25 of the best Black sitcom actors

In addition to her work on The Proud Family, Kyla Pratt starred in One on One, a sitcom focusing on a single father raising his teenage daughter after her mom accepts a job out of the country. 

Before The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Garcelle Beauvais’ name had been on the map. She starred in The Jamie Foxx Show as Fancy from 1996 to 2001. 

Tahj Mowry comes from a family of talented actors, so it’s unsurprising he also had his own television show on The WB. Smart Guy ran for three seasons from 1997 to ‘99, aired 51 episodes, and won one BAFTA Award. The show centered on a child prodigy who jumped from fourth to 10th grade with his two older siblings. 

Kenan Thompson’s career skyrocketed since his time on the Nickelodeon originals All That and Kenan & Kel. After the latter’s conclusion in 2000, Thompson began starring in the sketch-comedy series Saturday Night Live. Since joining in 2003, he’s filmed 21 seasons, becoming the show’s longest-running cast member.  

There’d be no Kenan if it weren’t for Kel — and vice versa. Mitchell also starred in the sketch-comedy series All That and his sitcom Kenan & Kel in the late ‘90s. He returned to Nickelodeon in 2015 for the Dan Schneider original Game Shakers. 

Known for her comedy sitcom Sister, Sister, Tia Mowry has starred in television shows since the ‘90s, including The Game, Instant Mom, and Family Reunion on Netflix. 

Jaleel White is a sitcom icon who wowed audiences with his role as Steve Urkel in Family Matters. His character was so popular he appeared on additional ABC shows, Full House and Step by Step. 

We can’t mention every other Sister, Sister character and not leave room for Tim Reid. 

Raven should be no surprise here. She’s starred in sitcoms like The Cosby Show and A Different World since 1989. Eventually, she added more credits to her roster, including her self-titled Disney show That’s So Raven. 

Jamie Foxx starred in his own of the same name from 1996 to 2001. It followed Jamie on his journey to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the music industry. The series was a smash hit among audiences and is known for its humor and iconic guest appearances, including Tyra Banks, Snoop Dogg, and LL Cool J.  

Brandy is more than just a chart-topping singer known for her hits “The Boy Is Mine” and “Have You Ever.” From ‘96 to 2001, she starred in the UPN sitcom Moesha, where she played a high-school student navigating the challenges of growing up. Since her time on scripted television in the early 2000s, Brandy has starred in other productions, including One on One, The Game, and Queens on ABC. She’s also tried her hand at reality television, starring in A Family Business alongside her brother Ray J.

Sherman Hemsley’s character in The Jeffersons will live on as one of the most legendary because of his bold demeanor about specific conversations, especially regarding race. 

Some may recognize Tyler James Williams as Gregory Eddie in ABC’s Abbott Elementary. However, we still must acknowledge the actor’s breakout role in Everybody Hates Chris — a sitcom loosely based on comedian Chris Rock’s teenage years.    

Jackée Harry is a comedic genius, and her roles in Sister, Sister, The First Family, and The Paynes prove that. She’s won an Emmy and two NAACP Awards for her previous work, and she’s switched things up with her latest role as Paulina Price on Days of our Lives. 

Whether it is Everybody Hates Chris or Are We There Yet?, Terry Crews has made sitcom watchers laugh since his first appearance in My Wife and Kids in 2005. 

Anthony Anderson has been making audiences laugh in movies and sitcoms since stepping on the scene in 1995; however, one of his most memorable has to be the 2014 ABC original, Black-ish.  

Bernie Mac will always be a comedic legend, and his early 2000s sitcom The Bernie Mac Show is all the proof you need. The series ran on Fox for five seasons and 104 episodes. One of the unique things viewers loved about this show included Bernie breaking the fourth wall to address the audience, often referring to them as “America.”  

We can’t forget Will Smith’s performance in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. It’s a classic, airing from 1990 to 1996, that’s been referred to by some as a pivotal moment for Black entertainment and television. A revamped version of the series titled Bel-Air has aired on Peacock since 2022.  

As much as everyone loved Will Smith’s character in The Fresh Prince, they loved James Avery’s role as Uncle Philip Banks even more. 

Martin Lawrence’s Fox sitcom of the same name was also highly regarded as one of the most popular of all time. Throughout the ‘90s, Martin won two NAACP Image and a People’s Choice Award.  

Tisha Campbell has a slew of sitcom credits to her name, including Martin and Dr. Ken. But her work in My Wife and Kids takes the cake for us. 

Tracee Ellis Ross has starred in not one but two monumental Black sitcoms throughout her career. Girlfriends aired from 2000 to 2008, and Black-ish aired from 2014 to 2022 — both roles she received critical acclaim for. 

Tamera Mowry also starred in Sister, Sister alongside her twin sister, Tia. In 2013, she switched gears and joined the cast of the daytime talk show The Real, for which she won an Emmy in 2018 and 2019. 

Who remembered this American rapper had her own sitcom on UPN from 2003 to 2006? Eve ran for 66 episodes and told the story of a thriving fashion designer trying to resurrect her love life. 

Keke Palmer does it all. She blew watchers away with her Akeelah and the Bee performance and kept us laughing for four years straight as the titular character in her Nickelodeon sitcom, True Jackson, VP.