We often delve into binge watching movies from 80s. Who according to you are the most famous black actors of the 80s that you cherish your memory with? In this article, we’ll discuss about such acclaimed black actors of the 80s. If I’ve missed out some names, feel free to comment in the comment box below. There are so many black actors in the 80s who were part of our daily lives. We seldom forgot to watch their shows on our black and white television sets and often arranged for VCR to watch them.
Vote for your favourite black actors from the 80’s – Ranked Based on Users Vote
Oprah Winfrey
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Oprah-Winfrey
Oprah Gail Winfrey is one of the famous black actors in the 80s. She is a talk show host, television producer, actor, author, and philanthropist.
Michael Dorn
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Michael-Dorn
Michael Dorn was one of the most acclaimed black actors in the 80s. Michael Dorn is an American film, television, and voice actor best known
Jo Marie Payton
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Jo-Marie-Payton
Jo Marie Payton is an actress and singer from the United States. She is best known for playing Harriette Baines Winslow on the ABC/CBS sitcom
Obba Babatundé
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Obba-Babatunde
Obba Babatundé is an actor, director, producer, and singer from the United States. Babatundé, a Queens native, has appeared in over seventeen stage shows, thirty
S. Epatha Merkerson
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S.-Epatha-Merkerson
S. Epatha Merkerson is one of the most prominent black actresses from the 80s. She is an American film, stage, and television actress. She has
Ving Rhames
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Image source: IndieWire
Irving Rameses "Ving" Rhames is an actor from the United States. He is best recognised for his supporting role as gang lord Marsellus Wallace in Pulp Fiction and his main role as IMF Agent Luther Stickell in the Mission: Impossible film series.
Marsha Warfield
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Marsha-Warfield
Spread the love Like DislikeAbout Getaka Getaka has been a contributor to Getaka from 2018. He has interest over movies, entertainment, photography to name a
Lynn Whitfield
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Lynn-Whitfield
Lynn Whitfield is one of the most famous black actresses from the 80s. She began her career as a theatre actress and rose to prominence
Dorian Harewood
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Dorian-Harewood
Dorian Harewood is an American actor best known for his roles in The Jesse Owens Story, Strike Force's Paul Strobber, and 7th Heaven's Rev. Morgan
Reginald VelJohnson
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Reginald-VelJohnson
Reginald VelJohnson is an actor from the United States. He is best known for his roles as LAPD Sergeant Al Powell in the films Die
Clarke Peters
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Clarke-Peters
Clarke Peters, better known by his stage name Clarke Peters, is an actor, writer, and director from the United States. He is most recognised for
Delroy Lindo
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Delroy-Lindo
Delroy George Lindo is a British actor. Lindo received several awards like A NAACP Image Award, a Satellite Award, and nominations for a Drama Desk Award,
Alfre Woodard
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Alfre-Woodard
Alfre Woodard is an actress, producer, and political activist from the United States. She has won four Primetime Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, three
Tom Wright
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Tom-Wright
Tom Wright has appeared in over 40 Broadway and off-Broadway productions. Outside of Philadelphia, he began his acting career as a founding member of The
Carl Weathers
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Carl Weathers is an actor, director, and an American football linebacker from the United States. He is most known for playing boxer Apollo Creed in the first four Rocky movies (1976–85), George Dillon in Predator (1987), Action Jackson in Action Jackson (1988), Chubbs Peterson in Happy Gilmore (1996) and Little Nicky (2000), and Combat Carl in the Toy Story trilogy.
How we’ve measured the popularity of these Young Black Male Actors in Hollywood as of 2023?
In present age, measuring one’s popularity is not that tough. Especially if someone has extensive footprint in digital arena i.e on internet, the task becomes even easier. One’s popularity can easily be measured by number of his Instagram followers, Twitter Followers, Facebook Followers, number of monthly Google search by his name, number of articles on Google on his name etc.. The more the value of these parameters, the more popular he is. You can also read: 20 Famous Hottest American TV Series Actresses ever – Sofía Vergara slips from top 10
Which search term we’ve used to find out the number of articles on Google against an Young Black Male Actors name?
To find out the number of articles published on any famous young black male actors in Hollywood, we’ve used allintitle:Name of the actor in Google search field. See the picture below to better understand. Here allintitle: operator returns all the search results which have the name of the actor in the title of the article.

We searched allintitle:Alfre Woodard (No space after colon) and got the result. she is having 24,700 articles published on Google as on June 7, 2023 as shown in the picture above.
Also Read: Top 20 Most famous male black actors in their 40s (2021)- Young Black Male Actors in Hollywood
Who are Black Americans?
Black Americans or African Americans are an ethnic group in America with total or partial ancestry links to black racial groups in Africa. African Americans, today, constitute the third largest ethnic group in America. Arrival of Black Americans in America mostly started from 16th century as a part of transatlantic slave trade by Europeans. They mostly transported to mainland America from West and Central Africa. The first record of arrival of these black people dates back to August 1619. The record “20 and odd negroes“, which states, they were shipped to Jamestown, Virginia via Cape Comfort. Today Black Americans are as successful on American soil as other Europeans. Below is the list of 15 Famous black actors of the 80s.
Marsha Warfield

Name | Marsha Warfield |
---|---|
DoB | March 5, 1954 |
Age as on June 7, 2023 | 69 years 3 months 2 days |
Height | 5′ 11″ |
Net Worth as of 2023 | $3 million |
Affairs / Partners / Wife | Comment if you know |
Known for | D.C. Cab (1983) and Mask (1985), Riptide, Family Ties, Clueless, Cheers, Living Single, In Living Color, Moesha and Touched by an Angel. |
Number of articles on Google as on June 7, 2023 | 3,160 |
Did You Know – Marsha Warfield
- Warfield is gay
- Marsha Warfield grew up on Chicago’s South Side, graduating from Calumet High School.
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Gail Winfrey is one of the famous black actors in the 80s. She is a talk show host, television producer, actor, author, and philanthropist. She was born Orpah Gail Winfrey on January 29, 1954. Her talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, which was broadcast from Chicago and was the highest-rated television programme of its kind in history for 25 years, from 1986 to 2011.

Name | Oprah Winfrey |
---|---|
DoB | January 29, 1954 |
Age as on June 7, 2023 | 69 years 4 months 9 days |
Height | 5′ 7″ |
Net Worth as of 2023 | $2.7 billion |
Affairs / Partners / Wife | Anthony Otey, William “Bubba” Taylor, John Tesh, Stedman Graham |
Known for | American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist |
Number of articles on Google as on June 7, 2023 | 1,030,000 |
Did You Know – Oprah Winfrey
- Winfrey was born into poverty in rural Mississippi to a single teenage mother and later raised in inner-city Milwaukee
- Winfrey stated that she was molested by her cousin, uncle, and a family friend during her childhood and early teens and became pregnant at 14; her son was born prematurely and died in infancy.
- After Winfrey’s birth, her mother traveled north, and Winfrey spent her first six years living in rural poverty with her maternal grandmother, Hattie Mae
- In 2015, Winfrey purchased a minority stake in the publicly traded company Weight Watchers for a reported $34 million
- Oprah has stated that she is a Christian and her favorite Bible verse is Acts 17:28.
Lynn Whitfield
Lynn Whitfield is among the prominent famous black actors in the 80s.

Name | Lynn Whitfield |
---|---|
DoB | February 15, 1953 |
Age as on June 7, 2023 | 70 years 3 months 20 days |
Height | 5′ 4″ |
Net Worth as of 2023 | $3 million |
Affairs / Partners / Wife | Brian Gibson (m. 1990–1992), Vantile Whitfield (m. 1974–1978) |
Known for | Doctor Detroit, The Slugger’s Wife, Silverado, Jaws: The Revenge |
Number of articles on Google as on June 7, 2023 | 33,800 |
Did You Know – Lynn Whitfield
- Whitfield was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the daughter of Jean (née Butler), a former president of the Louisiana Housing Authority, and Dr. Valerian Smith, who was also a composer.
- Whitfield, in 2015 was cast as the main villain in Greenleaf, the Oprah Winfrey Network original scripted drama series about the unscrupulous world of the Greenleaf family and their sprawling Memphis megachurch
Jo Marie Payton – Black actors of the 80s

Name | Jo Marie Payton |
---|---|
DoB | August 3, 1950 |
Age as on June 7, 2023 | 72 years 10 months 4 days |
Height | 5′ 4″ |
Net Worth as of 2023 | $4 million |
Affairs / Partners / Wife | 1. Marc France (1980 to 1987) 2. Rodney Noble (1993 to 1998) 3. Landrus Clark (1998 to 2004) 4. Leonard Downs (2007 – ) |
Known for | Harriette Baines–Winslow, the matriarch of the Winslow family on the ABC/CBS sitcom Family Matters (1989–1998) |
Number of articles on Google as on June 7, 2023 | 1,900 |
Did You Know – Jo Marie Payton
- Payton is a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority
- In 2004, in an effort to help raise funds for Virginia Union University, Payton wrote letters to alumni urging them to donate money in amounts from $18.65 to $186,500, in honor of the University’s founding date of 1865.
Obba Babatundé – Black actors of the 80s

Name | Obba Babatundé |
---|---|
DoB | December 1, 1951 |
Age as on June 7, 2023 | 71 years 6 months 6 days |
Height | 5′ 9″ |
Net Worth as of 2023 | $14 million |
Affairs / Partners / Wife | Comment if you know |
Known for | Guys and Dolls, Timbuktu!, How High, Leonard Part 6 |
Number of articles on Google as on June 7, 2023 | 2,220 |
Did You Know – Obba Babatundé
- In 2016, Babatundé received the Daytime Emmy Award for “Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series”, as well as the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Peachtree Village International Film Festival.
- In 2010, Babatundé won NAACP Theatre Awards’ “Best Lead Male” for his portrayal of Sammy Davis, Jr. in the Old Globe production of the musical Sammy.
- Babatundé was co-producer and director of Oscar’s Black Odyssey, co-producer of Dorothy Dandridge: An American Beauty, and co-producer of TV in Black: The First 50 Years. He is associate producer of the horror film Voodoo Dolls and executive producer of Journey.
- Babatundé also directed a version of the Broadway musical Dreamgirls. He co-authored, directed, and produced In the Blink of an Eye
Dorian Harewood
Dorian Harewood is one of the acclaimed famous black actors in the 80s.

Name | Dorian Harewood |
---|---|
DoB | August 6, 1950 |
Age as on June 7, 2023 | 72 years 10 months 1 days |
Height | 5′ 11″ |
Net Worth as of 2023 | $3 million |
Affairs / Partners / Wife | Nancy Harewood (m. 1979) |
Known for | Full Metal Jacket |
Number of articles on Google as on June 7, 2023 | 2,960 |
Did You Know – Dorian Harewood
- Harewood was born in Dayton, Ohio, the son of Emerson Macaulay (1915-1980) and Estelle Olivia Harewood (1924-1991).
- He has five siblings, Emerson M. Harewood, Jr. (deceased), Theolanda Harewood (deceased), Philip B. Harewood (deceased), Floranne E. Dunford and Lawanda G. Pitts.
- He graduated from the Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati in 1972
Reginald VelJohnson

Name | Reginald VelJohnson |
---|---|
DoB | August 16, 1952 |
Age as on June 7, 2023 | 70 years 9 months 22 days |
Height | 5′ 8″ |
Net Worth as of 2023 | $5 million |
Affairs / Partners / Wife | Comment if you know |
Known for | Carl Winslow – Family Matters Al Powell – Die Hard |
Number of articles on Google as on June 7, 2023 | 4,530 |
Did You Know – Reginald VelJohnson
- VelJohnson was born Reginald Vel Johnson on August 16, 1952, in the Queens borough of New York City, the son of Eva, a nurse’s aid, and Dan, a hospital attendant.
- VelJohnson obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theater from New York University, where he had a chance to work with Joseph Papp’s Black/Hispanic Shakespeare Company, in which Morgan Freeman and CCH Pounder were among his fellow actors
- VelJohnson was the subject of an internet hoax when, on February 13, 2017, a website reported that the actor had died as a result of a heart attack. The fact-checking website Snopes proved the claim to be false and VelJohnson took to Twitter to demonstrate he was alive.
Clarke Peters

Name | Clarke Peters |
---|---|
DoB | April 7, 1952 |
Age as on June 7, 2023 | 71 years 2 months 0 days |
Height | 5′ 10″ |
Net Worth as of 2023 | $1.5 Million |
Affairs / Partners / Wife | Penny Clarke |
Known for | Lester Freamon in the television series The Wire and Albert Lambreaux in the television series Treme |
Number of articles on Google as on June 7, 2023 | 6,210 |
Did You Know – Clarke Peters
- Peters was born Peter Clarke, the second of four sons, in New York City, and grew up in Englewood, New Jersey.
- At the age of 12, he had his first theater experience, in a school production of My Fair Lady
- Peters has had five children from three relationships
- Peters splits his time between a house in the Charles Village section of Baltimore, which he bought in 2006 while working on The Wire, and one in London, where Penny and Max live.
S. Epatha Merkerson

Name | S. Epatha Merkerson |
---|---|
DoB | November 28, 1952 |
Age as on June 7, 2023 | 70 years 6 months 9 days |
Height | 5′ 6″ |
Net Worth as of 2023 | $11 million |
Affairs / Partners / Wife | Toussaint L. Jones (m. 1994–2006) |
Known for | Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill |
Number of articles on Google as on June 7, 2023 | 8,380 |
Did You Know – S. Epatha Merkerson
- Merkerson was born in Saginaw, Michigan
- Merkerson graduated from Cooley High School in 1970
- Merkerson is an outspoken advocate against smoking and for lung cancer research and awareness.
Delroy Lindo

Name | Delroy Lindo |
---|---|
DoB | November 18, 1952 |
Age as on June 7, 2023 | 70 years 6 months 19 days |
Height | 6′ 4″ |
Net Worth as of 2023 | $4 million |
Affairs / Partners / Wife | Neshormeh Lindo (m. 1990) |
Known for | Find the Lady, Master Harold”…and the Boys, Ron Howard’s Ransom |
Number of articles on Google as on June 7, 2023 | 14,300 |
Did You Know – Delroy Lindo
- Lindo has an honorary doctorate in Arts and Humanities from Virginia Union University and in 2014.
- Delroy Lindo was born in 1952 in Lewisham, south east London,[2] the son of Jamaican parents who had immigrated to England.
- Lindo’s mother emigrated to the UK in 1951 from Jamaica to work as a nurse
Michael Dorn

Name | Michael Dorn |
---|---|
DoB | December 9, 1952 |
Age as on June 7, 2023 | 70 years 5 months 29 days |
Height | 6′ 3″ |
Net Worth as of 2023 | $8 Million |
Affairs / Partners / Wife | Comment if you know |
Known for | Klingon Starfleet officer Lieutenant (later Lt. Commander) Worf in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. |
Number of articles on Google as on June 7, 2023 | 14,600 |
Did You Know – Michael Dorn
- Michael Dorn is an accomplished pilot.
- He is a member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.
- Dorn ownes several jet aircraft, including a Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star, which he jokingly refers to as his “starship”,[11] a North American F-86 Sabre, and currently owns a North American Sabreliner.
- Dorn was born in Luling, Texas, the son of Allie Lee (née Nauls) and Fentress Dorn, Jr. He grew up in Pasadena, California.
Alfre Woodard – Black actors of the 80s

Name | Alfre Woodard |
---|---|
DoB | November 8, 1952 |
Age as on June 7, 2023 | 70 years 6 months 29 days |
Height | 5′ 3″ |
Net Worth as of 2023 | $13 million |
Affairs / Partners / Wife | Roderick Spencer (m. 1983) |
Known for | For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf (1977) |
Number of articles on Google as on June 7, 2023 | 24,400 |
Did You Know – Alfre Woodard
- Alfre Woodard began her acting career in theater.
- Woodard is a founder and board member of Artists for a New South Africa, a nonprofit organization dedicated to combating the African AIDS pandemic and to advancing democracy and equality in South Africa since 1989
- Woodard is also a board member of the Democratic Party, and campaigned for Barack Obama in the both the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections
Tom Wright – Black actors of the 80s

Name | Tom Wright |
---|---|
DoB | November 29, 1952 |
Age as on June 7, 2023 | 70 years 6 months 8 days |
Height | 5′ 7″ |
Net Worth as of 2023 | $16 Million |
Affairs / Partners / Wife | Leigh Johnson |
Known for | Mr. Morgan, Yankees co-worker of character George Costanza (Jason Alexander) on Seinfeld; and the hybrid alien Tuvix in the Star Trek: Voyager episode “Tuvix” |
Number of articles on Google as on June 7, 2023 | 34,300 |
Did You Know – Tom Wright
- Wright was born on November 29, 1952 in Englewood, New Jersey.
- Wright has appeared in over 40 stage productions on and off Broadway
Watch all Tom Wright’s Movies online (from the 80s)
Release year | Movie Title | Role |
---|---|---|
1980 | Underground U.S.A. | Frank |
1981 | Subway Riders | On The Waterfront |
1982 | I Ought to Be in Pictures | Baseball Fan #6 |
1982 | The Soldier | Businessman |
1984 | Alphabet City | Chauffeur |
1984 | The Brother from Another Planet | Sam |
1984 | Exterminator 2 | Youth |
1984 | Mugsy’s Girls | Party Heckler |
1985 | Streetwalkin’ | Henchman #1 |
1987 | Creepshow 2 | The Hitchhiker |
1987 | Matewan | Tom |
1988 | I’m Gonna Git You Sucka | Brothel Man |
1989 | Troop Beverly Hills | James Shakar |
1989 | Heart of Dixie | Black Man At Concert |
1989 | Vietnam War Story: The Last Days | Captain Berry |
Debbie Allen – Black actors of the 80s

Name | Debbie Allen |
---|---|
DoB | January 16, 1950 |
Age as on June 7, 2023 | 73 years 4 months 22 days |
Height | 5′ 2″ |
Net Worth as of 2023 | $3 million |
Affairs / Partners / Wife | Norm Nixon (m. 1984), Winnfred Wilford (m. 1975–1983) |
Known for | American actress, dancer, choreographer, singer-songwriter, director, producer, and a former member of the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities. |
Number of articles on Google as on June 7, 2023 | 34,900 |
Did You Know – Debbie Allen
- Debbie Allen is married to former NBA player Norm Nixon.
- Debbie Allen and Norm Nixon have three children; dancer Vivian Nichole Nixon, basketball player Norman Ellard Nixon Jr. (Wofford College & Southern University), and DeVaughn Nixon.
- Debbie Allen was previously married to Win Wilford from 1975 to 1983
- Allen was appointed by President George W. Bush in 2001 as a member of the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities
- Allen was awarded an honorary doctorate from the North Carolina School of the Arts, as well as from her alma mater, Howard University
- Watch Debbie Allen’s Amistad (1997) online here
Watch all Debbie Allen’s Movies online (from the 80s)
Release Year | Movie Name | Role |
---|---|---|
1979 | The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh | Ola |
1980 | Fame | Lydia Grant |
1981 | Ragtime | Sarah |
1986 | Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling | Michelle |
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