The Greatest TV Performances by an African-American Actor

Television has showcased a wide range of landmark performances that changed what characters could sound like and who audiences could see at the center of a story. This list gathers standout turns by African American men who carried dramas, powered comedies, anchored limited series, and reshaped genres across networks and platforms.

Each entry focuses on a single performance and the series that framed it. You will find character names, networks, creators, awards, and notable story arcs that defined the work. Titles appear in single quotes, and when a series is named in a heading you will see its original broadcast years. The goal is to give you concrete context for why these roles matter in television history.

Sterling K. Brown in ‘This Is Us’ (2016–2022)

Brown plays Randall Pearson, an adoptee raised in a multiracial family, navigating fatherhood, anxiety, and a career in public service. The series was created by Dan Fogelman and aired on NBC, using parallel timelines and ensemble storytelling to follow the Pearson family across decades.

Brown won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for this role and later earned a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Series Drama. His episodes examined transracial adoption, mental health, and civic leadership, often centering plotlines around municipal campaigns and family caregiving.

Andre Braugher in ‘Homicide: Life on the Street’ (1993–1999)

Braugher portrays Detective Frank Pembleton, a brilliant interrogator in the Baltimore Police Department Homicide Unit. The series was adapted from David Simon’s nonfiction book and aired on NBC with Barry Levinson among the executive producers.

Braugher won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his performance. His character anchored the show’s famed interrogation room sequences and appeared in crossovers with ‘Law and Order’ while handling cases that explored faith, ethics, and institutional strain on police work.

Denzel Washington in ‘St. Elsewhere’ (1982–1988)

Washington plays Dr. Philip Chandler, a young physician at the fictional St. Eligius Hospital in Boston. The series aired on NBC and was known for its large ensemble led by creators Joshua Brand and John Falsey.

Washington’s character took part in storylines about training, medical ethics, and hospital politics across the run. The show developed a reputation for complex arcs and multi episode cases that tracked patients and staff through personal and professional upheaval.

Michael K. Williams in ‘The Wire’ (2002–2008)

Williams plays Omar Little, a stickup man who targets drug organizations and follows his own code. Created by David Simon and Ed Burns for HBO, the series examined institutions in Baltimore including law enforcement, schools, and the press.

Omar became central to plotlines that linked street level enforcement to broader systems. Williams’ performance intersected with investigations, court cases, and political maneuvering while episodes traced alliances and rivalries across multiple crews.

Mahershala Ali in ‘True Detective’ (2014–2019)

Ali portrays Wayne Hays, an Arkansas state detective whose memory loss complicates an old missing children case. The series from creator Nic Pizzolatto aired on HBO and uses intercut timelines to revisit an investigation over many years.

Ali received Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for the role. The season followed evidence reviews, documentary interviews, and new field work that reopened leads, pairing Hays with partner Roland West and tracking the personal cost of unresolved cases.

Billy Porter in ‘Pose’ (2018–2021)

Porter plays Pray Tell, an emcee and mentor within New York City’s ballroom culture. The FX series from creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Steven Canals set its story in the world of houses, balls, and chosen family.

Porter won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for this performance. The character led episodes about HIV treatment access, activism, and spiritual care while coordinating events and supporting younger performers within the scene.

Donald Glover in ‘Atlanta’ (2016–2022)

Glover plays Earnest Marks, a young manager trying to build his cousin’s rap career while handling family obligations and limited resources. The series aired on FX and blends music industry plots with surreal episodes that shift tone and location.

Glover won Emmys for acting and directing and also received a Golden Globe for the series. Storylines include tours, label meetings, and European travel while exploring housing, education, and the economics of creative work.

Anthony Anderson in ‘black-ish’ (2014–2022)

Anderson portrays Andre Johnson Sr, an advertising executive balancing career goals with family life. The ABC series from creator Kenya Barris explores parenting, identity, and workplace culture through weekly plots and holiday episodes.

Anderson earned multiple Emmy nominations for his lead performance. The show also produced spinoffs that followed different generations, and Anderson’s character appears across these series as a bridge for shared family arcs and milestone episodes.

Courtney B. Vance in ‘American Crime Story’ (2016)

Vance plays Johnnie Cochran in the first season of ‘American Crime Story’, which focused on the O. J. Simpson trial. The FX anthology series from executive producers Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk uses real trial records and reporting to structure its scripts.

Vance won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for this role. The season recreates courtroom strategy, jury dynamics, and media coverage while showing Cochran’s work on motions, closing arguments, and community outreach.

Giancarlo Esposito in ‘Breaking Bad’ (2008–2013)

Esposito portrays Gustavo Fring, a dual identity businessman who operates a major distribution network under the cover of a restaurant chain. The AMC series was created by Vince Gilligan and follows the growth of a drug enterprise alongside law enforcement efforts.

Esposito received an Emmy nomination for Supporting Actor for this role. His character’s episodes detail supply routes, lab construction, and corporate fronts, connecting boardroom decisions to tactical moves carried out by lieutenants and contractors.

Forest Whitaker in ‘The Shield’ (2002–2008)

Whitaker plays Lieutenant Jon Kavanaugh, an Internal Affairs officer assigned to investigate Detective Vic Mackey and his team. The FX series from creator Shawn Ryan follows a strike team within a fictional Los Angeles division.

Whitaker earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor for this arc. His episodes center on surveillance, informant handling, and administrative pressure while showing how internal probes affect precinct relationships and case outcomes.

Laurence Fishburne in ‘Hannibal’ (2013–2015)

Fishburne portrays Jack Crawford, head of the Behavioral Sciences Unit at the FBI. The NBC series from creator Bryan Fuller adapts characters from the Thomas Harris novels and emphasizes forensic detail and psychological profiling.

Crawford directs investigations that involve consultant Will Graham and psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter. Fishburne’s performance anchors briefing room scenes, jurisdictional coordination, and task force planning while tracking how case stress weighs on staff and family life.

James Earl Jones in ‘Gabriel’s Fire’ (1990–1991)

Jones plays Gabriel Bird, a former police officer who was wrongfully imprisoned and later freed. The ABC series follows Bird as he assists a lawyer with investigations and attempts to rebuild his life.

Jones won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series and also won a Golden Globe for the role. Episodes examine post incarceration challenges, private investigation work, and legal strategies used to reopen cases and protect clients.

LeVar Burton in ‘Roots’ (1977)

Burton portrays Kunta Kinte in the landmark ABC miniseries adapted from Alex Haley’s work. The production uses multiple episodes to follow a family line across generations in America.

Burton earned Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for his performance. The series presented capture, enslavement, and resistance along with community building and family continuity, and it introduced many viewers to a multigenerational approach to televised history.

Blair Underwood in ‘L.A. Law’ (1986–1994)

Underwood plays Jonathan Rollins, a young attorney who rises within a prominent Los Angeles firm. The NBC series from Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher blended serialized office politics with case of the week storytelling.

Underwood received Golden Globe nominations for his work. His character led episodes that covered corporate liability, civil rights litigation, and negotiations, highlighting preparation strategies and courtroom approaches used by the firm.

Don Cheadle in ‘House of Lies’ (2012–2016)

Cheadle portrays Marty Kaan, a management consultant who leads a boutique firm through mergers and client battles. The Showtime series is based on a book by Martin Kihn and shows consulting practice on travel heavy schedules.

Cheadle won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy for the role. The show details pitch decks, season long accounts, and team dynamics while mapping the effect of corporate wins and losses on family relationships.

Dennis Haysbert in ’24’ (2001–2010)

Haysbert plays David Palmer, a United States senator who becomes president as counterterrorism plots unfold. The Fox real time thriller from creators Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran follows Jack Bauer and government teams over single day timelines.

Haysbert received Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for his performance. The character appears across multiple seasons that cover campaigns, cabinet decisions, and security briefings, linking federal responses to shifting threats and diplomatic considerations.

John Amos in ‘Good Times’ (1974–1979)

Amos portrays James Evans Sr, the head of a Chicago family navigating work and housing uncertainties. The CBS series was developed by Eric Monte and Mike Evans with Norman Lear as executive producer.

Episodes follow job searches, union issues, and neighborhood events, often centering on parenting choices and community support. Amos’ role shaped plots about budgeting, education, and intergenerational expectations inside a tight knit household.

Yaphet Kotto in ‘Homicide: Life on the Street’ (1993–1999)

Kotto plays Lieutenant Al Giardello, the commander who manages the homicide shift in Baltimore. The NBC series used handheld camerawork and documentary style edits to trace detectives through interviews and crime scenes.

Giardello’s storylines cover resource allocation, political pressure from city leadership, and mentorship of younger detectives. Kotto’s performance locates leadership decisions within weekly cases and multi episode arcs that span interdepartmental conflicts.

Michael B. Jordan in ‘Friday Night Lights’ (2006–2011)

Jordan portrays Vince Howard, a high school quarterback whose family and legal history shape his path on and off the field. The series aired on NBC and DirecTV and was developed by Peter Berg from the nonfiction book and film.

Jordan joined the ensemble in later seasons and became central to episodes about recruitment, eligibility, and team leadership. Plotlines follow play calling meetings, booster involvement, and college opportunities while showing how coaches and guardians influence choices.

Jharrel Jerome in ‘When They See Us’ (2019)

Jerome plays Korey Wise in Ava DuVernay’s limited series for Netflix about the Central Park Five, later known as the Exonerated Five. The production uses interviews, case records, and dramatization to follow arrests, trials, and the eventual vacating of convictions.

Jerome won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for this role. The episodes track juvenile facilities, adult prison transfers, and the legal work that led to exoneration, highlighting the timeline of appeals and civil actions.

Reginald VelJohnson in ‘Family Matters’ (1989–1998)

VelJohnson portrays Carl Winslow, a Chicago police officer and father balancing shift work with home life. The ABC sitcom started as a spinoff connection through ‘Perfect Strangers’ and grew into a long running family series.

Episodes cover promotions, neighborhood watch efforts, and school events while featuring recurring guest characters who drive A and B plots. VelJohnson’s role provides a consistent anchor for stories about parenting, community partnership, and workplace camaraderie.

Keith David in ‘Greenleaf’ (2016–2020)

Keith David plays Bishop James Greenleaf, leader of a Memphis megachurch at the center of family and organizational drama. The OWN series was created by Craig Wright with executive producers Oprah Winfrey and Lionsgate Television.

Storylines involve deacons, board votes, and audits along with family disputes that affect church governance. The performance guides episodes about succession planning, community outreach, and denominational alliances tied to ministry operations.

Wendell Pierce in ‘Treme’ (2010–2013)

Pierce portrays Antoine Batiste, a New Orleans musician working club gigs and school jobs after Hurricane Katrina. The HBO series from David Simon and Eric Overmyer follows residents rebuilding neighborhoods and livelihoods.

Batiste’s scenes include rehearsals, second line parades, and music education, showing how artists piece together income streams. The series maps permit processes, city council actions, and cultural institutions that support recovery and performance work.

Will Smith in ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ (1990–1996)

Smith plays a teenager from West Philadelphia who moves in with relatives in Bel Air. The NBC sitcom created by Andy Borowitz and Susan Borowitz features an ensemble cast that balances school plots with household rules and social events.

Smith received Golden Globe nominations for this role. Episodes feature dances, talent shows, and campus storylines while tracking college applications, internships, and family milestones that shape the character’s arc.

Share your picks for unforgettable performances in the comments so everyone can compare notes and discover something new.