This is a list of entertainers known to have performed in blackface makeup, whether in a minstrel show, as satire or historical depiction of such roles, or in a portrayal of a character using makeup as a racial disguise, for whatever reason.
A–C
- Roy Acuff, country music singer, performed in blackface in 1930s-40s traveling medicine shows[1]
- Scarlet Adams[2]
- Julie Andrews, in the 1964 film Mary Poppins[3][4]
- Anne of Denmark, Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland, in The Masque of Blackness[5]
- Fred Armisen, impersonating U.S. President Barack Obama on Saturday Night Live in 2008 and 2009[6]
- Louis Armstrong, as Zulu King during 1949's Mardi Gras in New Orleans[7]
- Clarence Ashley, 1910s-1940s singer and blackface comedian in traveling medicine shows[8]
- Ant and Dec, in old Saturday Night Takeaway sketches[9]
- Fred Astaire, in Swing Time (1936)[10] and in Easter Parade (1948)
- Gene Autry[8]
- Dan Aykroyd, in Trading Places (1983)[11]
- David Baddiel, while portraying Jason Lee on a 1995 episode of Fantasy Football League[12]
- Rita Baga[13]
- Marcus "Buff" Bagwell, while performing for World Championship Wrestling[14]
- Fay Bainter, as Topsy in a 1933 production of Uncle Tom's Cabin
- Milt G. Barlow, 19th-century American minstrel[15]
- Ethel Barrymore, in the 1930 play Scarlet Sister Mary [16]
- Billy Barty, in Roman Scandals (1933)[17] and Rabbit Test (1978)
- Jack Black, in Be Kind Rewind (2008)[18]
- Sergei Bondarchuk, in Othello (1956)
- John Boulter, lead singer of the long-running Black and White Minstrel Show on the BBC[19]: 248
- Zach Braff, in the Scrubs episodes "My Friend the Doctor" and "My Chopped Liver"[20]
- Frank Brower, 1840s-1860s minstrel performer[21]
- David Byrne, in Stop Making Sense (1984)[22]
- George Burns[8]
- Butterbeans and Susie[23]
- John Byner, in season 3, episode 1 of Soap[24][25]
- Eddie Cantor, 1912-1927 performances in vaudeville and Ziegfeld Follies[26]
- Judy Carne, in a 1969 episode of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In[27][28]
- Graham Chapman[29][30]
- Dave Chappelle, in a 2006 episode of Chappelle's Show[31]
- George Christy, born George Harrington but became a star with Christy's Minstrels in the 1840s[19]: 8
- Charles Correll[23]
- Bing Crosby,[32] in Dream House (1932), Mississippi (1935), Road to Singapore (1940), Holiday Inn (1942), Dixie (1943), and Here Come the Waves (1944)
- Billy Crystal, in the "Negro Leagues" skit on Saturday Night Live in 1984 and whenever impersonating Sammy Davis Jr., including at the 84th Academy Awards.[33]
- CatboyKami, Online alias of Tor Gustafsson Brookes. Far-right troll who performs in blackface and an afro wig while brandishing a gun[34]
D–G
- Ted Danson, at a 1993 Friars Club roast of his then-girlfriend Whoopi Goldberg[35]
- Tommy Davidson in the 2000 film Bamboozled[36]
- Marion Davies in Going Hollywood (1933)[37][38]
- Sammy Davis, Jr.[32] in Ocean's Eleven (1960)[39]
- Shane Dawson, YouTuber, actor, and comedian[40]
- Neil Diamond in The Jazz Singer[41]
- Thomas Dilward, 1850s-1870s dwarf minstrel performer[42]
- George Washington Dixon, 1820s-1830s stage performer[43]
- Lew Dockstader, 1870s-1900s minstrel performer[44]
- Roma Downey in an episode of the television series Touched By An Angel entitled “Black Like Monica”, the character is turned black to better empathize with a community dealing with racial tensions.[45]
- Robert Downey Jr. in the 2008 film Tropic Thunder[46]
- Drake, on the cover of Pusha-T's single "The Story of Adidon"[47]
- Jimmy Durante[32]
- Issi Dye singer and Al Jolson impersonator[48][49]
- Harry Enfield, impersonating Nelson Mandela in the television show Harry & Paul.[50]
- The Ethiopian Serenaders were a Boston troupe which performed at the White House in 1844 and then toured Britain.[51]
- Jimmy Fallon, impersonating Chris Rock on Saturday Night Live[52]
- Edwin Forrest[53]
- Dai Francis, lead singer of the long-running Black and White Minstrel Show on the BBC[54]
- Leigh Francis[55]
- Judy Garland in Babes in Arms[56]
- George Givot, in the play The Constant Sinner (1931)[57]
- Freeman Gosden[23]
- Billy Gould (1869-1950)[58]
- Savion Glover in the 2000 film Bamboozled[36]
H–L
- Sam Hague[59]
- Masatoshi Hamada, dressed in blackface as Eddie Murphy from the film Beverly Hills Cop for the 2017 New Year's Eve special of Downtown no Gaki no Tsukai ya Arahende!![60]
- Jon Hamm on an episode of 30 Rock[61]
- Goldie Hawn, in a 1969 episode of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In[27][28]
- Bob Height[59]
- Al Herman[62]
- Charles Hicks[59]
- Ernest Hogan[23]
- C. Thomas Howell in the 1986 movie Soul Man[63]
- William A. Huntley[64] Starting 1860. Moved to whiteface in mid-1880s.
- Dick Powell performed in blackface while singing Al Jolson's "Sonny Boy" in Hard to Get (1938)[65][66]
- George Jessel[8]
- Al Jolson[32]
- Louis Jordan[32]
- Buster Keaton, in vaudeville[23] in the short film Neighbors (1920), possibly with satiric intent: he alternates in and out of blackface, receiving a very different reaction from a policeman;[67] also in The Playhouse (1921) and College (1927)
- Billy Kersands, 1880s-1900s minstrel performer[68]
- Jimmy Kimmel, impersonating Karl Malone and Oprah Winfrey on The Man Show[69][70]
- Jane Krakowski twice on 30 Rock[61]
- Wallace King, 1880s minstrel performer[71]
- Joey Lawrence, in season 4, episode 11 of Gimme a Break!,[72] an episode criticizing blackface
- Jennie Lee, in the 1915 film The Birth of a Nation[73]
- Francis Leon, 1870s-80s minstrel performer[74]
- Eddie Leonard, 1890s-1930s minstrel performer, "last of the great minstrels"[23]
- Paul Levesque[75]
- Chris Lilley as Jonah Takalua and S.mouse[76][77]
- Walter Long, in the 1915 film The Birth of a Nation[78][79]
- Sophia Loren in Aida (1953)[80]
- Peter Lorre, in the play Weisse Fracht[81]
- Matt Lucas, multiple characters in Little Britain, Precious Little in Come Fly with Me[82]
- Sam Lucas, 1870s minstrel performer[83]
M–R
- Robert Mandan, in season 3, episode 1 of Soap[24]
- Jenna Marbles, impersonating Nicki Minaj in a later removed 2011 Youtube video[84]
- Pigmeat Markham, performer in 1920s-1950s traveling shows, as well as The Ed Sullivan Show and Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In[85]
- Rob McElhenney on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, portraying the character of Mac, a white man portraying the character Roger Murtaugh from the Lethal Weapon franchise in a fanmade home movie
- Joni Mitchell appeared as black dandy, Art Nouveau, at parties and on the cover of Don Juan's Reckless Daughter[86]
- Emmett Miller,[59] an important influence on early country stars like Jimmie Rodgers, Bob Wills
- Flournoy E. Miller[23]
- Irvin C. Miller[23]
- David Mitchell, in season 1, episode 1 of That Mitchell and Webb Look[87]
- Clayton McMichen[1]
- Bill Monroe[1]
- Moran and Mack[23]
- Herbert Wassell Nadal (1873-1957)[88]
- Cornelius J. O'Brien (1869-1954)[89]
- Laurence Olivier in Othello (1965)[90]
- Kaitlin Olson on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, portraying the character of Deandra Reynolds, a white woman portraying a black character in a fanmade home movie based on the Lethal Weapon franchise
- Richard Pelham[59]
- Arthur Petersen, in season 3, episode 1 of Soap[24]
- Larry Parks, in the 1946 film The Jolson Story[91]
- Robert Webb[92]
- Thomas D. Rice[59]
- Jimmie Rodgers[1]
- Mickey Rooney in Babes in Arms (1939)[93]
- Benny Rubin[59]
S–Z
- Harry Scott of the comedy duo Scott and Whaley, an African American act working in Britain.[94]
- Ramblin' Tommy Scott[95]
- Sarah Silverman[96]
- Frank Sinatra, in the Major Bowes short The Big Minstrel (1935) and Ocean's Eleven (1960)[39]
- Grace Slick, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (1968) and Teen Set magazine (1969)[97][98][99]
- Bessie Smith[32]
- Hobart Smith[8]
- Mel Smith in season 2, episode 4, of Not the Nine O'Clock News (sketch "Gone With The Wind", april 1980)
- Howard Stern in a series of 1991 skits as Clarence Thomas and in a 1993 New Year's Eve special[100]
- Bert Swor (1878-1943)[101]
- Shirley Temple in The Littlest Rebel[19]
- George Siegmann in character as Silas Lynch in The Birth of a Nation (1915)[102]
- Frank Tinney, in vaudeville and Broadway musical comedies[103]
- The Three Stooges[104]
- Sophie Tucker[105]
- Tracey Ullman, in a 1989 episode of The Tracey Ullman Show[106]
- Ben Vereen, as a part of the 1981 inaugural celebrations for US President Ronald Reagan[107]
- Vladimir Vysotsky, as Abram Gannibal in How Czar Peter the Great Married Off His Moor
- Glen Vernon Actor who performed in blackface in Hollywood Varieties (1950) with fellow actor Edward Ryan[108]
- Ted Waldman, comedy harmonica player [62]
- David Walliams, as a minstrel, and as character Desiree Devere in Little Britain[82]
- George Walker[23]
- Sean Waltman[109]
- Betty White, in The Golden Girls[110][111]
- Billy Whitlock[59]
- Gene Wilder in Silver Streak[112]
- Barney Williams[113]
- Bert Williams[59]
- Hank Williams[32]
- Slim Williams[114]
- Bob Wills[1]
- Tom Wilson[59]
- Jane Withers in Can This Be Dixie?
- Jo Anne Worley, in a 1969 episode of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In[27][28]
- Magda Szubanski, in various sketches for the Australian TV series, Fast Forward, most notably as the housemaid in a parody of Gone With the Wind.[115]
Fictional Characters Who Were Depicted In Blackface
- Bugs Bunny, in the 1942 cartoon Fresh Hare[116]
- Mickey Mouse, in the 1933 cartoon Mickey's Mellerdrammer[3]
- Tom and Jerry (Van Beuren), Not to be confused with the cat and mouse duo. appeared in blackface in 'Plane Dumb' (1932)[117]
- Smith Family Stan, Steve, Hayley and Francine Smith appeared in blackface in 2007 American Dad! episode 'An Apocalypse to Remember'[118]
- Eric Cartman, Depicted in blackface in 1999 movie South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut[119] and in episodes of South Park[120]
- Tom and Jerry, appeared in blackface in 'The Yankee Doodle Mouse' (1943)[121] 'The Milky Waif' (1946)[122] 'Mouse Cleaning' (1948) and 'Casanova Cat' (1951)[123]
- Dirty Dick, Used blackface in a recreation of The Black and White Minstrel Show in the 1972 Dandy Annual
- Sylvester the Cat, appeared in blackface in 'I Taw a Putty Tat' (1948)[124]
- Lyons Tea Minstrels mascots of Lyons Tea. Discontinued sometime in the 1990s[125]
- Ling-Ling, In Foxxy Vs. The Board Of Education (2005)[126][127]
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