The Greatest Movie Performances by an African-American Actress

Great movie roles do more than entertain. They create characters that stay in memory and open new doors for the artists who play them. This collection highlights screen performances by African American actresses that reshaped careers, set industry milestones, and brought complex lives into sharp focus.

Each entry notes the character portrayed, key creative partners like directors and writers, and concrete markers such as awards and historic firsts. The goal is simple. Put the work front and center and give you the facts that show why these turns still matter.

Halle Berry in ‘Monster’s Ball’ (2001)

Halle Berry plays Leticia Musgrove opposite Billy Bob Thornton in a drama directed by Marc Forster and written by Milo Addica and Will Rokos. Berry won the Academy Award for Best Actress for this role and became the first Black woman to earn that honor. She also received the Screen Actors Guild Award for outstanding performance by a female actor in a leading role.

The production features a grounded visual style and intimate storytelling choices that keep the focus on Leticia’s economic and family struggles. The ensemble includes Heath Ledger, Peter Boyle, and Sean Combs, and the film’s release expanded Berry’s profile in serious dramatic features worldwide.

Viola Davis in ‘Fences’ (2016)

Viola Davis portrays Rose Maxson in an adaptation of the play by August Wilson directed by Denzel Washington. Davis won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for this performance and added wins from the Screen Actors Guild and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

The screenplay preserves Wilson’s dialogue and family dynamics, giving Davis extended scenes that map Rose’s resilience and decision making. The cast reunites principals from the acclaimed Broadway revival and showcases Wilson’s Pittsburgh Cycle on a major studio scale.

Octavia Spencer in ‘The Help’ (2011)

Octavia Spencer plays Minny Jackson under the direction of Tate Taylor from a screenplay based on Kathryn Stockett’s novel. Spencer won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for this role and also earned Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild wins.

The film spotlights domestic workers in Mississippi and gives Minny a storyline that ties workplace abuse to personal survival. The ensemble features Viola Davis, Jessica Chastain, and Bryce Dallas Howard, and the production design anchors the narrative in a specific community and social hierarchy.

Mo’Nique in ‘Precious’ (2009)

Mo’Nique plays Mary Lee Johnston in a drama directed by Lee Daniels and adapted by Geoffrey Fletcher from the novel by Sapphire. Mo’Nique won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for this work along with Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Screen Actors Guild honors.

The film’s structure centers on counseling sessions and school scenes that frame Mary’s confrontations with her daughter. The cast includes Gabourey Sidibe, Paula Patton, and Mariah Carey, and the independent production drew major festival attention before national release.

Regina King in ‘If Beale Street Could Talk’ (2018)

Regina King portrays Sharon Rivers in Barry Jenkins’s adaptation of James Baldwin’s novel. King won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and added a Golden Globe win for the same role.

The character anchors a family navigating legal setbacks and financial pressure while working to secure justice. The production uses careful color design, a Nicholas Britell score, and long takes to sustain Sharon’s presence in critical scenes with attorneys and investigators.

Jennifer Hudson in ‘Dreamgirls’ (2006)

Jennifer Hudson plays Effie White in Bill Condon’s adaptation of the stage musical. Hudson won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and earned Golden Globe and BAFTA wins for the performance.

The film charts the rise of a vocal group and uses recording booth and concert sequences to detail Effie’s professional disputes and contractual limits. The production features Beyoncé, Jamie Foxx, and Eddie Murphy, and the soundtrack reached wide commercial success that reinforced Hudson’s transition from television to film.

Angela Bassett in ‘What’s Love Got to Do with It’ (1993)

Angela Bassett portrays Tina Turner in a biographical drama directed by Brian Gibson and based on Turner’s memoir with Kurt Loder. Bassett received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress and won the Golden Globe for her portrayal.

The choreography and concert recreations align with archival performance aesthetics while the script follows contract disputes, name rights, and tour logistics. Laurence Fishburne’s portrayal of Ike Turner earned an Academy Award nomination and the film’s music supervision coordinated studio rerecordings for authenticity.

Whoopi Goldberg in ‘The Color Purple’ (1985)

Whoopi Goldberg plays Celie in Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of Alice Walker’s novel. Goldberg received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress and won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama.

The production traces decades in Celie’s life through letters and household scenes that document a network of women supporting one another. The ensemble includes Margaret Avery and Oprah Winfrey, and the film earned multiple Academy Award nominations that broadened opportunities for its cast.

Hattie McDaniel in ‘Gone with the Wind’ (1939)

Hattie McDaniel portrays Mammy in a production directed by Victor Fleming with additional direction by George Cukor and Sam Wood. McDaniel won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, becoming the first Black Oscar winner.

The film’s large scale brought McDaniel’s screen presence to a global audience through extended household and wartime sequences. Her award placed a spotlight on Black performers working in Hollywood studio features and remains a documented milestone in Academy history.

Dorothy Dandridge in ‘Carmen Jones’ (1954)

Dorothy Dandridge stars as Carmen in Otto Preminger’s adaptation of the stage musical with music from Georges Bizet’s opera. Dandridge received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, the first for an African American woman in that category.

The production uses fully staged musical numbers and close framing to track Carmen’s movement through work sites and social spaces. Harry Belafonte co stars, and the soundtrack’s orchestral arrangements pair with studio sound design to support Dandridge’s screen magnetism in musical storytelling.

Cicely Tyson in ‘Sounder’ (1972)

Cicely Tyson plays Rebecca Morgan in a family drama directed by Martin Ritt and based on William H. Armstrong’s novel. Tyson received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress and added recognition from major critics groups.

The film follows a sharecropping family and depicts work routines, school access, and legal obstacles in rural Louisiana. The production earned multiple Academy Award nominations including Best Picture and offered a widely taught example of children’s literature adapted for film with an adult perspective.

Diahann Carroll in ‘Claudine’ (1974)

Diahann Carroll portrays Claudine Price in a romantic drama directed by John Berry and written by Lester Pine and Tina Pine. Carroll received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for this role.

Set in Harlem, the film addresses social services, employment, and family budgeting through Claudine’s daily negotiations. James Earl Jones co stars, and the soundtrack by Curtis Mayfield with performances by Gladys Knight and the Pips links narrative beats to popular music.

Pam Grier in ‘Jackie Brown’ (1997)

Pam Grier plays the title character in a crime drama written and directed by Quentin Tarantino and adapted from Elmore Leonard’s novel. Grier earned a Golden Globe nomination and Screen Actors Guild recognition for this performance.

The plot centers on an airline employee navigating law enforcement and criminal pressure while executing a cash transfer plan. The production restored industry attention to Grier’s screen legacy, and the supporting cast includes Samuel L. Jackson, Robert De Niro, and Robert Forster.

Alfre Woodard in ‘Clemency’ (2019)

Alfre Woodard portrays prison warden Bernadine Williams in a drama written and directed by Chinonye Chukwu. The film won the U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, and Woodard received major critics awards and Independent Spirit Award recognition for her work.

The narrative studies administrative routines, appeals, and staff strain connected to capital punishment protocols. The production uses restrained camerawork and quiet staging that centers Woodard in scenes with legal counsel, chaplains, and families.

Aunjanue Ellis in ‘King Richard’ (2021)

Aunjanue Ellis plays Oracene Price in a sports biopic directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green. Ellis received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for this portrayal.

The film documents coaching plans, travel schedules, and contract discussions behind the early development of Venus and Serena Williams. The production includes on court training sequences and tournament settings, and the ensemble features Will Smith and Saniyya Sidney.

Taraji P. Henson in ‘Hidden Figures’ (2016)

Taraji P. Henson plays mathematician Katherine Johnson in a historical drama directed by Theodore Melfi. The ensemble won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast, and Henson earned recognition from the NAACP Image Awards for her work.

The story follows assignments in trajectory analysis, security clearance issues, and promotions within a federal research facility. The cast includes Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monáe, and the production uses period accurate costuming and production design to represent workplace systems.

Queen Latifah in ‘Chicago’ (2002)

Queen Latifah portrays Matron Mama Morton in Rob Marshall’s musical adaptation. She received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress and a Golden Globe nomination for this role.

The film frames Mama Morton’s authority through prison rehearsal and performance numbers that track power exchanges among inmates and press. The production won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and the soundtrack brought Latifah’s musical background into a large scale studio musical.

Viola Davis in ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’ (2020)

Viola Davis plays Ma Rainey in an adaptation of the play by August Wilson directed by George C. Wolfe with a screenplay by Ruben Santiago Hudson. Davis received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress and won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Female Actor in a Leading Role.

The production immerses viewers in recording sessions, contract conflicts, and band negotiations that position Ma as a determined professional. The film also features Chadwick Boseman and won Academy Awards for Costume Design and Makeup and Hairstyling.

Jurnee Smollett in ‘Eve’s Bayou’ (1997)

Jurnee Smollett portrays Eve Batiste in a family drama written and directed by Kasi Lemmons. Smollett received multiple youth performance honors for the role, and the film earned broad critical awards attention for its ensemble and screenplay.

The story uses memory, community rituals, and family business decisions to track Eve’s understanding of adult choices. The production was later selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress, marking its cultural and historical significance.

Tessa Thompson in ‘Passing’ (2021)

Tessa Thompson plays Irene Redfield in Rebecca Hall’s adaptation of Nella Larsen’s novel. Thompson received a Gotham Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Performance for this role.

The narrative explores identity, marriage, and social navigation in New York with sequences set in homes, hotels, and community gatherings. The film’s black and white cinematography and close framing support careful attention to gestures and coded conversations.

Alfre Woodard in ‘Cross Creek’ (1983)

Alfre Woodard portrays Geechee in a biographical drama directed by Martin Ritt and adapted from Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings’s memoir. Woodard received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for this performance.

The film follows Rawlings’s writing life in Florida and shows Geechee’s work, friendship, and influence on the household. The production earned several Academy Award nominations and placed Woodard’s work alongside Mary Steenburgen, Rip Torn, and Dana Hill.

Angela Bassett in ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ (2022)

Angela Bassett plays Queen Ramonda in a Marvel Studios feature directed by Ryan Coogler. Bassett received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress and won the Golden Globe and Critics Choice awards for this role.

The film presents scenes of council deliberations, international negotiations, and family grief that define Ramonda’s leadership. The production’s costuming and set design expand the franchise’s world building, and Bassett became the first performer from the franchise to receive an Academy Award nomination for acting.

Regina Hall in ‘Support the Girls’ (2018)

Regina Hall portrays Lisa, a general manager at a roadside sports bar, in a comedy drama written and directed by Andrew Bujalski. Hall won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress and received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for her performance.

The film follows hiring, scheduling, and crisis management across a single day, mapping the labor conditions that Lisa navigates for her staff. The ensemble work emphasizes procedures like inventory checks and safety planning, and Hall’s leadership scenes anchor the story.

Keke Palmer in ‘Nope’ (2022)

Keke Palmer plays Emerald Haywood in a genre feature written and directed by Jordan Peele. Palmer received major critics group awards for this role including Best Supporting Actress from the New York Film Critics Circle.

The story centers on a family business built around horse wrangling for film productions with scenes that detail stunt logistics and camera setups. The production features large format cinematography and practical effects that situate Emerald inside a working crew environment.

Taraji P. Henson in ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ (2008)

Taraji P. Henson portrays Queenie in a fantasy drama directed by David Fincher and adapted by Eric Roth from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short story. Henson received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for this performance.

The film integrates visual effects with period production design to follow Benjamin’s life and Queenie’s caregiving decisions. The ensemble includes Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, and the production received multiple Academy Award nominations across technical and acting categories.

Share your picks and the performances you would add in the comments.