Best African American Actors Under 30

There are plenty of young African American men building strong resumes across film and television right now. Many started as kids on network or streaming series and have since moved into features and lead roles. Others broke through with a single festival hit or a limited series that reached a wide audience.

This list highlights twenty actors who are still under 30 and already have substantial credits. Each entry notes the roles viewers can find today across streamers and cable along with awards, training, or other useful career details that show where they have been and where they are headed next.

Caleb McLaughlin

Caleb McLaughlin plays Lucas Sinclair in the Netflix series ‘Stranger Things’ and appears in films such as ‘Concrete Cowboy’. He began performing on Broadway as Young Simba in ‘The Lion King’ which gave him stage experience before moving to television.

His screen work includes guest roles in ‘Law and Order Special Victims Unit’ and ‘Ultra City Smiths’. He has appeared in music videos and charity campaigns and he participates in anti bullying initiatives that include his social media movement Embrace Your Face.

Jaden Smith

Jaden Smith starred in ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’ and later led ‘The Karate Kid’. He also voiced characters in animation projects and appeared in ‘The Get Down’.

His work includes music releases under his own name with charted singles and tours. He has fashion collaborations and a water company that has partnered on environmental projects while he continues to take select acting roles.

Jacob Latimore

Jacob Latimore leads the Showtime series ‘The Chi’ as Emmett and appears in films such as ‘Detroit’ and ‘Like a Boss’. He began as a recording artist and transitioned into acting with roles in ‘Sleight’ and ‘Collateral Beauty’.

He has soundtrack credits connected to his projects and has performed on national tours. His filmography includes both independent features and studio releases and he continues to balance television production schedules with movie shoots.

Trevor Jackson

Trevor Jackson starred in Freeform’s ‘Grown ish’ as Aaron and played the title role in ‘Superfly’. He previously appeared on Disney Channel and performed on Broadway in ‘The Lion King’ as Young Simba.

Jackson releases R and B projects and directs some of his own music videos. His credits include guest spots on procedural series and TV movies and he works in both acting and music production throughout the year.

Mason Gooding

Mason Gooding appears in the ‘Scream’ films and in the Hulu series ‘Love Victor’. He studied at New York University before focusing on acting full time.

He has credits in ‘Booksmart’ and guest roles in shows like ‘Ballers’. Gooding works across comedy and horror features and attends major festivals for premieres tied to those releases.

Jharrel Jerome

Jharrel Jerome won an Emmy for ‘When They See Us’ and appeared in the Academy Award winning film ‘Moonlight’. He has worked in television, film, and limited series formats since his breakout.

Jerome’s recent credits include ‘I’m a Virgo’ which streams on Prime Video. He records music under the name Jharrel and collaborates with producers on releases that accompany some of his screen projects.

Asante Blackk

Asante Blackk earned an Emmy nomination for ‘When They See Us’ and played Malik on ‘This Is Us’. He also appears in ‘Landscape With Invisible Hand’ and guest stars across network dramas.

Blackk participates in youth focused arts programs and frequently joins panels about representation in media. His credits include work on both prestige limited series and feature films distributed by major studios.

Alex R. Hibbert

Alex R. Hibbert debuted in ‘Moonlight’ as Little and then joined ‘The Chi’ as Kevin. He started acting through a school program that led to his first audition.

Hibbert continues to appear in seasonal arcs on his series while booking additional film roles. He works with nonprofits serving youth in Miami and Chicago and attends events connected to those organizations.

Niles Fitch

Niles Fitch portrayed teenage Randall on ‘This Is Us’ and starred in the Disney movie ‘Secret Society of Second Born Royals’. He began in theater and commercials before moving to television.

Fitch has fashion and brand collaborations and attends fashion weeks in connection with those partners. He has additional credits in ‘The Goldbergs’ and ‘Army Wives’ and continues to work in streaming films.

Skylan Brooks

Skylan Brooks leads the film ‘The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete’ and appears in ‘The Get Down’ and ‘Archenemy’. He started acting as a child and moved into heavier dramatic roles as a teenager.

Brooks has credits in crime thrillers, sci fi projects, and independent dramas. He trains in dialect and on camera technique between shoots and often participates in festival Q and A sessions for his indie titles.

Myles Truitt

Myles Truitt appears in ‘BMF’ and previously played Issa Williams on ‘Black Lightning’. He booked his first major role in ‘The New Edition Story’ as a young Ronnie DeVoe.

Truitt trains in stunt basics for action scenes and has worked on both Atlanta and Los Angeles sets. His credits include guest appearances on ‘Atlanta’ and ‘Queen Sugar’ in addition to his series regular work.

Marcus Scribner

Marcus Scribner plays Andre Johnson Jr. on ‘black ish’ and ‘Grown ish’. He also voices Bow in the animated series ‘She Ra and the Princesses of Power’.

Scribner participates in environmental and animal welfare campaigns and serves as a youth ambassador for related organizations. His film credits include family features and voice roles in animated movies for streaming platforms.

Isaiah Russell-Bailey

Isaiah Russell Bailey stars in ‘Family Reunion’ and leads the Disney film ‘Crater’. He started with guest roles in ‘Criminal Minds’ and ‘S.W.A.T.’ before landing series work.

Russell Bailey trains in parkour and dance which he uses for physical roles. He appears in music videos and commercials and works with youth mentorship programs in Los Angeles.

Benjamin Flores Jr.

Benjamin Flores Jr. known as Lil P Nut starred in ‘Game Shakers’ and appears in the ‘Fear Street’ films. He has been active in television since childhood and transitioned into teen and young adult roles.

Flores records music and has soundtrack placements. His credits include ‘Ride Along’ and ‘Your Honor’ and he continues to work across comedy and horror projects on streaming platforms.

Chosen Jacobs

Chosen Jacobs appeared in ‘IT’ and ‘IT Chapter Two’ and led the Disney musical ‘Sneakerella’. He started as a singer and pianist and added acting through local theater.

Jacobs has additional credits in ‘Hawaii Five 0’ and ‘Castle Rock’. He records original music and performs live sets in between filming schedules for streaming and network productions.

Jahking Guillory

Jahking Guillory starred in the film ‘Kicks’ and appeared in the series ‘On My Block’. He acts in both English and bilingual productions and grew up competing in youth sports.

His credits include ‘The Chi’ and ‘Five Points’ and he continues to book roles in independent features. Guillory participates in sneaker and streetwear campaigns connected to his early film work.

Brett Gray

Brett Gray played Jamal on ‘On My Block’ and voices Hordak in animated projects while also appearing in ‘Star Trek Prodigy’. He began in Philadelphia theater and trained in musical performance.

Gray releases music EPs and performs live shows. His screen work includes guest roles on ‘Law and Order Special Victims Unit’ and supporting parts in streaming romantic comedies.

Michael Rainey Jr.

Michael Rainey Jr. stars as Tariq St Patrick in ‘Power Book II Ghost’ after originating the character in ‘Power’. He has film credits that include ‘LUV’ and ‘The Butler’.

Rainey works as a producer on select projects and collaborates with the franchise creative team during development. He participates in charity events in New York and maintains an active presence in series promotion.

Mekai Curtis

Mekai Curtis leads ‘Power Book III Raising Kanan’ as the young Kanan Stark and previously starred in Disney XD’s ‘Kirby Buckets’. He has voice roles in animated series and video games.

Curtis trained in voiceover and multi camera comedy before moving into drama. His credits include guest appearances on network sitcoms and supporting roles in streaming films.

Keith L. Williams

Keith L. Williams co starred in the film ‘Good Boys’ and appears in ‘The Last Man on Earth’ and ‘The Astronauts’. He began acting through commercials and family programming.

Williams continues to balance comedic and adventure oriented projects and works with child safety advocates to promote on set education. His recent credits include voice roles in animated series for cable and streaming.

Ashton Sanders

Ashton Sanders broke out with ‘Moonlight’ and went on to lead films like ‘All Day and a Night’. He appears in ‘The Equalizer 2’ and ‘Captive State’ and works in both studio releases and independent dramas.

His television work includes ‘Wu Tang An American Saga’ where he portrays RZA. He trained at DePaul University’s Theatre School and continues to balance feature films with limited series roles.

Tyrel Jackson Williams

Tyrel Jackson Williams starred in Disney XD’s ‘Lab Rats’ and later joined ‘Brockmire’. He also appears in ‘Party Down’ and guest roles across network comedies.

He records and releases music with the group Brothers Valiant. His film credits include ‘The Binge’ and voice work for animated series that stream on major platforms.

Miles Brown

Miles Brown played Jack Johnson on ‘black ish’ and continued the role in ‘Grown ish’. He started as a dancer and made early TV appearances on reality and talk shows.

He released a hip hop album and performs live sets when not filming. His credits include voice roles in animated films and guest parts in family friendly series.

Jahi Di’Allo Winston

Jahi Di’Allo Winston leads ‘Charm City Kings’ and appears in ‘We Have a Ghost’. He started in theater and booked early television roles on ‘Feed the Beast’ and ‘The New Edition Story’.

He headlines the thriller ‘My Name Is Vendetta’ in the English language release and shows up in ensemble casts for streaming features. Winston also appears in ‘Everything Sucks’ and continues to work across genres.

Jalyn Hall

Jalyn Hall plays Dillon James in ‘All American’ and portrays Emmett Till in ‘Till’. He began with guest roles on ‘Black ish’ and ‘NCIS Los Angeles’.

His filmography includes ‘The Crossover’ and family dramas for streaming platforms. He participates in school outreach visits connected to his projects and attends screenings with discussion panels.

Demetrius Flenory Jr.

Demetrius Flenory Jr. known as Lil Meech stars in ‘BMF’. He also appears in ‘Euphoria’ in a recurring role.

He trained with acting coaches in Los Angeles before his series debut. His press tours include festival appearances and interviews tied to crime drama releases.

Isaiah John

Isaiah John portrayed Leon in ‘Snowfall’. He appears in features like ‘All Day and a Night’ and has credits in short films.

He trained in Atlanta and continued study in on camera technique. His work includes guest appearances in streaming series and participation in cast Q and A sessions.

Jaden Michael

Jaden Michael played young Colin Kaepernick in ‘Colin in Black and White’. He led the Netflix film ‘Vampires vs the Bronx’ and has earlier credits in ‘The Get Down’.

He began as a child model and voice actor and moved into lead parts in teen focused stories. He continues to work in both English and Spanish speaking productions.

Ethan Herisse

Ethan Herisse portrayed young Yusef Salaam in ‘When They See Us’. He appears in ‘About a Boy’ and ‘Miss Virginia’.

He started with commercials and youth theater in Los Angeles. His recent work includes guest roles in procedural dramas and independent festival films.

Caleel Harris

Caleel Harris voiced young Simba in ‘The Lion Guard’ and played young Antron McCray in ‘When They See Us’. He appeared in ‘Goosebumps 2 Haunted Halloween’ and the series ‘Game Shakers’.

He began acting in commercials and family programming. His credits include animation voice work and live action comedies for streaming services.

Coy Stewart

Coy Stewart starred in ‘Mr Iglesias’ and appeared in ‘Agents of S H I E L D’. He began with the series ‘Are We There Yet’ and continued in Nickelodeon projects.

He records music and collaborates with independent producers. His filmography includes teen dramas and streaming originals with school centered storylines.

Jabari Banks

Jabari Banks leads ‘Bel Air’ as Will. He trained in musical theater and combines acting with singing and dance.

He participates in press campaigns for the series across Peacock and social platforms. His credits include fashion editorial work and appearances on late night talk shows for promotion.

Olly Sholotan

Olly Sholotan plays Carlton Banks in ‘Bel Air’. He appears in ‘Run Hide Fight’ and guest roles across streaming dramas.

He releases music under his own name and produces tracks for other artists. His work includes soundtrack placements and live performances connected to series events.

Michael Evans Behling

Michael Evans Behling stars as Jordan Baker in ‘All American’. He started as a model and transitioned into acting through commercials and guest roles.

He collaborates with athletic and fashion brands and appears in national campaigns. His credits include TV movies and sports themed storylines on network television.

Quincy Isaiah

Quincy Isaiah portrays Magic Johnson in ‘Winning Time The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty’. He trained at Kalamazoo College and moved into professional acting after stage productions.

He prepares for roles with basketball drills and physical conditioning. His work includes media interviews about sports history research for the series.

Cameron J. Wright

Cameron J Wright stars in ‘Family Reunion’. He performs music with the group Ncredible Crazy Kids and releases solo covers online.

He began in theater and commercials before landing the Netflix series. His credits include voice work for animated projects and appearances on family competition shows.

Dallas Dupree Young

Dallas Dupree Young plays Kenny Payne in ‘Cobra Kai’. He also appears in ‘1 2 3 All Eyes on Me’ and guest roles on ‘The Good Place’.

He comes from a baseball family and trained in the sport before focusing on acting. His work includes youth led short films and episodes across multiple streaming platforms.

Lonnie Chavis

Lonnie Chavis portrayed young Randall Pearson on ‘This Is Us’. He leads the adventure film ‘The Water Man’ and appears in ‘White Famous’.

He supports anti bullying initiatives and youth literacy programs. His credits include guest spots on network dramas and family movies for streaming releases.

Javon Walton

Javon Walton first appeared in ‘Euphoria’ and later joined ‘The Umbrella Academy’. He also led the Amazon series ‘Utopia’ and starred in ‘Samaritan’.

He is a competitive boxer and trains year round. His screen work includes action sequences that draw on his athletic background and appearances in music videos tied to his shows.

Share your favorites from the list in the comments and add the names you think belong in the next update.