The Greatest TV Performances by an African-American Actress

Television has introduced audiences to unforgettable characters played by African American actresses across comedy, drama, limited series, and documentaries. These roles span network, cable, and streaming platforms, and they cover legal thrillers, family sitcoms, crime stories, science fiction, and historical narratives. The range of work includes lead and supporting turns, as well as anthology appearances and TV films that reached mass audiences through broadcast premieres.

This list gathers performances that made a clear impact through awards recognition, cultural reach, and documented influence on other shows and roles. It highlights creators, networks, character details, and production context so readers can see how each performance fit into its series and how it helped expand opportunities for Black women on television.

Viola Davis in ‘How to Get Away with Murder’ (2014–2020)

Viola Davis plays Annalise Keating, a criminal defense attorney and law professor who leads a group of students through high profile cases at a Philadelphia law school. The series was created by Peter Nowalk and produced by Shondaland for ABC, and it ran for six seasons with a serialized structure built around investigations, trials, and appeals.

For this role Davis won the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, becoming the first Black woman to receive that honor for a drama lead. She also earned Screen Actors Guild awards for the same role, and the series generated Golden Globe and NAACP Image Award recognition while maintaining strong international distribution through streaming.

Kerry Washington in ‘Scandal’ (2012–2018)

Kerry Washington portrays Olivia Pope, a crisis manager who founded a Washington consulting firm after leaving the White House. The series was created by Shonda Rhimes for ABC and featured real world inspired political crises, with Judy Smith serving as a credited inspiration for the lead character.

Washington received multiple Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for the role and won NAACP Image Awards during the show’s run. The series popularized the procedural political thriller format on network television and produced widely reported audience engagement across live and digital platforms.

Regina King in ‘Watchmen’ (2019)

Regina King stars as Angela Abar, a masked Tulsa detective known as Sister Night, in an HBO limited series that extends the world of the original graphic novel. The series was developed by Damon Lindelof and filmed across several locations with extensive period references and original score integration.

King won the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series for this performance. The production earned multiple Emmys including Outstanding Limited Series, and it brought renewed public attention to the 1921 Tulsa massacre through its opening episode and ongoing storyline.

Uzo Aduba in ‘Orange Is the New Black’ (2013–2019)

Uzo Aduba plays Suzanne Warren in a Netflix ensemble set at a women’s federal prison and adapted from Piper Kerman’s memoir. Episodes blend comedy and drama with flashback storytelling that explores each inmate’s past, and the series helped establish streaming binge release patterns for global audiences.

Aduba won Emmys in both comedy and drama categories for the same role, a rare awards distinction confirmed by Academy records. The ensemble won multiple SAG Awards, and the series broadened representation through a wide range of characters, languages, and backgrounds.

Issa Rae in ‘Insecure’ (2016–2021)

Issa Rae plays Issa Dee, a nonprofit professional in South Los Angeles navigating work, friendship, and relationships. The HBO series grew from Rae’s web project and was developed with Larry Wilmore, with location shooting across Los Angeles and a curated soundtrack that elevated independent artists.

Rae received Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe nominations, while the series earned a Peabody Award. The show’s production launched spin careers for cast and crew, and it established partnerships with local organizations that documented neighborhood spaces across recurring settings.

Tracee Ellis Ross in ‘Black-ish’ (2014–2022)

Tracee Ellis Ross portrays Rainbow Johnson, an anesthesiologist and mother of five in a family sitcom created by Kenya Barris for ABC. Episodes follow workplace and school storylines that explore parenting, identity, and generational differences through an ensemble structure.

Ross won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Television Series Musical or Comedy and received multiple Emmy nominations. The series led to the spinoffs ‘Grown-ish’ and ‘Mixed-ish’, which expanded the Johnson family timeline and brought the character into cross series events.

Phylicia Rashad in ‘The Cosby Show’ (1984–1992)

Phylicia Rashad plays Clair Huxtable, an attorney and mother in a family sitcom set in Brooklyn and produced for NBC. The series regularly led weekly ratings and presented a professional Black household with consistent two parent focus and multi sibling storylines.

Rashad received multiple Emmy nominations for the role and earned NAACP Image Awards. The show’s depiction of college attendance, extracurricular disciplines, and extended family gatherings influenced later network comedies that centered on school and career milestones.

Jasmine Guy in ‘A Different World’ (1987–1993)

Jasmine Guy portrays Whitley Gilbert at the fictional Hillman College, an HBCU setting that allowed the series to cover campus life, internships, and post graduation planning. The NBC show began as a spinoff of ‘The Cosby Show’ and soon developed an ensemble focused on academic and social issues.

Guy won multiple NAACP Image Awards for this role. The series partnered with organizations to promote college preparedness during its run and featured guest appearances from artists and leaders who supported HBCU visibility.

Tichina Arnold in ‘Everybody Hates Chris’ (2005–2009)

Tichina Arnold plays Rochelle, the mother of the central teen character in a single camera sitcom narrated by Chris Rock. The series aired on UPN and then The CW and set its stories in Brooklyn with period details from the mid to late eighties, including fashion, music, and neighborhood references.

Arnold received NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. The show earned critical recognition for its writing and received nominations from major guilds, with continued syndication that keeps the performance visible to new viewers.

Queen Latifah in ‘Living Single’ (1993–1998)

Queen Latifah portrays Khadijah James, a magazine editor who runs a small publication in Brooklyn alongside friends who share an apartment building. The Fox series used workplace and apartment settings to build ensemble stories that balanced career, dating, and friendship arcs.

Latifah performed the theme and earned NAACP Image Awards for her work on the show. The series led its demographic on Sunday nights and influenced later ensemble comedies that focused on young professionals sharing living spaces in major cities.

Rutina Wesley in ‘Queen Sugar’ (2016–2022)

Rutina Wesley plays Nova Bordelon, a journalist and activist who returns to her family’s sugarcane farm in Louisiana. Adapted from Natalie Baszile’s novel, the OWN drama was created by Ava DuVernay and executive produced with Oprah Winfrey, with a production commitment that hired only women to direct across seasons.

Wesley’s performance received NAACP Image Award recognition, and the show earned a devoted audience on cable and streaming. The production welcomed first time feature and television directors, which expanded the pipeline for women filmmakers and brought a consistent visual approach to rural settings.

Jurnee Smollett in ‘Lovecraft Country’ (2020)

Jurnee Smollett portrays Letitia Lewis in an HBO series adapted from Matt Ruff’s novel that blends horror, science fiction, and mid century American history. Episodes combine creature mythology with road travel, family legacies, and period specific design across multiple cities.

Smollett received Primetime Emmy and Critics Choice nominations for the role. The series was noted for elaborate practical and visual effects work and for music supervision that matched contemporary tracks with historical sequences.

Octavia Spencer in ‘Self Made’ (2020)

Octavia Spencer plays Madam C. J. Walker in a Netflix limited series based on the biography by A’Lelia Bundles. The production team included Spencer as an executive producer alongside partners with experience in sports and entertainment enterprises.

Spencer received NAACP Image Award recognition for this portrayal. The series filmed across multiple states to recreate early twentieth century factories, homes, and storefronts, and it presented business practices that connected beauty culture to community education.

S. Epatha Merkerson in ‘Law & Order’ (1990–2010)

S. Epatha Merkerson portrays Lieutenant Anita Van Buren in the long running NBC procedural created by Dick Wolf. Her character supervises detectives in the first half of episodes before cases move to prosecution in the second half, with a consistent focus on case briefing and investigation management.

Merkerson became one of the longest tenured performers in the franchise with more than three hundred eighty episodes. She received NAACP Image Awards and contributed to crossover storytelling that linked ‘Law & Order’ with its companion series.

Alfre Woodard in ‘St. Elsewhere’ (1982–1988)

Alfre Woodard appears as Dr. Roxanne Turner in the NBC medical drama set at a Boston teaching hospital. The series used a continuous camera style and overlapping dialogue to follow interns, residents, and attending physicians through cases and ethical choices.

Woodard won a Primetime Emmy for her work on the show. Her episodes included professional conflicts, mentorship scenes, and documentation of hospital procedures that reflected the program’s approach to realism in medical settings.

Cicely Tyson in ‘The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman’ (1974)

Cicely Tyson leads this CBS TV film adapted from Ernest J. Gaines’s novel, playing the title character across many decades with the aid of then advanced makeup techniques. The broadcast reached a large prime time audience and became a frequent subject in educational programming.

Tyson won two Primetime Emmys for this performance. The production team coordinated with historians and consultants to align costuming, dialect, and regional details with the narrative’s timeline, and the film continued to air in classrooms and retrospectives for many years.

Lynn Whitfield in ‘Greenleaf’ (2016–2020)

Lynn Whitfield plays Lady Mae Greenleaf, a church matriarch leading a Memphis megachurch alongside a family of pastors and administrators. The OWN series follows succession plans, financial audits, and community outreach, with recurring music performances and guest ministry appearances.

Whitfield received NAACP Image Awards for the role. The show partnered with gospel artists and showcased original songs, and it featured collaborations between Lionsgate Television and Harpo Studios that expanded the network’s slate of original dramas.

Gabrielle Union in ‘Being Mary Jane’ (2013–2019)

Gabrielle Union portrays Mary Jane Paul, a cable news anchor whose work and family life intersect across Atlanta and later New York. The BET drama launched with a backdoor pilot film and continued with serialized arcs about newsroom leadership, sourcing, and on air standards.

Union received multiple NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series. The production highlighted media ethics training, contract negotiations, and mentorship structures inside television newsrooms, and it closed with a movie that wrapped core storylines.

Brandy in ‘Moesha’ (1996–2001)

Brandy plays Moesha Mitchell, a Los Angeles high school student living with her father, stepmother, and younger brother. The UPN series used school clubs, part time jobs, and family expectations to structure episode conflicts and resolutions.

The show became one of UPN’s highest rated comedies and led to the spinoff ‘The Parkers’. Brandy’s work on the series coincided with multi platinum music releases, and the production frequently integrated guest appearances from recording artists who performed within the story.

Zendaya in ‘Euphoria’ (2019– )

Zendaya portrays Rue Bennett, a teenager managing substance use disorder, therapy, and relationships in a stylized high school drama on HBO. The series adapts a format from an Israeli program and uses single character specials alongside the main seasons.

Zendaya won Primetime Emmys for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for this role. She also received producer credit on a special episode, and the show’s production developed a safety protocol to support actors during scenes involving intimacy and mental health themes.

Niecy Nash in ‘Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story’ (2022)

Niecy Nash plays Glenda Cleveland, the neighbor who persistently contacted authorities about suspicious activity in the Netflix limited series created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan. Episodes depict multiple reports and documented police responses connected to the apartment building.

Nash won the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series for this performance. The production consulted public records and court documents to structure the timeline, and it filmed on recreated sets that matched the building layout known from case files.

Audra McDonald in ‘The Good Fight’ (2017–2022)

Audra McDonald portrays Liz Reddick in a legal drama from Robert and Michelle King that continued the universe of ‘The Good Wife’. The series moved from CBS All Access to Paramount Plus and covered election law, firm management, and judicial appointments.

McDonald’s performance earned Critics Choice and NAACP Image Award recognition. The production integrated musical numbers, animation, and podcast style segments to explain legal concepts, and it used recurring judges and expert witnesses to build a shared world across seasons.

Isabel Sanford in ‘The Jeffersons’ (1975–1985)

Isabel Sanford plays Louise Jefferson in a CBS sitcom that followed a successful business owner and his wife after they relocated to Manhattan. The series spun off from ‘All in the Family’ and used a high rise apartment setting to explore work, marriage, and neighbor relationships.

Sanford became the first Black woman to win the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for this role. The show maintained a long run with hundreds of episodes and remains a frequent presence in syndication packages across multiple networks.

Angela Bassett in ‘9-1-1’ (2018– )

Angela Bassett portrays Athena Grant, a patrol sergeant who coordinates emergency responses alongside firefighters, paramedics, and dispatchers. The procedural was created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Tim Minear and initially aired on Fox before later moving to ABC.

Bassett serves as an executive producer while starring in the series and has received multiple award nominations and wins for the role. The production uses a mix of practical stunts and visual effects to stage large scale incidents, and it features crossover events with the spinoff ‘9-1-1 Lone Star’.

Sheryl Lee Ralph in ‘Abbott Elementary’ (2021– )

Sheryl Lee Ralph plays Barbara Howard, a veteran kindergarten teacher in a Philadelphia public school. The ABC mockumentary was created by Quinta Brunson and uses on camera interviews and observational classroom scenes to present daily challenges in education.

Ralph won the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for this performance. The series collaborates with school supply partners for promotional drives and maintains a rotating set of guest educators and parents who support storylines about student services.

Share your favorite performances from this list or add the ones you think should be here in the comments.