as one of the first to receive widespread critical praise. A World War II veteran commissioned as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army, Edwards drew from his combat experience for roles often cast as soldiers. He notably played a blinded veteran alongside Arthur Kennedy in Bright Victory (1951), earning Kennedy an Oscar nomination. Edwards also appeared in Battle Hymn (1957) and Patton (1970), where he played General Patton’s loyal valet.
However, his most celebrated role came in the 1949 film Home of the Brave. As a paralyzed war veteran grappling with both the trauma of battle and lifelong racial discrimination, Edwards left a lasting impact on post-war audiences. The screenplay, adapted by Carl Foreman, earned the Writers Guild’s Robert Meltzer Award for its poignant exploration of American societal issues.
6. Fredi Washington
Fredi Washington (1903–1994), a stage actress and dancer, was cast by director John M. Stahl as Peola Johnson in the 1934 original Imitation of Life. Her character, a light-skinned woman who chooses to pass as white, challenged societal norms around race and gender. The film was later recognized by Time magazine in 2007 as one of “The 25 Most Important Films on Race.”
Washington’s portrayal of a woman rejecting her African-American mother shocked many, particularly black viewers. Yet, her authentic performance struck a chord with those facing similar struggles in a segregated America. Despite Washington’s African heritage and self-identification as a black woman, the 1959 remake by Douglas Sirk cast white actress Susan Kohner in the role, renamed Sarah Jane. Kohner’s performance earned her a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress.
5. Canada Lee
Canada Lee (1907–1952) was among the first African-American actors to land leading roles in film and theater. A former professional boxer and civil rights advocate, Lee’s career took off when Orson Welles cast him as Banquo in the 1936 production of Macbeth, featuring an all African-American cast. The play’s success opened doors for Lee in both Hollywood and the theater world.
Lee’s most notable role came as Joe Spencer, the ship’s steward in Alfred Hitchcock’s Lifeboat (1944). While critics at the time dismissed the role as stereotypical, Lee’s portrayal stood out for its heroism and humanity. When a Nazi sailor is rescued, Joe is the only one who refuses to join the others in killing him and later disarms the antagonist. Lee also delivered powerful performances in Body and Soul (1947) and Cry, the Beloved Country (1951), despite being blacklisted for alleged communist ties. He passed away from a heart attack at 45, just a year after the latter film’s release.
4. Nina Mae McKinney
Nina Mae McKinney (1912–1967) was a trailblazer as one of Hollywood’s first African-American film stars and an early black international celebrity, gaining fame on British television. Her breakout role came as Chick, the seductive lead in King Vidor’s groundbreaking 1929 musical Hallelujah!. The film was revolutionary as one of the first sound movies shot on location in Arkansas and Memphis, Tennessee, and the first musical with an entirely black cast.
McKinney’s captivating looks earned her the nickname “The Black Garbo” in the international press. Her role in Hallelujah! broke away from the usual stereotypes for black actresses. Film critic Donald Bogle hailed her as the screen’s “first black love goddess,” thanks to her bold and provocative portrayal. She paved the way for future femme fatales, and some might even say Jean Harlow was “The White Nina Mae McKinney.”
3. Sidney Poitier
Sidney Poitier (1927–2022), an American-born Bahamian actor, is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished black actors in film history. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the 1963 classic Lilies of the Field. Over a career spanning six decades, Poitier earned three Oscar nominations and ten Golden Globe nods, starring in iconic films like The Defiant Ones (1958) and In the Heat of the Night (1967).
Poitier’s career began with his breakthrough role as Dr. Luther Brooks in Joseph Mankiewicz’s 1950 film No Way Out. Featuring an Oscar-nominated screenplay, the movie follows a young, idealistic doctor who treats a wounded criminal, only to face blame from the criminal’s brother, played by Richard Widmark. The film’s controversial themes led NBC to deem it “too risky” for broadcast in 1962. For Poitier, however, it marked the start of a legendary career that redefined the image of the black leading man in Hollywood.
2. Juano Hernández
Juano Hernández (1896–1970), an African-Latino actor from Puerto Rico, began his career in the silent film era and continued until 1970, when he starred alongside Sidney Poitier in They Call Me Mr. Tibbs!. Hernández appeared in numerous supporting roles in major films, including Sergeant Rutledge (1960), where he played a buffalo soldier. A decade earlier, he broke barriers by portraying a black mentor to Kirk Douglas’s character in Young Man with a Horn (1950), a rare depiction of interracial mentorship in classic Hollywood.
Hernández’s most striking role came as Lucas Beauchamp in Clarence Brown’s Intruder in the Dust (1949), based on William Faulkner’s novel. In a powerful flashback scene, Hernández’s character confidently enters a general store and stands up to a white provocateur. Film historian Donald Bogle praised Hernández’s “performance and extraordinary presence,” calling it one of the most remarkable by a black actor in American cinema.
1. Woody Strode
Woody Strode (1914–1994) epitomized the strong, silent “tough guy” in classic Hollywood. Before becoming John Wayne’s sidekick in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) and playing the Ethiopian king in The Ten Commandments (1956), Strode was a world-class athlete and one of the first African Americans to play in the NFL.
With his commanding physique and screen presence, Strode was cast as the lead in John Ford’s Sergeant Rutledge (1960). However, his most iconic role came as the gladiator Draba in Spartacus (1960). In a key scene, Strode’s character defeats Kirk Douglas but refuses to kill him, instead turning his weapon against the Roman commander Crassus, played by Laurence Olivier. This act of defiance inspires a rebellion among the gladiators. Despite minimal dialogue, Strode left an indelible mark on the film. Decades later, the character Sheriff Woody in Toy Story was named in his honor.
