Idris Elba has big plans to help build up Africa’s burgeoning entertainment industry. The acclaimed actor and producer recently opened up about his plans to return to and live in Africa sometime soon, pledging to invest money and resources into Africa’s film industry.
His recent comments got us thinking about some of our favorite African actors in the game right now, from some of the biggest names in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to some boundary-pushing Academy Award winners from some of the biggest films of the last decade.
Lupita Nyong’o
The Academy Award-winning Kenyan-Mexican actress has carved out a masterful career for herself filled with iconic roles from her debut performance in “12 Years a Slave,” her critically acclaimed (and horrifying) dual role in Jordan Peele’s “Us” and her moving part in the MCU’s “Black Panther” franchise.
Djimon Hounsou
The two-time Oscar nominee has captured audiences for decades now, appearing in classic films like “Amistad,” “Gladiator” and “Blood Diamond.” Hounsou also made his mark in the superhero genre, appearing in multiple MCU films as Korath the Pursuer and in the DC Extended Universe in “Aquaman” and “Shazam.”
Chiwetel Ejiofor
The esteemed British actor born to Nigerian parents has various awards under his belt, including a BAFTA for his leading role in “12 Years a Slave” and an Oliver award for his work in Othello on the West End in 2008. Ejiofor also appeared in favorites like “Love Actually,” “Kinky Boots” and “The Martian,” while also voicing Scar in the live-action remake of “The Lion King.”
Danai Gurira
A master of the stage and screen, the Zimbabwean-American actress first made waves by appearing in the hit AMC series “The Walking Dead” as Michonne. In 2018, Gurira joined the Marvel universe as Okoye in “Black Panther,” eventually reprising her role in “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Avengers: Endgame” and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” Gurira has appeared in multiple Broadway shows, earning a Tony nomination in 2019 for her work in “Eclipsed.”
Daniel Kaluuya
The Academy Award-winning actor known for his roles in “Get Out,” “Widows” and “Nope” was born in London to Ugandan parents. Since his breakout role in Jordan Peele’s first film, Kaluuya has become one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, winning the Oscar for his powerful turn as Fred Hampton in “Judas and the Black Messiah.”
Cynthia Erivo
The Tony Award-winning actress and singer was born to Nigerian parents in London. Since taking Broadway by storm with her acclaimed performance as Celie in the revival of “The Color Purple,” Erivo has taken on roles like Aretha Franklin in “Genius: Aretha,” Harriet Tubman in “Harriet” and Elphaba in the upcoming highly anticipated film adaptation of “Wicked.”
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
The British actor born to Nigerian parents is known for his iconic role of Mr. Eko in ABC’s hit series Lost, as well as Malko in season 5 of “Game of Thrones.” He also appeared in various action-adventure films like “The Mummy Returns,” “The Bourne Identity” and “Suicide Squad.”
John Boyega
The British-born actor made his splash when he appeared in the sequel “Star Wars” trilogy as Finn. Since then, he’s earned acclaim in his roles in the “Small Axe” series, as well as films like “The Woman King” and “They Cloned Tyrone.”
Regé-Jean Page
The “Bridgerton” star who took over in 2020 was born to an English mother and Zimbabwean father. After taking over the world playing the Duke of Hastings on Shonda Rhimes’ hit Netflix series, he has since starred in action epics like “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” and “The Gray Man.”
Letitia Wright
Another “Black Panther” star, Wright took over the superhero franchise in the “Wakanda Forever” sequel, as her character Shuri took over the persona after the death of her brother T’Challa. Outside of the MCU, the Guyanese-British actress has appeared in projects such as “Small Axe,” “Death on the Nile,” “Doctor Who” and more.
Yvonne Orji
The Nigerian-American “Insecure” star has been very open about her upbringing in her various comedy specials. Since starring as Molly on the hit HBO series, Orji has starred in films like “The Blackening” and “Vacation Friends.”
Uzo Aduba
The Emmy Award-winning actress was born to Nigerian parents, and made a splash in the culture in her award-winning role of Crazy Eyes in Netflix’s hit series “Orange is the New Black.” Appearing on both the stage and onscreen in multiple roles, Aduba starred in projects like “Lightyear,” “Mrs. America” and more.
Ruth Negga
The Irish-born actress was born to an Irish mother and an Ethiopian father. Earning acclaim for her roles in films like “Loving” and “Passing,” Negga also has quite the stage career, earning a Tony nomination for her work in the 2022 Broadway production of Macbeth.
Trevor Noah
The South African comedian and personality earned acclaim and various awards during his time as host of The Daily Show. Since departing in 2022, Noah has his own podcast, and has also hosted the Grammy awards consecutively since 2021.
Thandiwe Newton
The actress known for her iconic roles in projects like “Beloved,” “Crash,” “The Pursuit of Happiness” and more was born in England to a Zimbabwean mother and an English father. Her recent work in HBO’s “Westworld” earned her acclaim and an Emmy Award.
Tiffany Haddish
The standup comedian and actress is half Eritrean and half African American. The “Girls Trip” star opened up about traveling to her father’s country back in 2018.
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