Black actors have been making their mark on the big screen since the dawn of cinema. For Black History Month, ET Canada is taking a look back at some of the Black stars who have left an unmistakable impact on film.
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Bahamian actor Sidney Poitier remains one of the most important Black actors in Hollywood history.
He made his film debut in the 1950 movie "No Way Out" before breaking out in a big way with 1955's "The Blackboard Jungle", 1957's "Edge of the City" and 1958's "The Defiant Ones".
Poitier continued his success through the '60s, becoming the first Black actor to win the Oscar for Best Actor in the film "Lilies of the Field" in 1963.
He next had a landmark year in 1967, appearing in the massive hits "To Sir, with Love", "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" and "In the Heat of the Night", which won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
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American star Josephine Baker left the United States due to the racism she experienced, becoming one of the most celebrated entertainers in France.
She appeared in a number of notable films, including the 1927 silent film "Siren of the Tropics", as well as "Zouzou" and "Princess Tam Tam".
Baker also aided the French resistance during World War II and was awarded a medal for her efforts after the war.
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For her supporting role in "Gone With the Wind", Hattie McDaniel became the first Black actor to win an Academy Award.
The pioneering star also appeared in films like "This Is Our Life", "Thank Your Lucky Stars" and "Song of the South".
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Artist and entertainer Paul Robeson was one of the biggest Black stars of his day, appearing in films dating back to the silent era, and gaining attention and acclaim for his roles in the '30s classics "Sanders of the River" and "Show Boat".
Robeson was also a committed activist, supporting the cause of Civil Rights and earning himself the ire of the FBI.
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The first African-American woman to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the 1954 film "Carmen Jones", Dorothy Dandridge became an inspiration to Black performers for decades.
Future Best Actress winner Halle Berry would go on to play Dandridge in the HBO biopic "Introducing Dorothy Dandridge" in 1999.
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Best known as a singer, Ethel Waters was also a consummate film star, becoming the second African American woman to be nominated for an Oscar for her role in the 1949 film "Pinky".
Waters also appeared in films like "Cabin in the Sky", "Stage Door Canteen" and "The Sound and the Fury".
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Though actress Diahann Carroll's biggest legacy was as a pioneering Black star on American television, her impact in film is impossible to ignore.
In the 1950s, Carroll had key roles in the films "Carmen Jones" and "Porgy and Bess", and she was later nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance alongside James Earl Jones in 1974's "Claudine".
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A star of music and the screen, Harry Belafonte had important roles in several films, including "Carmen Jones" and "Odds Against Tomorrow".
Belafonte was also a committed activist, becoming a close confidante of Martin Luther King Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement.
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An actress, activist, poet, screenwriter and more, Ruby Dee remains one of the most important Black actresses in cinema history.
Dee appeared in numerous films, including "A Place in the Sun", "Do the Right Thing", and "American Gangster", for which she was also nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars.
She regularly appeared in films with actor Ossie Davis, to whom she was married until his death in 2005.
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Cicely Tyson's long career in Hollywood was marked by success in films like 1972's "Sounder" for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress, along with roles in "Fried Green Tomatoes", "The Help" and many more.
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With well over 100 film credits under his belt, Morgan Freeman is one of Hollywood's most successful and prolific Black actors.
Freeman has been nominated for Oscars five times over his career, taking home the prize for Best Supporting Actor for his indelible turn in the 2004 drama "Million Dollar Baby".
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Today, Whoopi Goldberg might be best known as the co-host of daytime talk show "The View", but the actress is also a major figure in film, making her debut with an extraordinary performance in Steven Spielberg's 1985 adaptation "The Color Purple".
She went on to become a huge star in films like "Ghost" and "Sister Act", along with hosting Hollywood's biggest night, the Academy Awards, four times.
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Among the most successful Black actresses in Hollywood, Halle Berry made her mark in film history, becoming the first Black woman to win the Academy Award for Best Actress for her searing performance in the 2001 drama "Monster's Ball".
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One of the most recognizable stars in the world, Denzel Washington rose to stardom in film and TV in the '80s, earning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the 1989 film "Glory".
He went on to win a second Oscar, for Best Actor, for his role in the 2001 thriller "Training Day".
Over the years, Washington has starred in a wide variety of films, collaborating with directors like Spike Lee, Antoine Fuqua, Tony Scott and most recently Joel Coen in the Shakespeare adaptation "The Tragedy of Macbeth".
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Gone but never forgotten. Chadwick Boseman rose to prominence playing a number of real-life Black icons, from Jackie Robinson to Thurgood Marshall.
In 2018, Boseman inspired millions, starring as T'Challa in Marvel's "Black Panther", the first film from the studio to be nominated for Best Picture.
Boseman passed away in 2020 after a four-year battle with cancer, but his legacy continues to inspire people around the world.