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Entertainment

The Top Black Voice Actors in the Industry

Megan MacBride

Megan MacBride

31 March 2022

The Top Black Voice Actors in the Industry - Voquent

Success, awards, and a long list of credits make them staples in the world of voice acting

We often recognise our favourite actors when we see them. The same goes for voice actors, registering their identity and incredible talent as soon as we hear their voices. Today, let’s put faces to some of these phenomenal talents, discover their work, and discuss the attributes that earn them so much success in the voice-over industry.

 

This blog will focus on the achievements of some of the most successful black voice actors. There are hundreds of successful talents out there. But, here are a few successful voice actors that we want to highlight for their incredible performances and grounded status as the best in the business.

 

Keith David

“As actors, we’re always trying to use our creative imagination.”

Unsurprisingly and undeniably, this list kicks off with Keith David.

Born June 4, 1956, Keith David is a three-time Emmy winner who is most notably known for his roles in The War, Unforgivable Blackness, and Greenleaf. He has also narrated several audiobooks and documentaries.

In 2005, he won the Outstanding Voice-Over Performance Emmy for his voice role in Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall Of Jack Johnson. In 2008, Keith won the same Emmy for his performance in A Necessary War. Lastly, in 2016 he won Outstanding Narrator for his narration of Jackie Robinson. Keith David plays an Iconic role in the voice acting world with three wins and one nomination across a decade of Emmy accomplishments.

 

Uzo Aduba

“I left my home in Massachusetts after college to move to New York City to pursue my dreams of acting. I took roles for free. I waited tables. I didn’t care because it was work.”

Uzo Aduba, born February 10, 1981, is an American actress predominantly known for her live-action acting roles, such as Suzanne in Orange Is the New Black and Shirley Chisholm in Mrs. America. She has earned Emmy Awards for both Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series and Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. She has also appeared in Showing Roots, Candy Jar, and American Pastoral.

While noted for these roles, Uzo has also shown her voice acting skills at an accelerated rate. These credits include Alicia Hawthorne in Lightyear, Bismuth in Steven Universe, and Queen Novo in My Little Pony: The Movie. We’re excited to see what other roles Uzo lends her incredible voice acting skills to in the future.

 

Kevin Michael Richardson

“I love Panthro, so to play him, yeah, I’m very very happy.”

Born on October 25th, 1964, Kevin Michael Richardson is primarily famous for his voice-narrating of villainous characters in animation and video games. According to critics, his “King-Sized” acting and deep voice are most notable whenever he enters a role.

He has played several parts in kids and adult animation like Lilo & Stitch and The Cleveland Show. He is also a big name in the industry, with hundreds of high-profile credits.

 

Shameik Moore

“I keep my head up. I'm comfortable in my skin. I want to see progression in life, with myself and with others around me.”

Shameik Moore was born on May 4th, 1995. He is known for playing many roles in movies, TV shows, and music. He started playing minor roles on Cartoon Network with Nick Cannon, such as various characters in Incredible Crew.

He gained the most fame for voicing Miles Morales in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Playing a role within a multimillion-dollar industry such as MARVEL has helped his career tremendously and will set him up to voice more significant roles in the future. We can’t wait to see what else he can achieve.

 

Marsai Martin

“I want to be a legend!”

Well, she already is. Marsai Martin was born on August 14th, 2004, and is now an outstanding actress, producer, and voice actor. Since she was two years old, her parents noticed her inclination toward acting and wanted nothing more than to support her dream. Her dream came true as she grew from small acting gigs to having the credits she has today, starring in multiple commercials, movies, and TV shows.

In 2014 she scored a leading role in the popular TV show Black-ish. This particular sitcom features an upper-middle-class black family, and Marsai is the youngest daughter, Diane Johnson. The show rose in popularity, winning many awards. Marsai also won awards for her role in the show, including an NAACP Image Award. Since then, she has also starred in many movies.

 

In 2016 she began her voice acting experience in Nina, which covered the life of Nina Simone. She was also a voice actor in Goldie & Bear and The Mr. Peabody and Sherman Show where she showed what she can do with her voice alone.

 

Romany Malco

“My experience in the music industry made me very thick-skinned. Your art is something very personal, and there’s never a shortage of critics when it comes to art.”

Romany Malco, born on November 18th, 1968, has a prominent role in the industry as he triumphed throughout his career. He is an American actor, music producer, and voice actor – a true jack-of-all-trades.

He became successful, especially after John Leguizamo pushed him to become an actor. Leguizamo was highly impressed by his electric personality just from seeing him work as a music producer. He is most known for his voice roles in Unsupervised and American Dad. He also has narrated several podcasts, such as the NSFW Show, The Nerdist Podcast, and WTF With Marc Maron.

 

 

 

The incredible voice actors on this list are notable for their exceptional performances over various mediums. The industry has also recognised their talents with multiple awards and accolades.

One thing is for sure – I enjoyed watching many of the performances that these actors have given in their careers. What can I say? I’m a fan!

 

Discover more talented voice actors

Megan MacBride

By Megan MacBride

Multitalented professional who specializes as a Marketing specialist, professional writer and digital marketer from the United States of America. Hobbies include reading, writing, paddle boarding & snowboarding.

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