15 Black Broadway Actors To Watch in 2023

15 Black Broadway Actors To Watch in 2023

The world of Broadway in 2023 has been shining due to exceptional black actors in the industry, who captivate audiences with their remarkable performances. We have so many black Broadway actors such as Jordan Fisher, Ruthie Ann Miles, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Christopher Jackson, and Lillias White among others who are redefining the theater landscape and adding depth to narratives and characters.

These Black Broadway actors have left indelible marks in the field of entertainment making them a must-watch. Their work in industry is not only entertaining but also significant in promoting equity and representation.

In this article, we have showcased 15 Black Broadway actors to watch in 2023. Walk with us as we discuss the amazing works and achievements they have accomplished over the years. They include the following;

1. Jordan Fisher

The Tony Awards, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Jordan Fisher is a famous American actor, dancer, and singer born on April 24, 1994, in Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. His acting career started with recurring roles on television series such as Liv and Maddie (2015-2017) among others.

On Broadway production, Jordan played roles such as John Laurens/ Philip Hamilton in Hamilton from 2016-2017, and a leading role of Evans Hansen in Dear Evan Hansen back in 2020.

He also featured in supporting roles in television such as Teen Beach Movie, Grease Live, The Flash, and Rent: Live among others.

Find more about Jordan Fisher here.

2. Phylicia Rashad

Phylicia Rashad is a popular actor from the United States of America. She was born on June 19, 1948, in Houston, Texas, U.S. She was the first black actress to win the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play in 2004, which she won for his role in A Raisin in the Sun.

Other of his Broadway performances include Jelly’s Last Jam, Into the Woods, Gem of the Ocean, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof among others.

3. Ruthie Ann Miles

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Ruthie Ann Miles is one of the black Broadway actors you should watch in 2023. She is popularly known for her roles in musical theatre including The King and I and Here Lies Love.

Other of his theatre work includes The Light in the Piazza, Sunday in the Park with George, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Avenue Q, and Sunday in the Park with George among others.

4. Audra McDonald

When we talk of black Broadway actors we can’t leave Audra McDonald behind. She is a talented actress and singer, born and raised in West Berlin, West Germany. Audra joined the industry back in 1994 and she is still doing amazing work to date.

She gained prominence worldwide for her work in the Broadway Stage. It is interesting to note that Audra won six Tony Awards and was the only person to win in all four acting categories. Apart from the Tony Awards, she has won other awards such as two Grammy Awards, and Emmy Award.

Audra performed in operas, dramas, and musicals and some of her work include Ragtime, Master Class, Porgy and Bess, and A Moon for the Misbegotten among others.

Get to know more about Audra McDonald in this article.

5. Brandon Victor Dixon

Brandon Victor Dixon was born September 23, 1981, in Gaithersburg, Maryland, US. He is a well-known actor, singer, and theatrical producer from the United States of America.

As a musical theatre actor, he is known for his performances as Harpo in the musical The Color Purple in 2005 and Eubie Blake in Shuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed in 2016 which earned him Tony Award-nominated Broadway.

He won other awards such as the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album for his leading role as Berry Gordy Jr. in Motown: The Musical on Broadway.

6. Renée Elise Goldsberry

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Renée Elise Goldsberry is an actor and singer born in San Jose, California, U.S.  He became famous for his role as Angelica Schuyler in the Broadway musical Hamilton which earned her a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical in 2016. His other Broadway credits include his roles in Tent and The Color Purple.

Elise has received many nominations such as two Daytime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, and Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role in a Limited Series or Movie among others.

7. Corey Hawkins

Corey Hawkins is one of the many black Broadway actors we have in the industry today and worth watching. He gained popularity after starring in his role in the TV series The Walking Dead from 2015 to 2016 and his role as Dr. Dre in the Straight Outta Compton film in 2015.

He is also known for his Broadway performances including Topdog/Underdog and Six Degrees of Separation, and these performances earned him a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play.

He was lucky to receive several nominations such as a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination and a Primetime Emmy Award for his remarkable works. Other notable works include Romeo and Juliet, In the Heights, Digital Antiquities, 6 Underground, and Kong: Skull Island among others.

Find more about this actor here.

8. Christopher Jackson

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Christopher Jackson is a talented actor, singer, musician, and composer from the United States of America. He was born in Metropolis, Illinois on September 30, 1975.

The actor’s career started in 1995 starring in the Off-Broadway musical Time and the Wind at the age of 20. In 1997, Jackson made his first appearance on Broadway as an ensemble member in the original Broadway cast of Disney’s The Lion King.

Throughout his career, Jackson has starred in notable roles in many other Broadway musicals and plays such as Holler If Ya Hear Me, Memphis, Bronx Bombers, and After Midnight among others.

9. Daniel Breaker

Daniel Breaker is an American actor and comedian famously known as a Broadway actor. His role as Donkey in the Broadway production of Shrek The Musical made him well-known worldwide.

He started his career back in 2002 immediately after his graduation. Daniel has performed in Off-Broadway, London, and U.S. regional theatre productions. His first major Off-Broadway role was the Youth in Passing Strange which won him an Obie Award in 2008.

Other films he has appeared in include Limitless, Red Hook Summer, Sisters, and He’s Way More Famous Than You among others.

10. Montego Glover

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Montego Glover is a prominent stage actress and singer from the United States of America. She was born in Macon, Georgia, USA on February 9, 1974.

The actress started playing Fantine in the secondary Broadway revival of Les Misérables on September 1, 2015, and left the production on February 3, 2016.

Other Broadway portrayed by Glover include Angelica Schuyler in the Chicago cast Hamilton and the Witch role in Into the Woods.

Glover has won several acclaims for his successful work in the entertainment industry such as Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical and Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical.

11. Ephraim Sykes

Ephraim Sykes is one of the popularly known Broadway actors. Apart from acting, Skyes is also a singer in the United States of America. He has done amazing work in the entertainment industry.

Sykes starred in the role of George Eacker in the Broadway Musical Hamilton. Other Broadway production roles he played include Seaweed J. Stubs in NBC’s live production of Hairspray Live and David Ruffin in the Musical Ain’t Too Proud among others.

12. Jelani Alladin

Jelani Alladin is a popular actor, singer, and dancer. He has done remarkable work in the field of entertainment. The actor was born on August 6, 1992, and has been in the industry since 2016 to date.

In 2018, Jelani made his Broadway debut and portrayed the role of Kristoff in the musical Frozen. Initially, Jelani had starred in the Off-Broadway show, Sweetee as Cat Jones which earned him the San Francisco Critics Circle Award for Best Leading Actor. However, these theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres.

13. Leslie Odom, Jr

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Leslie Odom, Jr is a Broadway actor from the United States of America, born in New York City, U.S. on August 6, 1981. Apart from acting he is also a singer.

The actor made his acting debut on Broadway in 1998 and he gained fame for his role as Aaron Burr in the musical Hamilton, which was successful and earned him a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical and a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.

He is also known for his notable television roles such as Smash, Person of Interest, Red Tails, Harriet, The Many Saints of Newark, and Glass Onion among others.

14. Lillias White

Lillias White is a talented actor and singer born on July 21, 1951, in Brooklyn, New York, U.S. She is famously known for her performance in Broadway musicals.

She was lucky and she received several acclaims for her remarkable work such as the Tony Award for Best Featuring Actress in a Musical, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, and Obie Award.

She has starred in many Broadway productions such as Dreamgirls, Cats, Once on This Island, Carrie, and Hadestown among others.

15. Norm Lewis

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Norm Lewis is a famous actor and baritone singer from America. The actor has done successful work throughout his career and has appeared on Broadway, in film, television, and regional theatre.

It is interesting to know that Norm, was the second African-American actor to perform in the title role of The Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber after Robert Guillaume and the first one to do so in the Broadway production.