The 86th Academy Awards took place earlier tonight at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles and this season had the highest number of Africans nominated for an Academy Award. Leading the pack were 'Captain Phillips' actor, Barkhad Abdi from Somalia, '12 Years A Slave' actors Chiwetel Ejiofor a Briton of Nigerian descent and his co-star, Hollywood favorite, Lupita Nyong'o from Kenya.
While the buzz around rising star, Nyong'o has all but eclipsed the other actors' Oscar nods this season; her fashion sensibilities, commanding presence on the red carpet, charming disposition during interviews and a riveting performance in her American debut film, African actors and actresses have been quietly making inroads in Hollywood. Although roles in Hollywood films are few and far between, especially for African actors, when they are cast, these actors tend to own their characters and perform brilliantly. Take for example, Hollywood newcomer Barkhad Adbi from Somalia whose portrayal of Somali pirate captain, Abduwali Muse in 'Captain Phillips' transformed him from limo driver into a Hollywood blockbuster. Back in 2006, 'Tsotsi', a South African film about a young street thug named Tsotsi (Zulu for thug) who shoots a woman while stealing her car, and only later discovers that her infant son is in the back seat, was nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film and won the 2005 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
In July 2013, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, an African American film marketing executive was named president of the Academy of Motion Pictures of Arts and Sciences representing the 6,100-member academy. The appointment made Isaacs the first ever African American and third woman after actress Bette Davis in 1941 and writer-producer Fay Kanin in 1979 to be selected as head of the prestigious organization. Diversity is at the core of how she'll make her mark at the academy, 'I am active in our member engagement and am seeking diverse talent domestically as well as internationally,' said Isaacs. An ambitious goal which hopefully will translate into more nominations and wins, particularly for actors of African descent.
In that vein, I have compiled a list of all the Africans that were once nominated and / or won the prestigious award.
Chiwetel Ejiofor, Nigeria, Best Actor in a Leading Role, 12 Years A Slave (2013)
London-born, Nigerian actor Chiwetel Ejiofor was a stage actor before his television debut in the 1996 thriller 'Deadly Voyage'. In 1997 he landed a part in his first film appearance in Steven Spielberg's 'Amistad' which led to more roles including 'Dirty Pretty Things', 'Serenity', 'Kinky Boots', 'Talk to Me', 'Redbelt' and 'Othello'. Having been nominated for three Golden Globes, Ejiofor earned further critical acclaim for his role as Solomon Northup in the biopic '12 Years a Slave', earning him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in 2014.
Barkhad Adbi, Somalia, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Captain Phillips (2013)
Nominated this year for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Barkhad Abdi, who was born in Somalia plays Abduwali Muse, lead member of a group of four Somali pirates who hijacked American cargo ship, MV Maersk Alabama in April 2009. The movie, a hostage drama directed by British filmmaker, Paul Greengrass is based on a true story and is Adbi's first role is a Hollywood movie. Not bad, considering Captain Richard Phillips, who the Somali pirates held for ransom, is played by Tom Hanks. The 28-year-old actor has been nominated for a total of 28 awards for this particular role, already winning the British Academy of Film and Television Arts ( BAFTA) and London Film Critics' Circle awards for Best Supporting Actor.
Lupita Nyong'o, Kenya, Best Actress in a Supporting Role, 12 Years A Slave (2013)
Born in Mexico City, Mexico to Kenyan parents, the 30-year actress is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama's acting program and was awarded the Herschel Williams Prize given to acting students with outstanding ability. In her American film debut, Nyong'o plays a brutalized slave, 'Patsey' in the critically acclaimed movie '12 Years A Slave'. For that role, Nyong'o won the Critics' Choice Award and Screen Actors Guild for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and was nominated for both the BAFTA and Golden Globe. She will next be featured in Liam Neeson's upcoming film 'Non-Stop'.
Charlize Theron, South Africa, Best Actress in a Leading Role, Monster, (2003)
The South African actress won her first Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as serial killer, Aileen Wuornos in the crime drama film, 'Monster' based on a true story. She also won the Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globe, amongst others for that particular role. Born in Benoni, South Africa, Theron came to Los Angeles without any contacts and after eight months in the city, got her first acting role. Her career skyrocketed after her portrayal as Mary Ann Lomax, opposite Keanu Reeves, in 'Devil's Advocate'. Theron was nominated again for Best Actress for her role as Josey Aimes in 'North Country ' in 2005.
Djimon Hounsou, Benin, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, In America (2003)
The former fashion model appeared in music videos for 'Love Will Never Do (Without You)' by Janet Jackson and 'Straight Up' by Paula Abdul before his big break as Cinque in Steven Spielberg's hit movie, 'Amistad ' in 1994. He became the first African actor to be nominated for an Academy Award in 2003 for his role as HIV positive Nigerian artist Mateo Kuamey in the movie 'In America'. 2003 was also the first time that an African man and an African woman (Charlize Theron) were nominated for an Oscar in the same year. In 2006, Hounsou was nominated again for Best Supporting Actor in a Supporting Role for his role as Solomon Vandy in 'Blood Diamonds'.
Sophie Okonedo, Nigeria, Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Hotel Rwanda, (2004)
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