It is undeniable that black actresses have made significant contributions to the entertainment industry. They possess not only undeniable talent but also striking beauty. This list will highlight 25 of the most beautiful black actresses in the world, showcasing their unique talents and striking looks. From Hollywood to Nollywood, these actresses have made a name for themselves in the entertainment industry and continue to inspire and captivate audiences around the world.
From Megalyn to Thuso Mbedu, these are some of the most beautiful black actresses in the world.
In no particular order, Here are the Top 25 Most Beautiful Black Actresses in the World.
Top 25 Most Beautiful Black Actresses in The World, 2024
1. Megalyn Echikunwoke
This beautiful black actress is half Nigerian/half American. She has starred in over 20 films/series of different genres, some of which include – ‘24’, ‘90210’, house of lies, step sisters, Damsels in Distress (2011), a Good Day to Die Hard (2013), CHiPs (2017), an Actor Prepares (2018), Night School (2018), late night.
2. Thuso Mbedu
Thuso Nokwanda Mbedu is a beautiful South African actress best known for her role in the telenovela Is’Thunzi for which she got an International Emmy nomination. In 2021, she starred in the Amazon Video limited series The Underground Railroad.
Her other roles include Kitso Medupe in the soap opera Scandal!, Nosisa in Isibaya, and Boni Khumalo in Saints and Sinners. She is set to star in Gina Prince-Bythewood’s historical epic The Woman King.
3. Amandla Stenberg
Amandla Stenberg is a non binary American actress and singer who made “their” acting debut with the film Colombiana (2011), and had “their” breakthrough playing Rue in the film The Hunger Games (2012), for which “they” won the Teen Choice Award for Best Chemistry.
Stenberg also starred as Ruby in The Darkest Minds (2018), Leyna in Where Hands Touch (2018), Julie in the Netflix miniseries The Eddy (2020) and Alana Beck in Dear Evan Hansen (2021).
4. Tika sumpter
Tika Sumpter is an American actress, singer, producer, television host, and model. Sumpter began her career as host of reality series Best Friend’s Date (2004–2005). In 2010 Sumpter made her movie debut in her leading female role in the musical drama Stomp the Yard: Homecoming.
Since then she has gone in to feature in movies such as What’s Your Number? (2011), Think Like a Man (2012), in Sparkle (2012) and A Madea Christmas (2013), Ride Along (2014) and its sequel Ride Along 2 (2016), Nobody’s Fool (2018), Southside with You (2016) and as Maddie Wachowski in the family comedy film Sonic the Hedgehog.
5. Javicia Leslie
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Javicia Leslie, a talented American actress, made her mark in the entertainment industry with her remarkable performances. Starting her career with the Lifetime film “Swim at Your Own Risk,” she quickly gained attention for her acting prowess. Notably, she secured prominent roles as a series regular in the BET drama “The Family Business” and the CBS comedy-drama “God Friended Me,” showcasing her versatility and charm on-screen. Javicia’s star power shone even brighter when she took the lead in the film “Always a Bridesmaid,” solidifying her position as a rising star. Beyond her acting talent, Javicia Leslie is celebrated as one of the most beautiful black actresses on television, with her captivating presence and inspiring representation, breaking barriers and making her a role model for aspiring artists everywhere.
6. Justine skye
Justine Indira Skyers known professionally as Justine Skye, is an American singer and actress. She is most known for How High 2 (2019), Tales (2019) and Already Gone (2019).
7. Nafessa Williams
Nafessa Williams is an American actress. She is most known for her 2011 role as Nicole Gordon in the Meek Mill film Streets, her 2011 role as Deanna Forbes on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live, and her 2016 role as Dr. Charlotte Piel on the CBS drama Code Black. From 2018 to 2021, she has played Anissa Pierce in The CW’s Black Lightning.
8. DeShawn White
DeShawn White is an actress and assistant director, known for Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999), Pimp (2018) and Motherless Brooklyn (2019).
9. Meagan Good
Meagan Good is considered to be among the most attractive black women in Hollywood. In 2016, people Magazine included her in PEOPLE’s Most Beautiful List at No. 6.
The American actress began her career at the age of four and has appeared in a number of films such as think like a man (2012), Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues as well as One Missed Call (2008), Saw V (2008), The Unborn (2009), Monster Hunter (2020) and DC Comics’ Shazam! (2019).
10. Alexandra Shipp
Alexandra Ruth Shipp is an American actress and singer who rose to prominence for portraying singer Aaliyah in the Lifetime television film Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B (2014) and Kimberly Woodruff in the Oscar-nominated film Straight Outta Compton. Shipp is best known for playing Storm in the X-Men franchise, starting with X-Men: Apocalypse.
11. Sydney Park
Sydney Park is another beautiful black American actress best known for her roles as Cyndie in AMC’s The Walking Dead, Gabby Phillips in Instant Mom, Caitlin Park-Lewis in Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists and Makani Young in the Netflix film There’s Someone Inside Your House.
12. Karla-Simone Spence
This beautiful British actress is best known for her role as Leah in the film Blue Story. On television, she appeared in the BBC One miniseries Gold Digger and the BBC Three series Wannabe. She is set to star in the titular role of The Confessions of Frannie Langton.
13. Nicole Beharie
Nicole Beharie is an American actress and singer. She is known for her roles in American Violet, the drama Shame, and the biographical sports drama 42. From 2013 to 2016, she starred in the Fox fantasy series Sleepy Hollow.
14. Grace Byers
Grace Byers is an American actress, known for her role as Anika Calhoun in the Fox music-industry drama, Empire. This light skinned lady may not be as popular as other celebrities on this list, but she is just as beautiful as they are.
15. Nathalie Emmanuel
This divine beauty played ‘Missandei’ in the HBO fantasy series ‘Game of Thrones’. She gained worldwide recognition and fame through her role in the show. She has also appeared in Fast 7, The Fate of the Furious, F9, army of thieves, Holly slept over and the Maze Runner among others.
16. Temi Otedola
Temi is a Nigerian actress and the daughter of a Billionaire. She is considered by some to be the most beautiful actress in Nigeria’s movie industry. She is known for playing the role of Moremi Oluwa in the 2020 film Citation.
17. Tessa Thompson
Tessa Lynn Thompson is an American actress, who’s not just beautiful, she’s also the proud owner of one of the most beautiful smiles in Hollywood. Her breakout role was in Tina Mabry’s 2009 indie film Mississippi Damned. She gained further recognition for her starring in roles such as Thor: Ragnarok, Creed, Annihilation.
18. Marsai Martin
This charming young lady is an American actress and singer. She is popularly known for her role as Diane Johnson in the very hilarious ABC comedy series Black-ish where she featured alongside Yara Shahidi. She is the youngest actress on this list.
19. Amanda Du Pont
Amanda Du-Pont is one of the most beautiful Actress to come of south Africa. She was born in Swaziland and currently resides in South Africa. In addition to acting, she is also a television anchor/host, voice over artist. Currently, she stars as Ashley in the Netflix thriller series Shadow.
20. Zendaya
Zendaya began her career as a child model and backup dancer. She had her breakthrough role as Rocky Blue on the Disney Channel sitcom Shake It Up.
Since then she has gone on to star in movies such as Spider-Man: Homecoming, the greatest showman, duck duck goose, Spider-Man: Far from Home, Malcolm and Marie , Spider-Man: No Way Home.
21. Yara Shahidi
This beautiful black lady is an Iranian-American actress, model and activist. She is best known for starring as the oldest daughter Zoey Johnson on the sitcom Black-ish and its spin-off series Grown-ish. Her other film credits include Imagine That (2009), Smallfoot (2018), and the lead role in the Sun Is also a Star (2019).
22. Jill Scott
Jillian “Jill ” Scott is an American singer/actress. She made her film debut in 2007 with the films Hounddog and Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married? since then she gone on to feature in other movies.
23. Zazie beetz
Zazie Olivia Beetz is a German-American actress. best known for starring in the FX comedy-drama series Atlanta.
She also appeared in the Skydance Media and Warner Bros disaster film Geostorm (2017) and has played the Marvel Comics character Domino in the superhero film Deadpool 2 (2018), The Harder They Fall and Arthur Fleck/Joker’s neighbor Sophie in the psychological thriller Joker (2019).
24. Alix Lapri
Alexus Lapri Geier known professionally as Alix Lapri, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is well known for playing the role of effie morales in Power and Power Book II: Ghost. She has also had roles on shows such as Red Band Society (2014), as Quinby, and in major motion films such as Den of Thieves (2018).
25. Kiersey Clemons
Kiersey Nicole Clemons is an American actress, singer, and producer. Her breakout role occurred in the 2015 comedy drama film Dope, where she portrayed Cassandra “Diggy” Andrews. She went on to co-star in Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (2016), Flatliners (2017), Hearts Beat Loud (2018), Sweetheart (2019), Lady and the Tramp (2019), Scoob! (2020), and Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021).
25. Ebony Obsidian
Ebony Obsidian is an American actress. In 2019, Obsidian starred in the Hulu miniseries Wu-Tang: An American Saga. Later that year, she began starring in the BET comedy-drama series, Sistas. In 2020, she had a recurring role as Carol Hawthorne in the Amazon drama series Hunters.
26. Jayme Lawson
Jayme Lawson is not just beautiful, she is also a talented and accomplished actress. She has been praised for her strong performances on stage and screen, and has been recognized for her contributions to the arts. Some of her notable film credits include playing Bella Real in “Farewell Amor” and Laura in “The Batman”. Lawson has also acted in theater productions, such as “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf” and “The Public Theater’s Romeo and Juliet”. Her range and versatility as an actress have garnered attention and accolades in the industry.
27. Jannaelle Monae
Janelle Monáe is a highly acclaimed actress and musician who has been recognized for her talent, style, and beauty. Her unique sense of fashion and daring hairstyles have earned her a place on many “best dressed” lists, but it is her exceptional performances that have earned her critical acclaim. She has been nominated for several awards for her work in film, including a Screen Actors Guild Award for her role in “Hidden Figures”. Monáe has also starred in other notable films such as “Moonlight”, “Harriet”, “Antebellum”, and more recently, “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery”.
28. Briana Middleton
Briana Middleton is a talented and rising star in the hollywood entertainment industry. She has been praised for her acting skills and has been recognized as a talented young actress to watch. Middleton has appeared in several movies and television shows, including “The Tender Bar”, “The last will”, and more recently, “Sharper”. Her performances have been noted for their depth and authenticity, and she has garnered a growing fanbase for her talent and poise on screen. Middleton is poised for even greater success in the future, and her work is sure to continue to captivate audiences and earn her critical acclaim.
29. Katlyn Nichol
Katlyn Nichol is a talented actress known for her remarkable performances on both the big and small screens. Her captivating portrayal of characters has earned her recognition and a growing fan base. One of her notable roles includes the character Olivia Lockhart on the critically acclaimed television series Black-ish.
30. Manon Bresch
Manon Bresch is a French-Cameroonian actress best known for playing Sam in the 2023 french movie Wingwomen and as Luisa Manjimbe in the Netflix series Mortel.
30. China Anne McClain
China Anne McClain is an American actress and singer. McClain’s career began when she was seven years old, portraying Alexis in the film The Gospel (2005), and then China James in Daddy’s Little Girls (2007).
China became internationally known for starring as Chyna Parks in the Disney Channel television series A.N.T. Farm (2011–2014), and as Uma in the Disney Channel films Descendants 2 (2017) and Descendants 3 (2019). In 2018, McClain began starring in The CW superhero series Black Lightning (2018–2021) as Jennifer Pierce / Lightning.
32. Coco Jones
Courtney Michaela”Coco” Jones, is not only known for her talent but also for her striking beauty. Coco’s radiant presence and captivating looks have made her a standout in Hollywood, earning her recognition as one of the most beautiful black actresses in the world.
Revised in November 2024
Sad to see the how the African diaspora only recognizes the white definition of beauty.
What is the white definition of beauty?