30 Black LGBTQ+ Actors Who Are Serving Excellence In 2023
Celebrating Black LGBTQ+ talent!
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We celebrate Black LGBTQ+ actors, musicians, writers, directors, and creators all year round, but Juneteenth is a particularly special date for us to elevate Black queer talent even higher.
Whether it is in film, television, or on stage, there’s a long list of LGBTQ+ actors who are serving absolute excellence in 2023. Besides giving us some much-needed Black queer visibility in mainstream projects, it’s great to see how much more inclusive Hollywood has become over the years in terms of race, sexual orientation, and gender expression.
Scroll through to check out the Black LGBTQ+ actors who are serving excellence in 2023!
Jeremy Pope
Between his roles in Hollywood, Pose, One Night in Miami, and The Inspection, Jeremy Pope has become a household name on both big and small screens. The future is certainly bright for Pope, and we can’t wait to see it.
Alexandra Shipp
Between playing Storm in the new X-Men trilogy of movies, Kim in Straight Outta Compton, and Susan in tick, tick… BOOM!, Alexandra Shipp is a huge name in showbiz right now. As of 2023, she is set to star in the live-action Barbie movie.
Alex Newell
Nonbinary actor Alex Newell starred on TV shows like Glee, Empire, and Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist over the years. In 2023, they originated the role of Lulu in the Broadway production of Shucked, went on to win a Tony Award for that performance.
J. Harrison Ghee
Some Like It Hot star J. Harrison Ghee also won a 2023 Tony Award for acting. Together, Newell and Ghee became the first nonbinary actors to win an acting award at the Tonys.
Janelle Monáe
Superstar and legend Janelle Monáe has been making huge waves recently in their acting career in movies like Antebellum and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Truth be told, though, Monáe has been on Hollywood’s radar as an actor since their stellar performance in the Academy Award-winning film Moonlight.
Justice Smith
Justice Smith has been on a roll that includes huge movies like Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom, Pokémon: Detective Pikachu, and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. He’s one of the hottest names in Hollywood right now, and his huge talent certainly matches these opportunities.
Tessa Thompson
Tessa Thompson reached a global audience playing Valkyrie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Her other acting credits include Dear White People, Creed, Annihilation, Men in Black: International, and Westworld.
Laverne Cox
Laverne Cox is best known for starring in Orange Is the New Black, Promising Young Woman, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let's Do the Time Warp Again. Overall, Cox has also been an incredibly important champion of LGBTQ+ rights and trans visibility in mainstream media.
Brian Michael Smith
Besides his appearances on Queen Sugar and The L Word: Generation Q, Brian Michael Smith is best known for playing Paul Strickland on Fox’s 9-1-1: Lone Star.
Samira Wiley
Since absolutely winning our hearts with her portrayal of Poussey on Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black, Samira Wiley has starred in other projects like The Handmaid’s Tale and Blade Runner: Black Lotus.
Gabriel Santana
Gabriel Santana’s breakout role was as child actor in the Brazilian version of Chiquititas. Since then, Santana – who identifies as bisexual – has appeared on prominent soap operas like the critically-acclaimed 2022 remake of Pantanal. He also competed as a celebrity on season 23 of Big Brother Brasil.
Kiersey Clemmons
Kiersey Clemmons has stayed booked and blessed ever since their first role in Shake it Up in 2010. Since then have been stealing scenes in Dope, Transparent, Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, and Flatliners. They really showed off their acting chops in the castaway monster movie Sweetheart in 2019 and most recently as Iris West in The Flash.
Wanda Sykes
From Monster-in-Law to Bad Moms to The Other Two, Wanda Sykes is a legendary actress and comedian who always remains relevant over the years. She is also a true icon in the LGBTQ+ community, always advocating for queer rights during interviews and comedy specials.
Keiynan Lonsdale
Keiynan Lonsdale is one of the most prolific artists of his generation. Besides his work in music, Lonsdale has landed major roles on shows like The Flash and Step Up: High Water. He’s also starred in huge movies such as Love, Simon, The Divergent Series: Insurgent, and The Finest Hours.
Indya Moore
The entire world fell in love with Indya Moore as the character of Angel on FX’s Pose. Since then, Moore has also starred in Queen & Slim, Escape Room: Tournament of Champions, and voiced a character in Nimona.
Keke Palmer
Keke Palmer has been making a name for herself for a few decades now. She’s recently been attached to projects like Nope, Alice, Hustlers, and Lightyear, making her even more relevant in this day and age.
Jaboukie Young-White
Outside of his work in comedy, Jaboukie Young-White is best known for starring in Rough Night, Strange World, Set It Up, and a recent episode of Black Mirror.
Michaela Jaé Rodriguez
Michaela Jaé Rodriguez broke out in Hollywood by playing Blanca on Pose. In subsequent years, the trans actress has starred in films and TV shows like tick, tick… BOOM!, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, and Loot.
Lena Waithe
Actress, writer, and producer Lena Waithe is one of Hollywood’s top players in 2023. Her acting roles include Master of None, Big Mouth, Westworld, and The Chi.
Tituss Burgess
Broadway superstar Tituss Burgess made a name for himself on television after playing Titus Andromedon on Netflix’s Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Since then, Burgess’ performances have also included films and shows like The Angry Birds Movies, Smurfs: The Lost Village, The Addams Family, Central Park, and Schmigadoon!.
Peppermint
After becoming a huge star on season nine of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Peppermint has become a solidified actress with credits on projects like Harlem, Fire Island, The B*tch Who Stole Christmas, and God Friended Me. In 2023, she also originated the role of Davina in the musical theatre production of A Transparent Musical.
Niecy Nash
Niecy Nash is best known for Reno 911!, Claws, The Rookie: Feds, Never Have I Ever, and Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. In 2020, she got married to current partner Jessica Betts.
Billy Porter
Billy Porter is another multihyphenate on this list who can do it all. After spending years making a name for himself on Broadway, Porter broke into mainstream media by starring in projects such as Pose, American Horror Story: Apocalypse, and 2021’s Cinderella. In 2021, he also made his directorial debut with Anything’s Possible.
Golda Rosheuvel
Golda Rosheuvel is currently best known for playing Queen Charlotte on Netflix’s Bridgerton. Alas, her long-spanning career also includes films and TV shows like Lady Macbeth, Silent Witness, and Dune: Part One.
Dyllón Burnside
Dyllón Burnside landed his breakout role in 2018 after getting cast as Ricky on FX’s Pose. In subsequent years, Burnside has also been seen on shows such as American Horror Stories and Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.
Cynthia Erivo
Cynthia Erivo is a powerful actress on stage, in film, and on television. While fans wait for her to star as Elphaba in the upcoming Wicked movies, they can appreciate her work in films like Harriet, Widows, and Bad Times at the El Royale, just to name a few.
Linn da Quebrada
Also known as Lina Perereira dos Santos, Linn da Quebrada is a trans Brazilian singer and actress best known for starring in films like Bixa Travesty and Vale Night, as well as the TV series Segunda Chamada.
RuPaul
Besides his herstory-making stint as the host and main judge in the RuPaul’s Drag Race franchise, RuPaul has also been making strides as an actor. Namely, Ru has starred on TV shows like Girlboss, Broad City, Grace and Frankie, and AJ and the Queen.
Ts Madison
With credits in films like Zola, Bros, and the upcoming Netflix film The Perfect Find, Ts Madison has been forging a fantastic acting career that goes beyond her social media presence, reality show The Ts Madison Experience, and regular judge role on RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Wilson Cruz
After breaking out on My So-Called Life, Wilson Cruz has had an absolutely illustrious career that includes credits on Noah’s Arc, 13 Reasons Why, and Star Trek: Discovery, to name a few.
