Is The Black Male Actor a Dying Breed?

I saw a post on a message board the other day asking who people's favorite black male actor was, and almost all the choices were old ass *****s! Sam Jackson, Denzel, Will Smith, Don Cheadle, even lesser known Hill Harper is in his 40s.

It made me think about the fact that there are hardly any young black male actors on the come up nowadays. Where's the Derek Luke (he's 33) of this generation? If you wanted to make a black "Superbad" type movie there would be no one to chose from...

Is this a sign of the times? Is art imitating life with the increasingly diminishing importance/prominence of black males in American culture?

sincere7

I think it may have to do with the fact that many black males dont aspire to be actors. I dont have any numeric figures but I dont see many males going to school to be an actor. Many black males are pursuing other careers and possibly turning into actors like a Will Smith!!

DoublePromo

Which message board was this question asked on, www.ignantassmufukkas.com? The people who were asked obviously aren't familiar with the many Black actors there are:

Cuba Gooding Jr.
Ice Cube
Lawrence Fishburne
Ving Rhames
Wesley Snipes
Richard T. Jones
Gary Dourdan
James Earl Jones
Bill Cobb
Morgan Freeman
Chiwitel Ejiofor
Morris Chestnut
Taye Diggs
Louis Gossett Jr
John Amos
Anthony Anderson
Joe Seneca
Giancarlo Esposito
Bill Nunn
Anthony Mackie
Chris Tucker
Michael Wright
Harry Lennix
Bill Cosby
Malcolm Jamal Warner
Earle Hyman
Kadeem Hardison
Bumper Robinson
Courtney B. Vance
Tony Todd
Sean Patrick Thomas
Isaiah Washington
Delroy Lindo
Chris Rock
Ice T
Mario Van Peebles
Melvin Van Peebles
Martin Lawrence
David Alan Grier
Forest Whitaker
Bokeem Woodbine
Jamie Foxx
Billy Dee Williams
Clarence Williams III


Note that I am naming names straight off the cuff. Take a look here and you'll see more than just a few names (including women).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Categor...merican_actors

TWISTED_METAL

Omar Epps is doing the damn thing on "House MD"

INDOCHINE

Double,

I'm talking about a specific type of actor. Younger actors (early to mid twenties) that can play a range of roles, not just hard and gansta. Were is today's Jaleel White or Alfonso Riebero or Malcolm Jamal-Warner? I'm taking about black male actors that could pull off a quirky teen drama and cater to the Generation Y crowd. Ninety percent of your list are actors in their mid to late 30s, many are in their 40s.

Their are entire issues of Entertainment Weekly devoted to white male actors under 30 that are considered "hot." You would be hard pressed to create such an issue of black male actors. The black male actors we have today have been marinating in the public domain for the better part of the last decade. Who are going to be the relatable black male actors for the kids going to high school now???

DoublePromo

If people were to stop concentrating on the high-profile and big-budget movie actors they'd see that there are many independent films being made and coming out, they would attend and do reasearch on the Black Film Festival (yes there is one), they would check out B'way/off-B'way plays, etc.

As far as the list of actors, that's not my list, that's Wikipedia's list and there are many actors on that list that are in their teens and 20's, and if you think that there aren't any younger Black actors in their teens and 20's, then you're as much a part of the problem with that way of thinking as the others out there for even thinking such a thing. This is the INTERNET age and there is a wealth of information out there at everyone's disposal to get information.

MusicPro

Not true, majority of rappers are actors!!!

You forgot about Nick Cannon

lilredbeesh

no, the black male actor is not a dying breed

King Of Kings

wow beesh, guess it would have been asking too much to elaborate?

I see where you're getting at Indo and most young black male actors aren't doing movies like superbad. They do stuff like Stomp The Yard and Biker Boys. The only time you see them do Superbad type movies is like The Wayans brothers spoofs and romantic comedies with Madea or something... Most young black male actors still to this day don't get the same acting opportunities that young white male actors get because scripts aren't written for them or geared toward them. They're usually the friend or the side kick or that guy that hangs out with the group. Not usually the lead. And if it is a predominately black movie with young actors it's viewed as "one of those black movies." You know the ones I'm talking about. I'm talking about a "Paid In Full" type of movie... We're not going to get out from under that type of thinking and movie making until we start doing it for ourselves. The young black male actors are out there...

tigstah

terrence howard.