For the first time in American history, the future is looking extraordinarily bright for Black women in Hollywood. Established stars like Viola Davis, Taraji P. Henson, Angela Bassett, Shonda Rhimes, and of course the late Cicely Tyson fought for decades to be treated with respect, to be offered more and more interesting opportunities, and to create the art they were born to create. Their activism and legacy has forged the way for a new generation of Black women blossoming, and with the way that stars like Zendaya, Ayo Edebiri, and Ziwe Fumudoh are exploding onto the scene, it’s clear that their breakouts have been long overdue.

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In that same spirit, we’re here to shine the spotlight on those rising stars, some of whom you’ve grown to love in recent years and some whom you may not know at all yet. From Insecure‘s Issa Rae to Avengers‘ Tessa Thompson, these women aren’t just killing it when it comes to their own careers. They’re making it their business to help pitch, support, and produce content helmed by and featuring other black women, and fighting for more diversity throughout Hollywood and its surrounding industries. 

These are the Black women in entertainment who are picking up the reins and joining the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Ava DuVernay, Halle Berry, and Beyoncé as stars whose names are synonymous with Black excellence. Read on for the Hollywood stars going all the way to the top.

A version of this article was originally published in February 2019.

• Ayo Edebiri

  

  Though she’s been in the business for many years now, Ayo Edebiri is finally becoming a household name. As Sydney in Hulu’s The Bear, Edebiri showed the perfect blend of vulnerability and strength as the chef on the rise. Most recently, Edebiri’s also been announced as Janine’s sister in Quinta Brunson’s Abbott Elementary, per Variety. The guest cameo we’ve all been waiting for!

• Ziwe Fumudoh

  

  Ziwe Fumudoh, who mostly only goes by her first name, is taking Hollywood by storm, one problematic question at a time. In her series on Showtime, Ziwe, she interviews celebrities and asks them all the questions everyone’s just too afraid to ask. She’s also garnered hefty writer credits like for Dickinson, starred in hit shows like Succession and walked in Mugler’s most recent fashion show. She can do it all!

• Yasmin Finney

  

  She may be new to the scene, but she’s already making a splash. Transgender actress Yasmin Finney made her debut in the Netflix hit Heartstopper and her talent showed it’s just the beginning for her. Oh, and did we mention she’s a style icon too? 

• Michaela Jaé (MJ) Rodriguez

  

  As Blanca in Ryan Murphy’s Pose, Michaela Jaé (MJ) Rodriguez absolutely captured our hearts. Since then, Rodriguez has continued to shine bright in movies like tick, tick… BOOM!, series like Loot and beauty campaigns for Charlotte Tilbury. What a talent!

• Nia DaCosta

  

  Nia DaCosta is a writer and director who directed feature film Little Woods. The film, starring Tessa Thompson and Lily James, won the Nora Ephron Award at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival. DaCosta was also tapped by Get Out writer/director Jordan Peele to direct his Candyman sequel, and she’s directing Captain Marvel II as well.

• Robin Thede

  

  Robin Thede has been one of the few Black women to make her way onto the late-night circuit, with a stint as head writer for The Nightly Show With Larry Wilmore and her one season as the creator and host of BET’s The Rundown With Robin Thede. Thede’s HBO sketch comedy show, A Black Lady Sketch Show, is produced by Issa Rae and had its first season debut in 2019.

• Tessa Thompson

  

  Tessa Thompson might already be on your radar, but the Thor: Ragnarok actor isn’t just lighting up the big screen with her talent. Recently, she led the Time’s Up “4 percent challenge” announcement at the Sundance Film Festival, encouraging more Hollywood power players to hire female directors. Thompson also committed to doubling the number of female journalists and journalists of color getting access to cover her films this year, something many marginalized critics have struggled with. She’s starred in blockbusters like Men in Black: International and Avengers: End Game.

• Lena Waithe

  

  Emmy-winning actor, writer and producer Lena Waithe is determined to make more space for Black queer people in Hollywood. Waithe, who won an Emmy in outstanding comedy writing for the Thanksgiving episode of Master of None, has starred in The Chi, about life on the South Side of Chicago; Boomerang, a series continuation of the 1992 Eddie Murphy film, and Queen & Slim, a thriller starring Daniel Kaluuya.

• Yara Shahidi

  

  Yara Shahidi has big plans for the future. Shahidi was producing her series Grown-ish since 2019, and has starred in the series since 2018. While it ended in 2024, she’s also been an outspoken feminist and advocate. Knowing how far her platform reaches right now, we can’t wait to see how she continues to use her influence in Hollywood and beyond.  

• Quinta Brunson

  

  Quinta Brunson made Emmys history in 2022 with a triple nomination for Abbott Elementary, the smash-hit comedy series about a group of teachers at a Philadelphia public school that premiered in 2022. Writer, creator, and lead actress Brunson was nominated for her work in all three aspects: Abbott Elementary was an Emmy contender for outstanding comedy series, lead actress in a comedy and writing for a comedy series (for the pilot episode).

  Brunson is the first Black woman in Emmys history to win three comedy nominations in the same year, and also the youngest Black woman ever nominated for a comedy acting Emmy.

  Abbott Elementary won three Emmys so far, and Brunson won two herself — which means this comedy super-star is truly just getting started. 

• Andra Day

  

  Andra Day’s dazzling performance as Billie Holiday in The United States vs. Billie Holiday catapulted her to a new level of fame. Day earned an Oscar nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role at the 2021 Oscars — her first nod for her film debut! With her singing and acting, Day is on her way to leaving a major mark on Hollywood.  

• Michaela Coel

  

  Michaela Coel’s rise to prominence didn’t happen over night. The actress and writer is responsible for the beloved series Chewing Gum, which ran from 2015-2017. But with 2020’s I May Destroy You, Coel confronted the aftermath of sexual assault in her acclaimed mini-series with a confidence and style all her own. She became the first Black woman to win the Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. 

  Since then, she played Aneka in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and is working on a new movie called Mother Mary.

• Marsai Martin

  

  Marsai Martin isn’t even 20 years old, but she’s already making her presence known. The actress has been a longtime cast member on the ABC sitcom Black-ish. But now that she’s entering adulthood, Maritn is ready to work on new projects and challenge herself more. 

  “A lot of people don’t know, but there are just so many films planned for the next couple of years that I am just super excited for and put me up to different challenges that I never really experienced for myself before. So I think it’s very awesome that I am able to be a part of this world of creating and producing,” the actress told SheKnows in August 2021.  

• Jessica Williams

  

  The multi-talented Jessica Williams is a senior correspondent on The Daily Show, co-host of podcast 2 Dope Queens, and star of smash hit Netflix movie The Incredible Jessica James. More recently, she starred in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald and was featured in Olivia Wilde’s Booksmart. 

• Zazie Beetz

  

  Zazie Beetz became known for acting in Donald Glover’s series Atlanta and Deadpool 2, and more recently gave a moving performance in Oscar-nominated Joker. The German-American actress grew up in New York City, and she’s just getting started. 

• Zendaya

  

  Zendaya’s performance as majorly depressed Rue in Euphoria cracked this former Disney star’s image wide open and showed the world a glimpse of all she could accomplish — but she couldn’t make the switch from Shake It Up to HBO overnight. Zendaya first won hearts with a leading role in the new Spiderman franchise and has gradually worked into more daring film roles, like 2021’s black-and-white romance Malcolm & Marie alongside John David Washington. 

  She has since gone on to star in recent box office hits like Dune and Challengers.

• Jurnee Smollett

  

  Jurnee Smollett has been doing her thing for a minute now, enjoying a memorable two-year stint on Friday Night Lights back in 2009 and since racking up credits like HBO’s True Blood, Underground, and Birds of Prey. But it’s her stunning turn on new sci-fi series Lovecraft Country that’s made Smollett impossible to look away from, and we’re ready for a lot more leading lady roles to swing her way. 

• Storm Reid

  

  Another star whose future was highlighted in HBO’s Euphoria, Storm Reid plays depressed Zendaya’s little sister in the heartwrenching series, but it’s hardly her first acclaimed work. Her first feature acting role was alongside A-listers in 2013’s Twelve Years a Slave, and she’s since shone in Ava DuVernay’s A Wrinkle in Time and When They See Us, as well as 2020’s The Invisible Man and a Suicide Squad sequel. She may be playing the little sister for now, but she’s got one hell of a head start on most actors her age. 

• Lashana Lynch

  

  UK star Lashana Lynch is one to watch, becoming a mainstay in the Marvel universe as Captain Marvel‘s Maria Rambeau and delivering a much-anticipated turn in Daniel Craig’s final James Bond film No Time to Die as an agent with skills just as deadly as his. Before that, she was the lead in TV series Bulletproof and Still Star-Crossed, but it wasn’t until her Marvel turn that she broke through with American audiences.  

• Joy Sunday

  

  While Joy Sunday has been working since 2015, her breakout role as Bianca Barclay on Wednesday put her on the map, instantly becoming a beloved star with her iconic role. There are still quite a few more seasons along the way and a few projects she’s signed onto, and we can’t wait to see!

• Taylor Russell

  

  While many believe actress Taylor Russell was an overnight sensation, she’s actually been working since 2012. She hit the horror space as Zoey Davis, the lead in the Escape Room movies, and then later became a beloved actress by many in the cult-favorite Bones and All. And she’s just getting started!

• Halle Bailey

  

  Halle Bailey may have started as a singer, but she’s been making waves in Hollywood as a talented actress. She became an international sensation as Ariel in the live-action 2023 film The Little Mermaid. Then, she showed everyone even more of her acting chops in The Color Purple, and we can’t wait to see more.

• Nico Parker

  

  At not even twenty years old, Nico Parker is already getting a lot of buzz in Hollywood. As the daughter of Ol Parker and Thandiwe Newton, films are in her blood.

  So far, her biggest roles have been as Milly Farrier in the 2019 film Dumbo, and Sarah Miller in the show The Last of Us. However, she’s set to portray Astrid Hofferson in the live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon.

  She also won Breakthrough Performance Award at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival for her role in Suncoast, and we can’t wait to see her show off more of her acting skills.

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