By Thomas Sellers Jr.
This week I am giving the red carpet to the best black actresses of all time.
Better late than never, this countdown also gives me an opportunity to give some praise to the late, great Cicely Louise Tyson. One of the most legendary actors in American history, Tyson passed away last year on January 28. With a resume spanning more than 5 decades, Tyson delivered powerful performances in “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman” in 1974 and “The Help” in 2011.
Tyson was born in Harlem, a Mecca for negro art. Her Caribbean roots and her parents had a humble background with mother being a homemaker and her father working as carpenter and painter.
Tyson’s best work precedes my birth in 1981 like “Sounder.” But she was one of those black actors your family celebrates and teaches you about. Tyson was a bridge in Black Hollywood. She strengthened the legacy of Butterfly McQueen and Hattie McDaniel. Then she paved a smoother road for these honorable mentions: Pam Grier, Kimberly Elisa, Phylicia Rashad, Mary Alice, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Debby Allen, CCH Pounder, Oprah Winfrey, Irma P. Hall, Vanessa Williams, Lena Horne, Sanaa Lathan, Octavia Spencer, Regina King, Regina Hall, Viola Davis, S. Epatha Merkerson, Debbi Morgan, Isabel Sanford, Nia Long and Ruby Dee.
10. Dorothy Dandridge
Signature Movie: “Carman Jones”
The first black woman to be glamorous, appealing and a crossover star might have been Dorothy Jean Dandridge. She left this earth too soon at the age of 42. The Cleveland, Ohio native wasn’t able to leave a large library of work but what she appeared in, Dandridge stole the show.
9. Beah Richards
Signature Movie: “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”
Beah Richards is that face you recognize but never knew her name. Born Beulah Elizabeth Richardson she left her mark as an actress of stage, screen, and television. Born in Vicksburg, Miss., in 1920, her move to New York City at the age of 30 changed her life. It took 5 years before she landed her breakout role in the off-Broadway show “Take A Giant Step.” She had a great portrayal as an 84-year-old grandmother without using theatrical makeup. She normally played elderly characters giving her a niche’.
8. Juanita Moore
Signature Movie: “Imitation of Life”
Another Mississippi girl makes my list. Juanita Moore was born in Greenwood in 1914. She passed away a few months shy of her 100th birthday in 2014. Moore should be recognized as a slice of Americana for her work in film, television, and stage. She was the fifth black actor to be nominated for an Academy Award in any category, and the third in the Supporting Actress category at a time. Her sweet but strong portrayal in “Imitation of Life” will capture your heart. You fall in love with her, root for her and her pain becomes your pain in the powerful film. Moore’s roles had a lasting effect on the industry and forced Hollywood to have a racial conscience.
7. Halle Berry
Signature Movie: “Monster’s Ball”
One of the faces of the 1990s, Berry is one of the few black actresses that has Academy Award winner on her resume’. Her library of movies are epic with “Losing Isaiah,” “Boomerang,” “Catwoman,” and “Frankie & Alice.” It was her gritty performance in “Monster’s Ball” that landed her the precious Oscar. Halle Maria Berry was groomed for the spotlight being raised in Ohio. Now this beauty queen is making movies like “Bruised.” Just go back and watch “Jungle Fever.” Berry is not afraid to get ugly to make a role come to life.
6. Diahann Carroll
Signature Movie: “Claudine”
Diahann Carroll was a trailblazer. The Bronx native knocked down many walls with her TV show “Julia.” Shortly after that run, Carroll hit a home run with “Claudine.” Before her passing in 2019, Carroll left us with screen time in “Eve’s Bayou” and “Carmen Jones.” But television is where Carroll became an icon, later stealing the show “Dynasty.”
5. Lynn Whitfield
Signature Movie: “The Josephine Baker Story”
My biggest crush on this list is the beautiful Lynn Whitfield. “The Josephine Baker Story” sparked my love for Whitfield and “A Thin Line Between Love and Hate” made my heart explode. But over the years of watching the performances of Whitfield on television and in movies, I’ve grown to appreciate her skills and passion for her craft. The Louisiana lady was born in 1953 and is the eldest of four children and a third-generation BFA graduate from Howard University. Her dad helped her find a love for acting. I want to express my gratitude to him because Whitfield is a scene stealer.
4. Queen Latifah
Signature Movie: “Set It Off”
A pretty good rapper, Dana Elaine Owens’ second career has been pretty awesome. Better known as Queen Latifah, she could have just retired on her hip-hop tenure. Born in Newark, New Jersey Latifah signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1989 and released her debut album “All Hail the Queen” later that year.
In her music videos you got a teaser of Latifah’s screen presence. Then came her breakout role in “Set It Off.” She commanded the camera and was fierce in her delivery of Chloe. She was scary. But she has the skills to pull off comedies with “Bringing Down the House” and “Taxi.” She can be serious and melancholy with “The Secret Life of Bees.” And her musical and singing skills were on display in “Chicago.”
3. Alfre Woodard
Signature Movie: “Scrooged”
“Passion Fish,” “Crooklyn,” “Down In the Delta,” and “Love & Basketball” are a few of her credits. Alfre Woodard, Tulsa, Okla., native, is an actress, producer, and political activist. Her face is soothing and comforting. But the word choices of Woodard are loud and powerful. Meeting her back in 2000 at a political rally, Woodard told this young reporter, “Please stick with it young brother. Be a voice for us and for all who need it.”
I felt like I was in a scene with Woodard and she was my mother pointing me in the right direction. Thank you Ms. Woodard for the words of encouragement and all your years of work that convey a similar message.
2. Whoopi Goldberg
Signature Movie: “The Color Purple”
Known first for her stand-up comedy, Whoopi Goldberg today stands as one of the best to ever grace the big screen. Caryn Elaine Johnson has a few notable movies like “Sarafina,” “Corina, Corina,” “Sister Act,” and “The Color Purple.” The Manhattan native put her gifts of timing, wit and intelligence to use in those movies. The other Academy Award winner on this list, Goldberg made the movie “Ghost” a classic as Oda Mae Brown. She pumped life into the movie and was the perfect bridge between the two main characters earning her Best Supporting Actress Award.
A recipient of numerous accolades, Goldberg is one of 16 entertainers to win an Emmy Award, a Grammy Award, an Academy Award, and a Tony Award.
1. Angela Bassett
Signature Movie: “What’s Love Got to Do With It.”
Bassett should be an Academy Award winner. Her Oscar for “What’s Love Got to Do With It” was given away to somebody else.
The gifted actress kept plugging along with her career with “Waiting to Exhale,” “The Score,” and “How Stella Got Her Groove Back.” She gave us a preview of her abilities with “Boyz In the Hood.” Now 63 years old, Bassett is still a captivating figure on screen. She has a few awards in her cabinet like Black Reel Awards and a Golden Globe. But it is how she leaves an audience that makes her the best black actress of all time. She can be a mother, a starlet, an action hero and leader of a nation. Of all the signature movies previously listed, I could trust Bassett to play each role.
THOMAS SELLERS JR. is the editor of The Millington Star and both the sports editor and a weekly personal columnist for West 10 Media/Magic Valley Publishing. Contact him by phone at (901) 433-9138, by fax to (901) 529-7687 and by email to [email protected].
