Hollywood has long looked over Black actresses, but despite these challenges, they’ve found ways to rise to the top. In honor of Black History Month, we’ve decided to spotlight three of Hollywood’s best up-and-coming artists, who you can expect to be superstars sooner rather than later.
Ayo Edebiri
Ayo Edebiri was stunned as her name was called for the winner of Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series at the Emmys. The award was a long time coming for the Boston native, who gained attention from her role as Sydney Adamu on the Hulu show: “The Bear”.
Edebiri began pursuing comedy in the eighth grade before earning a degree in playwriting at New York University. Her career began as a comedian on Comedy Central, but she eventually moved on to producing her own shows. She was also a writer for “Big Mouth”. Midway through the fourth season of the show, she began voicing the character of Missy, an African-American character that a white actress had portrayed previously.
2022 was Edibiri’s breakout year, as she received widespread acclaim for the first season of FX’s “The Bear”. Most notable among the slew of awards and nominations she received was a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. She also continued to make successful moves behind the scenes, joining another critically acclaimed Hulu show, “What We Do in the Shadows”, as a writer and producer.
However, this was all just a teaser. 2023 was truly the year of Ayo Edebiri. She paired another successful season of “The Bear” with roles in two of the year’s best animated movies, “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem”. She also garnered praise for her comedic work thanks to some of 2023’s biggest cult classics, “Theater Camp” and “Bottoms.”
With an “Saturday Night Live” appearance alongside Jennifer Lopez already under her belt in 2024, Edebiri seems to be poised for another big year. Given how everything she touches seems to turn to gold, don’t be surprised when you see her dominating headlines again this year and for many years to come.
Da’Vine Joy Randolph
Even though Da’Vine Joy Randolph just captured a Best Supporting Actress nomination from the Oscars and audiences’ attention worldwide, not long ago she was just another actress fighting for a role.
A Yale School of Drama graduate, Randolph got her start in theater, auditioning for an understudy role on the Broadway version of “Ghost: the Musical.” However, the producers were so impressed with her performance that they cast her in a lead role at just 25 years old. Randolph almost immediately proved them right, earning a nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical at the 2012 Tony Awards.
Despite her immediate accolades and imminent status as a premier up-and-coming actress, Randolph struggled to find high-caliber roles when transitioning to film. She was mainly relegated to smaller comedic and voice-acting roles. She eventually gained more recognition for her work as Lady Reed in “Dolemite is My Name” and Detective Williams in “Only Murders in the Building.”
It wasn’t until 2023’s “The Holdovers” that Randolph finally got a chance to flex her dramatic muscles. She shines as Mary Lamb, a cafeteria manager at a New England boarding school whose son was recently killed in Vietnam. Her earth-shattering performance has finally garnered long-overdue acclaim and easily made her the betting favorite for Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars.
Luckily for audiences, Randolph seems to be turning her newfound fame into more significant roles. Though not much is known about these projects, we can be sure that whatever she does will be amazing, and she’ll cement herself as a household name for a long time.
Quinta Brunson:
Quinta Brunson is an actor most known for her role as Janine Teagues on the ABC series “Abbott Elementary”. Still, many are unaware of Brunson’s multifaceted career in production and unequivocal thirst for creation.
Quinta Brunson was born in West Philadelphia. By high school, she was captivated with comedy and, after taking many improv classes, ultimately dropped out of college to pursue a professional career.
Shortly after, Brunson went viral for her Instagram series, Girl Who Has Never Been on A Nice Date, and later, Quinta vs. Everything. People recognized her hilarious and relatable writing in the show. She is also recognized for her work at BuzzFeed, a video content channel on YouTube.
In 2019, she left BuzzFeed to work on the CW Series “The End of the World as We Know It.” This was a shift in genre for Brunson towards comedic drama, a more layered concept.
Quinta Brunson has been in the spotlight since the release of “Abbott Elementary” and has gained even more traction with the premiere of the show’s third season. Aside from starring in the show, Brunson is also the executive producer and co-writer.
At the 2023 Emmys, Brunson was the first Black woman to be nominated three times in the comedy category, winning Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. Quinta Brunson was previously voted one of the New York Times’ Most Influential People of 2022, and her influence continues in 2024 as she makes her mark on American television.
All eyes are on these three women as they have conquered the Hollywood scene this year. We are so excited to see these actresses continue to create and further gain recognition for their immense talent!
