Black Actors You Didn’t Know Were Aquarius

Aquarius season runs from January 20 to February 18, and plenty of familiar screen faces were born under this innovative air sign. Below are Black male actors whose birthdays land in that window, with quick facts on their careers, standout roles, and notable achievements. Use it as a handy reference next time you’re connecting birthdays to the projects you love.

Michael B. Jordan

Born February 9, 1987, in Santa Ana, California, Michael B. Jordan is known for leading roles in ‘Creed’ and ‘Black Panther’. He earned early acclaim in ‘Fruitvale Station’ and later made his feature directorial debut with ‘Creed III’. Jordan is also a producer through Outlier Society, which has inked inclusion-focused production deals. His television credits include significant arcs in ‘The Wire’ and ‘Friday Night Lights’.

Mahershala Ali

Mahershala Ali was born February 16, 1974, in Oakland, California. He won two Academy Awards for performances in ‘Moonlight’ and ‘Green Book’. On television, he headlined ‘True Detective’ Season 3 and previously appeared in ‘House of Cards’. He is attached to portray the title character in Marvel’s ‘Blade’.

Trevante Rhodes

Born February 10, 1990, in Ponchatoula, Louisiana, Trevante Rhodes broke out with ‘Moonlight’. His film work includes ‘Bird Box’ and ‘The Predator’. On television, he portrayed Mike Tyson in the limited series ‘Mike’. Rhodes has also appeared in independent features and festival projects since his debut.

Chris Rock

Chris Rock was born February 7, 1965, in Andrews, South Carolina, and grew up in Brooklyn. He created and narrated the semi-autobiographical series ‘Everybody Hates Chris’ and appeared in ‘Fargo’ Season 4. His film credits include ‘Top Five’, ‘Spiral’, and ‘Madagascar’ voice roles. Rock is also a multiple Emmy winner and a Grammy-winning stand-up.

Ice-T

Ice-T, born February 16, 1958, in Newark, New Jersey, has portrayed Detective Odafin “Fin” Tutuola on ‘Law & Order: SVU’ since 2000. His film work includes ‘New Jack City’, ‘Ricochet’, and ‘Trespass’. He has produced and narrated true-crime series and documentaries. Beyond acting, he is a Grammy-winning recording artist and a reality-television personality.

Charles S. Dutton

Born January 30, 1951, in Baltimore, Maryland, Charles S. Dutton starred in the sitcom ‘Roc’. His film credits include ‘Alien 3’, ‘Rudy’, and ‘A Time to Kill’. He has won multiple Primetime Emmy Awards for guest performances on dramatic series. Dutton has extensive stage experience and has directed for television.

John Witherspoon

John Witherspoon was born January 27, 1942, in Detroit, Michigan. He co-starred in the ‘Friday’ film series and the sitcom ‘The Wayans Bros.’. Witherspoon voiced Robert “Granddad” Freeman in ‘The Boondocks’. He worked steadily in film and television for decades until his passing in 2019.

Edwin Hodge

Edwin Hodge, born January 26, 1985, in Jacksonville, North Carolina, appeared in ‘The Purge’ and ‘The Purge: Election Year’. He has recurring roles across the ‘Chicago’ franchise, including ‘Chicago Fire’. Hodge has also been featured in series like ‘For All Mankind’ and ‘Good Sam’. He is the older brother of actor Aldis Hodge.

Brandon Micheal Hall

Born February 3, 1993, in Anderson, South Carolina, Brandon Micheal Hall led the network series ‘The Mayor’ and ‘God Friended Me’. He has appeared in ‘Search Party’ and guest-starred across multiple television dramas. Hall’s film credits include independent features and festival entries. He trained at the Juilliard School before moving into television.

Isaiah Mustafa

Isaiah Mustafa was born February 11, 1974, in Portland, Oregon. He is known for ‘Shadowhunters’ and for his long-running Old Spice commercial persona. Mustafa played adult Mike Hanlon in ‘It Chapter Two’. Before acting, he spent time on NFL practice squads and later transitioned into screen work.

Gary Coleman

Gary Coleman, born February 8, 1968, in Zion, Illinois, became a household name with ‘Diff’rent Strokes’. He voiced characters in animated series and made numerous sitcom guest appearances. Coleman’s career included television movies, reality shows, and commercial campaigns. He continued acting into adulthood and remained a recognizable pop-culture figure.

LeVar Burton

Born February 16, 1957, in Landstuhl, West Germany, LeVar Burton gained early acclaim for ‘Roots’. He starred as Geordi La Forge in ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ and hosted ‘Reading Rainbow’ for over two decades. Burton has directed episodes across multiple ‘Star Trek’ series. He continues to work in narration, education initiatives, and podcasting.

Phil LaMarr

Phil LaMarr, born January 24, 1967, in Los Angeles, is a prolific voice and screen actor. His voice roles include ‘Samurai Jack’, ‘Futurama’, ‘Static Shock’, and ‘Justice League’. On screen, he was an original cast member of ‘MADtv’ and appeared in ‘Pulp Fiction’. LaMarr is also active in video game voice acting and stage productions.

Arsenio Hall

Arsenio Hall was born February 12, 1956, in Cleveland, Ohio. As an actor, he appeared in ‘Coming to America’ and its sequel, along with various television roles. He hosted ‘The Arsenio Hall Show’, a late-night program with multiple runs. Hall also won ‘The Celebrity Apprentice’ in 2012 and continues to tour and act.

Omar Sy

Born January 20, 1978, in Trappes, France, Omar Sy won the César Award for Best Actor for ‘The Intouchables’. He stars in the global hit series ‘Lupin’. His film work includes ‘Jurassic World’ and ‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’. Sy works in both French and English-language productions.

O-T Fagbenle

O-T Fagbenle, born January 22, 1981, in London, is known for his role in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’. He created and starred in the comedy series ‘Maxxx’. Fagbenle appeared in Marvel’s ‘Black Widow’ as Rick Mason. He has extensive stage credits and television work across the U.K. and the U.S.

Hannibal Buress

Hannibal Buress was born February 4, 1983, in Chicago, Illinois. He co-starred in ‘Broad City’ and voiced characters in ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’. Buress has appeared in films such as ‘Tag’ and ‘Neighbors’. He also writes and produces stand-up specials and scripted projects.

Robert Townsend

Robert Townsend, born February 6, 1957, in Chicago, Illinois, is an actor-director known for ‘Hollywood Shuffle’ and ‘The Five Heartbeats’. He created and starred in the sitcom ‘The Parent ’Hood’. Townsend has directed numerous television episodes and films. His production company has supported projects across comedy and drama.

Sherman Hemsley

Sherman Hemsley was born February 1, 1938, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He starred as George Jefferson in ‘The Jeffersons’ after originating the role on ‘All in the Family’. Hemsley later led the series ‘Amen’ and provided voice work for ‘Dinosaurs’. He remained a staple of American television through multiple decades.

Daveed Diggs

Daveed Diggs, born January 24, 1982, in Oakland, California, won a Tony Award for originating dual roles in ‘Hamilton’. He co-wrote and starred in the Oakland-set film ‘Blindspotting’ and later executive-produced the TV spin-off. On television, he headlined ‘Snowpiercer’ and voiced characters in animation. His film roles include ‘Wonder’ and Disney’s live-action ‘The Little Mermaid’.

Tell us which Aquarius actors surprised you most—and who we should add next—in the comments!