List of entertainers who performed in blackface
This is a list of entertainers known to have performed in blackface makeup, whether in an overtly racist or comic "minstrel" role, as satire or historical depiction of such roles, or in a portrayal of a character using racial makeup as a disguise, for whatever reason.
Bert Williams, shown here in blackface, was the highest-paid African-American entertainer of his day.
A–C
- Roy Acuff, country music singer, performed in blackface in 1930s-40s traveling medicine shows[1]
- Julie Andrews, in the 1964 film Mary Poppins[2]
- Fred Armisen, impersonating U.S. President Barack Obama on Saturday Night Live in 2008 and 2009[3]
- Louis Armstrong, as Zulu King during 1949's Mardi Gras in New Orleans[4]
- Clarence Ashley, 1910s-1940s singer and blackface comedian in traveling medicine shows[5]
- Ant and Dec, in old Saturday Night Takeway sketches[6]
- Fred Astaire, in Swing Time (1936)[7] and in Easter Parade (1948)
- Gene Autry[5]
- Dan Aykroyd, in Trading Places (1983)[8]
- David Baddiel, while portraying Jason Lee on a 1995 episode of Fantasy Football League[9]
- Marcus "Buff" Bagwell, while performing for World Championship Wrestling[10]
- Fay Bainter, as Topsy in a 1933 production of Uncle Tom's Cabin
- Milt G. Barlow, 19th-century American minstrel[11]
- Ethel Barrymore, in the 1930 play Scarlet Sister Mary [12]
- Billy Barty, in Roman Scandals (1933)[13] and Rabbit Test (1978)
- Jack Black, in Be Kind Rewind (2008)[14]
- Sergei Bondarchuk, in Othello
- John Boulter, lead singer of the long-running Black and White Minstrel Show on the BBC[15]:248
- Zach Braff, in the Scrubs episodes "My Friend the Doctor" and "My Chopped Liver"[16]
- Frank Brower, 1840s-1860s minstrel performer[17]
- Bugs Bunny, in the 1942 cartoon Fresh Hare[18]
- George Burns[5]
- Butterbeans and Susie[19]
- Eddie Cantor, 1912-1927 performances in vaudeville and Ziegfeld Follies[20]
- Judy Carne, in a 1969 episode of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In[21][22]
- Dave Chappelle, in a 2006 episode of Chappelle's Show[23]
- George Christy, born George Harrington but became a star with Christy's Minstrels in the 1840s[15]:8
- Charles Correll[19]
- Bing Crosby,[24] in Dream House (1932), Mississippi (1935), Road to Singapore (1940), Holiday Inn (1942), Dixie (1943), and Here Come the Waves (1944)
- Billy Crystal, in the "Negro Leagues" skit on Saturday Night Live in 1984 and whenever impersonating Sammy Davis Jr., including at the 84th Academy Awards.[25]
D–G
- Ted Danson, at a 1993 Friars Club roast of his then-girlfriend Whoopi Goldberg[26]
- Tommy Davidson in the 2000 film Bamboozled[27]
- Sammy Davis, Jr.[24] in Ocean's Eleven (1960)[28]
- Shane Dawson, YouTuber, actor, and comedian[29]
- Neil Diamond in The Jazz Singer (1980 film)[30]
- Thomas Dilward, 1850s-1870s dwarf minstrel performer[31]
- George Washington Dixon, 1820s-1830s stage performer[32]
- Lew Dockstader, 1870s-1900s minstrel performer[33]
- Roma Downey in an episode of the television series Touched By An Angel entitled “Black Like Monica”, the character is turned black to better empathize with a community dealing with racial tensions.[34]
- Robert Downey Jr. in the 2008 film Tropic Thunder[35]
- Jimmy Durante[24]
- Jimmy Fallon, impersonating Chris Rock on Saturday Night Live[36]
- Edwin Forrest[37]
- Dai Francis, lead singer of the long-running Black and White Minstrel Show on the BBC[38]
- George Givot, in the play The Constant Sinner (1931)[39]
- Freeman Gosden[19]
- Billy Gould (1869-1950)[40]
- Savion Glover in the 2000 film Bamboozled[27]
H–L
- Sam Hague[41]
- Masatoshi Hamada, dressed in blackface as Eddie Murphy from the film Beverly Hills Cop for the 2017 New Year's Eve special of Downtown no Gaki no Tsukai ya Arahende!![42]
- Jon Hamm on an episode of 30 Rock[43]
- Goldie Hawn, in a 1969 episode of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In[21][22]
- Bob Height[41]
- Charles Hicks[41]
- Ernest Hogan[19]
- C. Thomas Howell in the 1986 movie Soul Man[44]
- William A. Huntley[45] Starting 1860. Moved to whiteface in mid-1880s.
- George Jessel[5]
- Al Jolson[24]
- Louis Jordan[24]
- Buster Keaton, in vaudeville[19] in the short film Neighbors (1920), possibly with satiric intent: he alternates in and out of blackface, receiving a very different reaction from a policeman;[46] also in The Playhouse (1921) and College (1927)
- Billy Kersands, 1880s-1900s minstrel performer[47]
- Jimmy Kimmel, impersonating Karl Malone and Oprah Winfrey on The Man Show[48][49]
- Jane Krakowski twice on 30 Rock[43]
- Wallace King, 1880s minstrel performer[50]
- Francis Leon, 1870s-80s minstrel performer[51]
- Eddie Leonard, 1890s-1930s minstrel performer, "last of the great minstrels"[19]
- Sophia Loren in Aida (1953)[52]
- Peter Lorre, in the play Weisse Fracht[53]
- Matt Lucas, multiple characters in Little Britain, Precious Little in Come Fly with Me[54]
- Sam Lucas, 1870s minstrel performer[55]
M–R
- Pigmeat Markham, performer in 1920s-1950s traveling shows, as well as The Ed Sullivan Show and Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In[56]
- Mickey Mouse in the 1933 cartoon Mickey's Mellerdrammer[2]
- Emmett Miller,[41] an important influence on early country stars like Jimmie Rodgers, Bob Wills
- Flournoy E. Miller[19]
- Irvin C. Miller[19]
- Clayton McMichen[1]
- Bill Monroe[1]
- Moran and Mack[19]
- Herbert Wassell Nadal (1873-1957)[57]
- Cornelius J. O'Brien (1869-1954)[58]
- Richard Pelham[41]
- Thomas D. Rice[41]
- Jimmie Rodgers[1]
- Benny Rubin[41]
S–Z
- Ramblin' Tommy Scott[59]
- Sarah Silverman[60]
- Frank Sinatra, in the Major Bowes short The Big Minstrel (1935) and Ocean's Eleven (1960)[28]
- Grace Slick, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (1968) and Teen Set magazine (1969)[61][62][63]
- Bessie Smith[24]
- Hobart Smith[5]
- Howard Stern in a series of 1991 skits as Clarence Thomas and in a 1993 New Year's Eve special[64]
- Bert Swor (1878-1943)[65]
- Shirley Temple in The Littlest Rebel.[15]:152
- Frank Tinney, in vaudeville and Broadway musical comedies[66]
- Sophie Tucker[67]
- Tracey Ullman, in a 1989 episode of The Tracey Ullman Show[68]
- Ben Vereen, as a part of the 1981 inaugural celebrations for US President Ronald Reagan [69]
- Vladimir Vysotsky, as Abram Gannibal in How Czar Peter the Great Married Off His Moor
- David Walliams, minstrel character, Desiree Devere in Little Britain[54]
- George Walker[19]
- Billy Whitlock[41]
- Gene Wilder in Silver Streak (film)[70]
- Barney Williams[71]
- Bert Williams[41]
- Hank Williams[24]
- Bob Wills[1]
- Tom Wilson[41]
- Jo Anne Worley, in a 1969 episode of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In[21][22]
See also
External links
References
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- Daniel Pollack-Pelzner (28 January 2019), "'Mary Poppins,' and a Nanny's Shameful Flirting With Blackface", New York Times
- Is Blackface Ever OK? - Newsweek
- Bunny Matthews (March 1, 2016). "March 1, 1949: Louis Armstrong's Reign As King Zulu". OffBeat.
- Sweet, Frank W. A History of the Minstrel Show, p25.
- https://www.radiotimes.com/news/2020-06-10/ant-and-dec-apologise-saturday-night-takeaway-sketches/
- Behind the Camera (4/30)
- Evans’ Release – Ethan Skolnick's Season Ticket – Sun-Sentinel Archived 2007-10-09 at the Wayback Machine
- Blackface still dominates pop culture - but feigning ignorance is no longer an excuse
- http://www.lordsofpain.net/news/2006/articles/1142225472.php Archived March 27, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- Rice, Edward Le Roy - Monarchs of Minstrelsy from ‘Daddy Rice’ to Date (1911)
- "The Theatre: Scarlet Sister; Red Apples". Time. December 1, 1930.
- "Billy Barty - Overview - MSN Movies". Archived from the original on 2009-02-09. Retrieved 2008-11-07.
- Bradshaw, Peter (2008-02-22). "Be Kind Rewind". TheGuardian.com. Archived from the original on 2020-11-27. Retrieved 2020-11-27.
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- Ivie, Devon (June 24, 2020). "Scrubs Blackface Episodes Scrubbed From Hulu". Vulture. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
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- Huff, Andrew (June 24, 2020). "For people experiencing homelessness, watching television is a meaningful act". Generocity. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
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Fallon once appeared in a “Saturday Night Live” skit portraying Chris Rock, complete with makeup and wig.
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- Primarily a blackface performer
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- http://amp.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/feb/7/jimmy-kimmel-oprah-winfrey-jimmy-fallon-chris-rock/
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Kimmel wore blackface on numerous occasions, impersonating NBA Hall of Famer Karl Malone as well as former daytime talk show host Oprah Winfrey in his Comedy Central series “The Man Show.”
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