I was talking to my sister about an old movie, Deadly Voyage, I'd recently seen featuring a very young Omar Epps as one of eight African stowaways on a British commercial vessel. Among the seven stowaways brutally murdered by the racist crew is British actor Chiwetel Ojiofor in his debut role.
I have followed Ojiofor's career since seeing him in the 2008 flick, Redbelt, in which he portrays a master martial artist and trainer.
The conversation with my sister, who had no idea who Ojiofor is, led me to wonder when Hollywood will recognize excellent black actors who appear in big budget films with major stars, but who still largely play supporting roles.
Among my favorites are:
Jeffrey Wright, 37, described by IMDB, an Internet movie site, as "one of the most underrated and underexposed actors of his caliber and generation." He's appeared Source Code, Cadillac Records, Inside Man, American Gangster, and Salt.
Mos Def, 38, former member of Black Star whose appeared in the Italian Job, Brown Sugar, 16 Blocks, and HBO's biopic Something the Lord Made, about the life of surgical technician Vivien Thomas, who helped pioneer heart surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in the 1930s.
Michael Ealy, 37, blue-eyed actor whose played diverse roles in Showtime's Sleeper Cell, Barber Shop, Seven Pounds, Takers, and Miracle at St. Anna's.
Derek Luke, 38, most famous for playing opposite Denzel Washington in Antwone Fisher. His roles have included playing Sean "Diddy" Combs in Notorious and a South African activist during apartheid in Catch A Fire with Tom Robbins.
Honorable Mentions: Columbus Short (Stomp the Yard), Idris Elba (Takers), Shemar Moore (TV's Criminal Minds), and Tyrese Gibson (Transformer).
There are others, but in the interest of brevity, I've mentioned these few.
Can you name other not-so-famous but fine actors (or actresses)?
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