Black Women in Entertainment
Black while funny and female: 18 comedic actresses on working in Hollywood
Making it in Hollywood is no easy feat, and doing so as a woman is even more difficult. If that woman is black — or Latina or Asian or otherwise nonwhite — the odds just aren’t in her favor.
But with the release of “Girls Trip,” four black women — Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, Regina Hall and Tiffany Haddish — attempt a takeover of the buddy comedy, possibly the first time black women have led such a picture.
One reason as to why? The number of black women thought to be able to carry a studio-backed film is slim, and there hasn’t been a bona-fide black female comedic superstar since Whoopi Goldberg.
We spoke to 18 funny black women about their industry experiences. Below are their thoughts.
Aisha Tyler isn’t a ‘black comic.’ She’s a comic who is black.
When thinking of the most memorable black comics — even if we’re solely focusing on black women — Aisha Tyler’s name probably doesn’t come to mind. Perhaps that’s because the co-host of “The Talk” and voice of one of “Archer’s” most beloved characters has never been a “black comic” in the way the industry and audiences initially expected her to be. In comparison to some of her contemporaries like Mo’Nique or Sommore, Tyler was less bold and more “weird.”
“My comedy wasn’t what somebody would describe as ‘black comedy,’” she said. “I would’ve never been able to get on ‘Def Comedy Jam,’ because my style was too odd and more informal. It wasn’t the big, presentational, rock-stadium style.”
That uniqueness, however, is what served Tyler — who currently hosts improv comedy show “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” and is a series regular on both “Criminal Minds” and “Archer” — best in the long run.
Tracee Ellis Ross
“Girlfriends,” “black-ish”
Sherri Shepherd
“Trial & Error,” “The View”
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