In this article, we will talk about the world’s top 25 famous Black Comedian Actors. Without wasting any time, let’s begin with our article.
| Sno. | Famous Black Comedian Actors | Famous for |
| 1 | Richard Pryor | Trenchant observations and Storytelling Comedy Style |
| 2 | Chris Rock | Edgy Humour and quick wit tackled subjects |
| 3 | Eddie Murphy | Sketch Comedy Show, Saturday Night Live |
| 4 | Dave Chappelle | Satirical comedy sketch series Chappelle’s show |
| 5 | Kevin Hart | Winning several Stand-up Comedy Competitions |
| 6 | Steve Harvey | Observational Humour |
| 7 | DeRay Davis | Ray the Hustle Guy Role in Barbershop |
| 8 | Arsenio Hall | Late Night Talk Show, The Arsenio Hall Show |
| 9 | Michael Che | NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live |
| 10 | Roy Wood Jr. | Correspondent appearances on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah |
| 11 | David Mann | Incredible comic roles Tyler Perry |
| 12 | Martin Lawrence | Maurice Warfield in What’s Happening Now! |
| 13 | Marlon Wayans | Scary Movie series |
| 14 | Chris Tucker | Detective James Carter in Rush Hour Trilogy |
| 15 | Corey Holcomb | The Corey Holcomb 5150 Show |
| 16 | Katt Williams | Lord Have Mercy in Norbit |
| 17 | Will Smith | Four Grammy Awards for Rap performances |
| 18 | Kim Wayans | Numerous Roles on the Fox Sketch Comedy Show |
| 19 | Tracy Morgan | Cast Member in Saturday Night Live |
| 20 | Tony Rock | Uncle Ryan role on Everybody Hates Chris |
| 21 | Bernard Jeffrey McCullough | Club Doorman role in the comedy Mo’ Money |
| 22 | Ron Funches | NBC series in Undateable |
| 23 | D. L. Hughley | Original host of BET’s ComicView |
| 24 | Robert Townsend | Directing movies Hollywood Shuffle, Edie Murphy Raw etc. |
| 25 | Tommy Davidson | Sketch Comedy Show In Living Colour |
1. Richard Pryor
African-American performer who was highly influential and frequently in the news for his use of foul language in live performances, fast-paced lifestyle, numerous marriages, and struggles with substance abuse.
Unfortunately, he died on 10 December 2005.
2. Chris Rock
Christopher Julius Rock is the complete name of Chris Rock. He was born in Andrews, South Carolina, on 7 February 1965, and is an American comic, performer, and director.
On Comedy Central’s selection of the 100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time, Rock came in at number five. Chris was ranked fifth among the 50 Greatest Stand-Up Comedians of All Time.
His provocative comment about the disparity between white people’s hatred of black people and that of black people made him renowned. Recently, he came into limelight due to Will Smith Chris Rock slapping incident during 94th Academy Awards on 27 March 2022.
A quick update:- Make sure to check out our previous article regarding Oscars 2023 winners.
3. Eddie Murphy
Lillian Murphy (also known as Lillian Laney), a telephone dispatcher, and Charles Edward Murphy, a transit police detective who dabbled in comedy and acting, had Edward Regan Murphy aka Eddie Murphy on 3 April 1961, in Brooklyn, New York.
Eddie is a famous comedian, actor and singer known for a sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live. On Comedy Central’s list of the 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time, he ranked no. 10.
4. Dave Chappelle
Dave first began to consider acting in high school. When he was 14, he started his stand-up comedy career by performing in bars.
Before beginning his fantastic program, The Chappelle program, which is broadcast on Comedy Central, he made appearances in several movies and television shows, including Spiral, Madagascar, Grown Ups, The Longest Yard, and Grown Ups 2, among others.
Chappelle has won numerous awards, including three Grammy Awards, two Emmy Awards, and the Mark Twain Award.
5. Kevin Hart
Born on 6 July 1979, Kevin Darnell Hart aka Kevin Hart is one of the famouse comedian actors. He is best known for his outstanding comic timing in televison and hollywood movies. Kevin is the only person in the list who won several stand-up comedy competitions in his career. In 2001, Kevin got his first breakthrough after Judd Apatow offered him a role in television series Undeclared.
6. Steve Harvey
His full name is Broderick Stephen Harvey, and he was born in Welch, West Virginia, on 17 January 1957. Harvey works in various entertainment industries as a comedian, T.V. host, producer, and radio host. He has been working as a comedian since 1985.
He began with stand-up comedy and eventually entered the acting industry, which helped him become well-known. Steve likewise hosted a popular The Steve Harvey Show.
7. DeRay Davis
Actor and stand-up comedian Antoine DeRay Davis was born in the United States on 26 February 1982. Illinois’s Chicago is where Davis was born. He started at comedy clubs.
He won the Comedy Central Laugh Riots Competition soon after relocating to Los Angeles and performed on the Cedric the Entertainer Tour. Davis is most known for playing Ray in the movies Barbershop and Barbershop 2: Back in Business.
8. Arsenio Hall
Arsenio Hall, an American actor, comedian, talk show presenter, writer, and producer, was born on 12 February 1956. From 1989 to 1994 and from 2013 to 2014, he served as the presenter of the late-night talk program The Arsenio Hall program.
Martial Law, Coming to America, Coming 2 America, and Harlem Nights are among the films in which he has acted. Additionally, he served as Alan Thicke’s sidekick on the discussion program Thicke of the Night and the host of Star Search. He won Season 5 of the reality competition game program Celebrity Apprentice on NBC in 2012.
9. Michael Che
Michael Che Campbell is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and writer born 19 May 1983. He is most recognized for his work on Saturday Night Live, where he collaborates with Colin Jost as a co-head writer and co-anchor of Weekend Update.
Che has previously written for Saturday Night Live and served as a correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart for a limited period. He replaced Cecily Strong as the co-anchor of Weekend Update for the 40th season of Saturday Night Live with Colin Jost.
10. Roy Wood Jr.
American comedian, actor, producer, podcaster, and writer Roy Norris Wood Jr. were born on 11 December 1978. Since 2015, he has worked as a reporter for Comedy Central’s The Daily Show. He enjoys humour and comedy.
11. David Mann
David Anthony Mann Sr. has experience in the acting, stand-up, and producing fields. He has been working as a comedian since 1992. David is highly renowned for his incredible comic skills and his fantastic work in several movies.
He is one of the most well-known comedians because of his outstanding work.
12. Martin Lawrence
Martin Lawrence’s mother raised him after his father left the family when he was eight years old to pursue a career in the military. He was lucky to become a comedian.
When he was still a teenager, boxing was all he desired and cared about; he wasn’t even interested in humour. But when he joined an open mic night at a neighbouring comedy club, his teacher persuaded him to do so, and that night paved the door for this successful black comic.
He has done stand-up comedy, hosted Def Comedy Jam on HBO, and had many parts in popular comedy films, including Big Momma’s House.
13. Marlon Wayans
Marlon Lamont Wayans is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer born on 23 July 1972. Wayans made his acting debut in I’m Gonna Git You Sucka as a pedestrian.
Later, he frequently worked with his brother Shawn Wayans on the W.B. sitcom The Wayans Bros and in the comedic movies White Chicks, Little Man, Scary Movie, Scary Movie, and Dance Flick. Requiem for a Dream, a highly regarded drama directed by Darren Aronofsky, marked Wayans’ departure from his traditional comedic roles.
14. Chris Tucker
Chris Tucker moved to Hollywood to start a career as a comedian after finishing high school. He made multiple appearances on Def Comedy Jam before enrolling in comic school.
He has appeared in movies, including Rush Hour 1, 2, and 3, with Jackie Chan, a well-known action performer. Since 1992, he has been working as a comedian and enjoys what he does.
15. Corey Holcomb
American comedian, radio broadcaster, and actor Corey Lamont Holcomb was born on 23 June 1969. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Holcomb began his comedy career with the assistance of Godfrey, another comic from the city.
The Corey Holcomb 5150 Show, which he presents, airs live on YouTube every Tuesday at 7 pm EST.
16. Katt Williams
Micah Katt Williams is his legal name, and he was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, in the U.S. He is a well-known American comedian and actor and is still active today.
Katt Williams began his stand-up comedy career at the age of 13, and by 1990, he had already matured into a distinctive and compelling comic in his own right. He has performed solo stand-up comedy with success in a variety of settings.
17. Will Smith
Rapper and actor Willard Carroll Smith II, better known as The Fresh Prince, was born in the United States on 25 September 1968. Smith, known for playing various characters, has won several honours, including four Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and a British Academy Film Award.
His films have generated approximately $9.3 billion at the worldwide box office as of 2023, making him one of Hollywood’s most financially secure performers.
18. Kim Wayans
On 16 October 1961, Kim Wayans was born in New York City, United States. She is an actor and writer best known for her work on the films My Wife and Kids and Living Color. Kevin Knotts is the man she is wed to.
19. Tracy Morgan
Tracy Morgan’s big break in the comedy world came in 1996 when he was asked to join the cast of Saturday Night Live. Up until 2003, he continued to perform on Saturday Night Live as a regular cast member.
On renowned live comedy events like Brian Fellow Conducting a Safari Planet Show, he assisted other comics who had fallen out of the comedy game in regaining their mojo. Since 1988, he has performed stand-up comedy and does an excellent job.
20. Tony Rock
Anthony Andrew Rock is an American actor, writer, and stand-up comedian born 30 June 1974. He is Chris Rock’s younger brother. His most prominent roles were Dirk Black, the television producer, on the UPN/The C.W. series All of Us and Uncle Ryan on Everyone Hates Chris.
Rock also appeared in several movies, such as Redemption of a Dog and What Goes Around Comes Around.
21. Bernard Jeffrey McCullough
Bernard Jeffrey was a humorous black comic actor, and even after his passing, his good deeds are still recognized. When he appeared on Def Comedy Jam, he gained notoriety for his bizarre clothing choices. He began working in comedy in 1977 and continued till his death in 2008.
His biting wit and spontaneous dances grabbed the audience’s attention. The crowd favourably appreciated him. In the year 2000, he was one of the comedians in the cast of Kings of Comedy, together with D.L. Hughley, Steve Harvey, and Cedric the Entertainer, among others.
He made multiple cinematic appearances and was a standout performer in every sphere of his life. He acted in movies like Titanic, The Lord of the Rings, The Bounty, and Drowning by Number.
22. Ron Funches
Ronald Kyle Funches, an American actor, comedian, and writer, was born on 12 March 1983. Funches was born in California and raised in Chicago before moving to Salem, Oregon, as a youngster. At 23, he started a comedy career in Portland, Oregon. He started making guest appearances on many comedy shows, including @midnight, Mulaney, and Kroll Show.
He started doing the voices for Fox in the TBS/Adult Swim TV series Final Space and King Shark in the D.C. Comics T.V. series Harley Quinn in 2019. Funches played Cooper again in the follow-up movie Trolls World Tour in 2020. Funches also voiced Ron in the Hoops Netflix series in 2020.
23. D. L. Hughley
Darryl Lynn Hughley is an American actor and stand-up comedian born on 6 March 1963. Hughley is most known for playing the title role on the ABC/UPN comedy The Hughleys, serving as the show’s initial host from 1992 to 1993, and appearing as one of the “Big Four” comedians in The Original Kings of Comedy.
24. Robert Townsend
Robert Townsend, an American actor, director, comedian, and writer, was born on 6 February 1957. The movies Townsend is most known for directing include The Five Heartbeats, The Meteor Man, Eddie Murphy Raw, Hollywood Shuffle, and several other motion pictures and stand-up specials.
He is most known for creating and directing a few episodes of the W.B. comedy The Parent ‘Hood, in which he played the lead part as his self-titled character, Robert Peterson.
25. Tommy Davidson
Thomas Davidson is an American actor and comedian born 10 November 1963. He was a founding member of the cast of the sketch comedy television programme In Living Color. He also appeared as Rushon in Booty Call, Womack in Bamboozled, Mitchell in Between Brothers, Oscar Proud in The Proud Family, and Dexter in Malcolm & Eddie and its 2022 revival.
Davidson appeared on Storybound in 2022 to read aloud from his book Living in Colour: What’s Funny about Me.
Wrapping Up
So here we got the list of 25 famous black comedian actors. Which one is your favourite? Let us know in the comment section below.
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