It seems that the whole world is coming together when it comes to the realm of entertainment. We are now enjoying more entertainers from across the world than ever before. In the past, each continent and many countries used to have their own awards and entertainment arenas, which were not necessarily recognized by the rest of the world.
However, with the new rise of international music, films, shows, and TV series that feature people from different parts of the world, we are beginning to see more and more people from across the globe being accepted in Hollywood and winning awards for their work. In the past, Europeans and Asians were sought after in Hollywood since they add a certain foreign sizzle to the acting scene. African actresses and actors have stolen the spotlight and they are some of the most sought after prospects in 2017.
The fact that there were multiple nominations for African actors at the Oscars, where some even bagged awards, is mind-blowing for Africa and the whole world. The following is a list of Africans who have made it big in Hollywood.
1. Idris Elba ( Sierra Leone and Ghana)
Sometimes actors have a debate surrounding them as to how “African” they actually are. Elba is one such actor, given that he has lived in England most of his life. However, the fact remains that this Hollywood success was born to a father from Sierra Leone and a mother from Ghana. Elba kicked off his career as a hired DJ and he started his own DJ-company later. He decided to try acting and he auditioned for the TV series Absolutely Fabulous. He has since grown to take on major roles in many of Tyler Perry’s productions such as Thor, Luther, Mandela and many others. Idris was even nominated for the best actor at the Golden Globe Awards for his role in Luther in 2011. He also featured in one of African roots movie called the ‘beast of no nation’ which performed extraordinarily in the movie charts.
2. Danai Gurira ( Zimbabwe)
Danai was born in Iowa but her parents both moved to the States from Zimbabwe where her father was a chemistry lecturer. He attended NYU during her college years and took up acting in the Tisch School of the Arts. She has been making a name for herself in Hollywood for a long time. She is popular for her roles in productions such as Lie to Me, Law and Order, The Visitor, Ghost Town and My Soul to Take, but is probably best known for her role as the sword-wielding character Michonne on the AMC series The Walking Dead. Danai will feature in the marvel black panther this year.
3. Lupita Nyong’o ( Kenya)
She is currently one of the hottest sensations in Hollywood. She had her big moment in 2014, winning an Oscar for her outstanding performance as the best supporting actress in the film Twelve Years a Slave. Lupita was born in Mexico to her father, professor Anyang Nyong’o, who is a politician in Kenya, and mother Dorothy Nyong’o. She attained her junior education in Kenya and proceeded to attend college in the U.S. She was also a student at the Yale School of Drama.
Lupita seems to have had a burst of good luck since she became the first African actress to win an Oscar. She has been featured in many major magazines making her a fashion icon. She is also featured in more movies this year including the popular Star Trek sequel. Lupita has become a strong icon for girls and women in Africa by being a motivational pillar. For someone who has not been in the acting scene for long, Lupita shows tremendous potential with over 50 awards nominations, of which she has won over half. She will also feature in the much awaited marvel movie Black panther which is set to premier this year.
4. Edi Gathegi ( Kenya )
Edi Gathegi is one of the actors who have been creating a stir in Hollywood while keeping a low profile at the same time. Gathegi was born in Nairobi, Kenya and moved to Albany with his parents when he was young. His first love was basketball, which he was good at until he hurt his knee badly. He only took up acting classes because he thought it was an easy way out of his depression over the loss of basketball. Gathegi discovered that he liked acting even more and enrolled for acting classes at NYU. He is popularly known for his role in the TV series Blacklist,startup,House, the Twilight Saga, X-Men: First Class, Gone Baby Gone, and other major productions. He is definitely one to watch in 2017.
5. Peter Mensah ( Ghana )
Peter Mensah is known for strong roles in big movies such as Avatar, 300, Hildago, Tears of the Sun, The Incredible Hulk, and many TV series. His work in the popular TV series Spartacus may have sky rocketed his popularity and he started getting roles in big productions such as Burn Notice and Transformers Prime. Peter Mensah is originally from Accra, Ghana where he was born and lived with his father who was an engineer and mother who was a writer. They moved to England when he was 11 years old. Mensah’s home is currently in Canada.
6. Benjamin Ochieng ( Kenya)
Kenya-born Benjamin Ochieng is slowly but steadily making a name for himself in Hollywood. At first, he was cast in productions that required a fluent Swahili-speaking actor, and he was good at it. However, he has risen among the ranks and is now being featured in major productions. He is popular with fans of TV series such as The X-files, The Shield, The Terminal, and others. He also has major credits for many short films, Christian movies, as well as documentaries.