Top 25 Greatest Black Actors

These men are just 'flawless' on the big screen.

Sidney Poitier - Perhaps the first major African-American actor, Sidney Poitier used excellent acting ability to provide a positive representation of African-Americans. Poitier excelled in movies such as The Heat of the Night and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner and showed his comedy skills in the two movies he did with Bill Cosby.
Paul Robeson - Singer and actor Paul Robeson was not only an activist, opera singer and athlete, he was also a very distinguished actor. He appeared in several movies including the politically charged Song of Freedom, the musical Showboat and the mining saga The Proud Valley.  (Photo: H. F. Davis/Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)
Ossie Davis - Actor Ossie Davis' career spans more than five decades beginning in the Sidney Poitier film No Way Out. Davis's most memorable roles would come in Spike Lee movies such as Jungle Fever and Do the Right Thing, which he starred in with his wife, Ruby Dee.  (Photo: Peter Kramer/Getty Images)
Jamie Foxx - Jamie Foxx started off on the sketch comedy show In Living Color and has shown his ability to play both comedic and serious parts in movies. Foxx won an Oscar for his portrayal of Ray Charles in Ray and starred in the Oscar-winning Django Unchained. (Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images)Samuel L. Jackson: December 21 - The king of cursing celebrates his 65th birthday this week. (Photo: Stuart Wilson/Getty Images)

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Paul Robeson - Singer and actor Paul Robeson was not only an activist, opera singer and athlete, he was also a very distinguished actor. He appeared in several movies including the politically charged Song of Freedom, the musical Showboat and the mining saga The Proud Valley.  (Photo: H. F. Davis/Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)

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