These African jewels have been showcasing great acting skills on screen and deep soul ties to their homeland. In television and film, most recently, multi-faceted talents like Pearl Thusi and Nomzamo Mbatha have given mind-blowing performances, bringing African actors much-deserved attention.
Pearl Thusi
Sithembile Xola Pearl Thusi is known for her portrayal of Patricia Kopong in the comedy-drama seriesThe No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency and Dayana Mampasi in the ABC thriller Quantico . The South African star later landed a lead role in the critically acclaimed Netflix series Queen Sono. The streamer’s first African original series was renewed for a second season.
Thuso Mbedu
Thuso Mbedu has been labeled ‘the first South African to lead an American series’. The 29 year old was cast as Nora in the upcoming Amazon Prime Video’s Underground Railroad, produced and written by Barry Jenkins. Mbedu was nominated for an Emmy for her performance in the telenovela Thunzi, “one of the most compelling television programmes on South African television”(The Guardian).
Yvonne Orji
Yvonne Orji is a Nigeria-born American actress and comedian, known best for her performance in the hit television series Insecure on HBO, which earned her Emmy and NAACP Image Award nominations. Orji’s comedy special, Mama, I made it is currently streaming on HBO.
Sibongile Mlambo
Sibongile Mlambo is best known for her role in Netflix’s series Lost in Space, Starz’s Historical thriller series Black Sails, MTV’s Teen Wolf , and Freeform’s series Siren. The Zimbabwean actress’ film credits include Honey3 and The Last Face.
Wunmi Mosaku
Wunmi Mosaku is a force! The Nigerian-born British actress gave a fantastic performance as Ruby Baptiste in award winning HBO series Lovecraft Country. She was nominated for the BAFTA for Best Actress and also won the 2020 British Independent Film Awards for Best Actress for her role in His House.
Nomzamo Mbatha
Nomzamo Mbatha is another talent proudly representing South Africa. The human rights activist, TV personality, actress, and business woman is fresh on the nation’s mind as she played Mirembe, one of the major characters in Coming 2 America.
Lupita Nyong’o
Although Lupita Nyong’o was born in Mexico city, both of her parents are Kenyan. Her accomplishments expand all the way from winning an Academy Award for her debut performance in 12 Years a Slave (2013) to publishing a children’s book on self-love. Nyong’o has starred in several box office hits such as Queen of Katwe, Us, and Marvel’s record-breaking Black Panther.
A Snowy Day in Oakland is heading into theaters this week. The magical-realism comedy starring Nicole Ari Parker is gearing up to be introduced to the world on Friday, March 17. Hollywood Melanin sat down with the leading star to explore some of the critical issues addressed in the film.
At the center of the story is LaTrice (Parker), the successful psychologist from San Francisco who longs for a more purposeful life. Leaving her unfaithful, high-profile psychiatrist boyfriend and business partner behind, she establishes her practice in a vacant office space on a small commercial block across the bay in Oakland. Surrounded by minority-owned businesses, LaTrice is determined to provide support and gently guide the residents of this predominantly Black neighborhood to embrace the importance of communicating one’s feelings through therapy.
Nicole Ari Parker as LaTrice/ ‘A Snowy Day In Oakland’
“I think there is an issue of trust in the Black community where we just keep our problems close to our chest,” Parker expressed while discussing mental healthcare in minority groups. “It’s also an expense. It’s an investment. So, when you are trying to make ends meet and prioritize your income, it feels like a luxury. But I think that that’s an expense worth taking.”
Helmed by Sister, Sister creator Kim Bass, the film was initially shot six years ago. Parker says she attributes her involvement in this project not just to the powerful and relevant script but also to “Kim’s vision, his magical realism, his playing with time, and his saturation of color,” she added, “We don’t really get to have that kind of whimsy in most independent Black films.”
‘A Snowy Day in Oakland’ cast
Produced by Planet 9 Productions and distributed by People of Culture Studios, this dramatic comedy also explores other meaningful themes like navigating complex relationships and struggles of entrepreneurship. Those conversations are explored through the town’s biggest personalities, Davis (Deon Cole), Jeanette (Loretta Devine), Theona (Kimberly Elise), and Rodney (Evan Ross). The star-studded cast also includes Keith David, Marla Gibbs, Michael Jai White, Tony Plana, Arden Myrin, and others.
Kimberly Elise as Theona, Deon Cole as Davis, Loretta Devine as Jeanette / ‘A Snowy Day In Oakland’
Watch A Snowy Day in Oakland in selected theaters on Friday, March 17. Watch the trailer below.
The Bad Boys are back like they never left! Will Smith and Martin Lawrence took it to Instagram earlier today to share – there will indeed be a fourth film.
“It’s official, y’all!” The longtime friends announced, “It’s about that time! [….] This is Bad Boys 4. It’s official!”
The franchise kicked off in 1995 with the original Bad Boys movie and has released two sequels since then – Bad Boys II (2003) and Bad Boys For Life(2020).
Multidimensional artist Adeshola Adeoye, better known as Sholuv, increased the decibels of hope in his latest project, “Zero,” produced through OPXS BOIS, the three-track album was released on Tuesday, Dec.20. As a compound expression of art through various mediums, Sholuv revealed the golden thread holding the body of work together and musically elevates one’s mind.
“It’s a prelude project, and preludes start at zero,” Sholuv declared as he signed part of his Gi, the top half of a karate uniform. The notable artist reflected on the night as his exclusive showing of the album came to a close.
Sholuv expanded his thoughts by referencing the process of creating anime, the complexities of building a world out of the realm of imagination, and then releasing it. Sholuv described this album as a lore or a collection of nuances that are significant to understand the rest of the collection of art.
Sholuv shared three songs and one bonus track with invite-only attendees. The vibrations of each track felt like they traveled around the world. The transformative lyrics and storytelling were vivid; it’s a new level of painting a mental picture without a brush. Sholuv has expanded his art across his fashion with his lifestyle brand, Optimixts, and continues to grow as a producer and videographer.
Songs like “25,” interlock cinematic touches on the beat with raw power in the verses. While introducing the track, Sholuv stated, “This was me, describing myself as a 25-year-old and who I am as a man, and really looking optimistic—when it comes to everything I’m involved with.”
OPXS BOIS’ artist manager, Scoop, considered the growth he witnessed from Sholuv; he reflected on the composition of the newly released project and stated, “This project for Sholuv is a real testimony to the growth of his production style and rhyme scheme,” he continued, “his subject matter has always been there, but this project is eye-opening to his style of verbiage.”
“Zero” is out now on all major platforms. Follow Sholuv on Instagram and turn up the volume of hope through his aromatic sounds.