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African actors and actresses have been on the up and up in the film industry in the past 20 years, winning awards left and right and surprising the international audiences with their masterful skills. We love seeing some local flavour on the big screens, and so do crowds around the world! For this list, we’re focusing on stars that were born specifically in an African country. Discover our top picks for the most successful African actors and actresses.
1. Djimon Hounsou
Hounsou was born in Cotonou, Benin in 1964. He immigrated with his brothers to Lyon, France when he was 13. Soon after his arrival in France, Djimon became homeless. By chance, Hounsou met a photographer who introduced him to the designer Thierry Mugler who helped him become a model. He soon turned to acting and has since then starred in films such as Blood Diamond, Gladiator and Guardians of the Galaxy. He has also been nominated for two Academy Awards.
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2. Edi Gathegi
Edi Gathegi was born in Nairobi, Kenya in 1979. He started an acting course after an injury killed his dreams of a sports career, and he went on to star in several theatre shows. Since then, Gathegi has built quite a career, starring in big films such as The Fifth Patient, Gone Baby Gone, the ever popular Twilight and X-men: First class.
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3. Charlize Theron
Theron was born in Benoni, South Africa in 1975. She started her career as a dancer and model and studied dance at the New York Joffrey Ballet School until a knee injury ended her career. This didn’t deter her for long, as she went on to star in films like Men of Honor, Aeon Flux, Hancock and Monster for which she won an Academy Award.
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4. Peter Mensah
Mensah was born in Accra, Ghana in 1959. He moved to the UK with his parents at a young age and started his acting career with a small role in The Long Island Incident. He has since gone from strength to strength, starring in big name films like Avatar, 300 and The Incredible Hulk.
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5. Benjamin Onyango Ochieng
Onyango was born in Nairobi, Kenya and left after training as an IT professional and realizing he wanted to be an actor. He has become the go-to guy in Hollywood for Swahili roles, as he speaks it fluently. Onyango has starred in films like Default, Tears of the Sun and God’s Not Dead.
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6. Liya Kebede
Kebede was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 1978. She started her career as a model (Check her out on our list of Top 10 Most Beautiful Female African Models), and has since tried her hand at some acting. She has starred in several films since then, most notably Lord of War, Desert Flower and The Best Offer.
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7. Arnold Vosloo
Vosloo was born in Pretoria, South Africa in 1962. He was born into an acting family and was discovered during a school play. He started his career in theatre but soon moved on to star in big films such as The Mummy, The Mummy Returns, GI Joe: The Rise of the Cobra and The Precious One.
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8. Tanit Phoenix
Another model-turned-actress from our Top 10 Most Beautiful Female African Models list. Phoenix was born in Durban, South Africa in 1980 and started her career mainly as a model. She leapt into an acting career by playing smaller roles until she starred in Gallowwalker with Wesley Snipes. Since, she has had roles in films such as Lost Boys: The Thirst, Spud and Death Race: Frankenstein Lives.
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9. Lupita Nyong’o
Lupita was born in 1983 in Mexico but was raised in Kenya. She worked as a production assistant on several movies, including the film The Constant Gardener, and graduated from the Yale School of Drama’s acting program in 2012. She impressed the world in her first feature film role in Steve McQueen’s historical drama 12 Years a Slave (2013), winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
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10. Idris Elba
Idris Elba was born in London in 1972. His father is from Sierra Leone, and his mother from Ghana. Idris Elba starred in British productions before making his way to the United States. His breakthrough role came when he starred as a crime boss on the HBO show The Wire. In 2012, Idris Elba won a Golden Globe Award for his role on the BBC One series Luther. He also played Nelson Mandela in the biopic Long Walk to Freedom.
SEE ALSO: The 10 Richest Movie Stars. Discover The Golden Screen. Click here >>
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