A tribute to all the actors and actresses who have brought legends back to life through films.
1. Alexandra Shipp
Alexandra played Aaliyah in the Lifetime biopic about her life.
3. Toni Braxton
OWN announced that Toni Braxton is set to star as Darlene Love in the network’s first scripted TV film “My Name is Love: The Darlene Love Story.”
4. Idris Elba
Idris Elba as Nelson Mandela in Mandela
5. Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer Hudson as Winnie Mandela in Winnie
6. Will Smith
Will Smith as Muhammad Ali in Ali
7. Beyonce
Beyonce as Etta James in Cadillac Records
8. Andre 3000
Andre 3000 as Jimi Hendrix
9. Zoe Saldana
Zoe Saldana as Nina Simone
10. Angela Bassett
Angela Bassett as Tina Turner in What’s Love Got To Do With It and Coretta Scott King in Coretta and Betty.
11. Chadwick Boseman
Chadwick Boseman as Jackie Robinson in 42 and James Brown
12. Charlayne Woodard
Charlayne Woodard as Gail Devers in Run for the Dream: The Gail Devers Story
13. Cuba Gooding Jr.
Cuba Gooding Jr. as Ben Carson and James Robert Kennedy
14. Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington as Steve Biko in Biko and Malcolm X
15. Derek Luke
Derek Luke as Antwone Fisher
16. Dorian Harewood
Dorian Harewood as Jesse Owens The Jesse Owens Story
17. Forest Whitaker
Forest Whitaker as Eugene Allen in The Butler
18. Imani Hakim
Imani Hakim as Gabby Douglas (ages 14-16) in The Gabby Douglas Story
20. Jamal Woolard
Jamal Woolard as Christopher “Biggie” Wallace in Notorious
21. Jamie Foxx
Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles in Ray
22. Jeffrey Wright
Jeffrey Wright as Martin Luther King, Jr.
23. Laurence Fishburne
Laurence Fishburne as Hannibal Lee in The Tuskegee Airmen
24. Lynn Whitfield
Lynn Whitfield as Josephine Baker in the Josephine Baker Story
25. Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige as Betty Shabazz in Coretta and Betty
26. Michael B. Jordan
Michael B. Jordan as Oscar Grant in Fruitvale Station
27. Quinton Aaron
Quinton Aaron in the Blind SIde
28. Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel L. Jackson as Ken Carter in Coach Carter
29. Shirley Jo Finney
Shirley Jo Finney as Wilma Rudolph in Wilma
30. Sydney Mikayla
Sydney Mikayla as Gabby Douglas (age: 7-12) in The Gabby Douglas Story
31. Terrence Howard
Terrence Howard as James ‘Jim’ Ellis in Pride
32. Diana Ross
Diana Ross as Billie Holiday in Lady Sings the Blues
