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Black History Month: Best African-American Film Debuts - From Jennifer Hudson to Whitney Houston to Will Smith, check out famous debuts from African-Americans in film.

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Lupita Nyong'o in 12 Years a Slave - This Kenyan and Mexican beauty seemingly came out of nowhere and took Hollywood by storm with her style and talent. Nyong'o, a Yale graduate, made her film debut as the slave Patsey in Steve McQueen's gut-wrenching drama 12 Years a Slave, and is nominated for an Oscar for the part.

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Ice Cube in Boyz N the Hood - Both Cube and first-time director John Singleton made history with this gritty, real film about Southern California 'hood life, but the rapper's ability to reach into his past and infuse his character, Doughboy, with his memories made this an unforgettable debut.(Photo: Courtesy Columbia/ Everett Collection)

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Queen Latifah in Jungle Fever - She was already rap royalty by the time she stepped in front of the movie camera for the first time in Spike Lee's 1991 classic. As outspoken waitress LaShawn, Latifah didn't exactly have the most screen time, but managed to steal enough scenes to launch an acting career that eventually surpassed her music one.(Photo: Courtesy Universal Pictures)

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Gabourey Sidibe in Precious - It was the most improbable beginning for a career breakthrough: starring in a dark independent film about childhood abuse with a mostly Black cast isn't the straightest route to an Oscar, but that Gabourey Sidibe pulled it off reveals just how powerful her performance was in the Lee Daniels' film.(Photo: Courtesy Lionsgate Pictures)

Photo By Photo: Lionsgate

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Tyler Perry in Diary of a Mad Black Woman - Much has been said — positively and negatively — about Madea, but there isn't a shadow of a doubt that Perry's most infamous character has made an indellible mark on history. Perry first donned Madea's trademark muumuu in Diary, and she's been his muse ever since.(Photo: Courtesy Lionsgate Pictures)

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Diana Ross in Lady Sings the Blues - The pressure was on for superstar Diana Ross when she made her long-anticipated feature film debut in this biopic about jazz great Billie Holliday. But the singer far exceeded expecations, earning herself an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe for the role.(Photo: Courtesy Paramount Pictures)

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Tupac Shakur in Juice - Always a rapper with a largely positive message, 'Pac surprised critics and fans when he so convincingly played explosive, gun-crazed thug Bishop in 1992's Juice. Some even blame the influence of the character on his increasing tendency toward trouble — leading to his untimely death in 1996 — thereafter.(Photo: Courtesy Paramount/ Everett Collection)

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Anthony Mackie in 8 Mile - Mackie's career has been sort of a slow burn, but even his supporting role as Eminem's nemesis Papa Doc had us take notice. Since then, Mackie has been steadily increasing his exposure by taking interesting, if not always leading, roles in big films, earning the respect of Hollywood's biggest directors.(Photo: Courtesy Universal Pictures)

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Will Smith in Where the Day Takes You - Though the world knows him as rapper, jokester and action star, let's not forget Smith has deep roots in dramatic cinema, starting with his debut film role as a crippled homeless teen in Where the Day Takes You.(Photo: Courtesy Cinetel Films)

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Oprah Winfrey in The Color Purple - Though she's omnipresent in the media, Winfrey has been remarkably choosy about her film roles. Her debut performance in this adaptation of Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel was pitch perfect and earned her the only Oscar nomination of her career.(Photo: Courtesy Warner Bros Pictures)

Photo By Photo: Warner Bros.

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Jennifer Hudson in Dreamgirls - Talk about beginner's luck. After losing American Idol to Fantasia Barrino, Hudson consoled herself with nothing less than an Oscar for this star-making performance. Upstaging Beyoncé and Eddie Murphy is no easy task, but Jennifer managed to find a way.(Photo: Courtesy Paramount Pictures)

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Rosie Perez in Do the Right Thing - Spike Lee has a talent for plucking people out of obscurity and turning them into stars. He did some of his best work when he turned Rosie Perez from fly girl to Hollywood "It" Girl in this 1989 classic.(Photo: Courtesy 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks)

Photo By Photo: Courtesy 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks

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Whitney Houston in The Bodyguard - On the face of it, it may seem like playing a slightly spoiled, diva-ish pop star wouldn't be a huge stretch for Houston, but playing to type isn't always as easy as it looks. When you consider others who have tried to cross over from music to movies — Britney Spears, Mariah Carey — Houston's performance seems downright Oscar worthy.(Photo: Courtesy Warner Bros Pictures)

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T.I. in ATL - The Atlanta-born rapper brought it home for his first major movie role in this coming-of-age story. Critics raved about Tip's performance as conflicted teen Rashad. Though he had a rough several years since the film's 2006 release, hopefully now that he's cleaned up his act we can see more of him on the big screen.(Photo: Courtesy Warner Bros Pictures)

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Prince in Purple Rain - The eccentric rocker's first cruise on the big screen was in a vehicle custom made to showcase his talents. Though considered an outrageous and experimental film, Purple Rain went on to gross nearly $100 million and proved Prince's global star power.(Photo: Courtesy Warner Bros Pictures)