Jeff's Five and Dime: Black History Month

Jeff’s Five and Dime is not your typical top-five list. Then again, what is typical about Jeff? In this weekly column Jeff will bring you a top-five list meant to amuse and on the rare occasion, make you think.

One of the things I love about acting is that it doesn’t lend itself to one race, creed, gender or any other classification of human over another. It’s not a skinny man’s game nor does it get ownership from America, Europe, or any other location on Earth. It is a skill that can be perfected by any man, woman or child on this planet with the proper teaching and some given ability.

Every year award shows give out little trophies to those who they said acted or directed or made the audio the best, and every year, to my delight, the nominees grow more and more diverse. We have given little golden statues to black women, gay men, and young people from as far away as China and India and to those who practice every religion under the sun.

As Black History Month comes to an end this week, I wanted to stop and recognize five African-American actors and actresses that I admire. So, this week on Jeff’s Five and Dime we are going to take a look at my favorite five Black actors and the role that won me over.

Veteran of both the small screen and the widescreen, Loretta Devine first grabbed my attention as Blade’s mother in Kid n’ Play’s Class Act. However, it was her role in the 1995’s Waiting to Exhale that made her unforgettable. She seems to bring a passion and a presence to every role she plays. Her beauty radiates off the screen, although she does not fit the typical mold of a Hollywood glamour queen. People may be more familiar with her TV roles as she has co-starred in shows like, Eli Stone, Wild Card, and Boston Public.

Known best as J.D.’s heterosexual life mate Turk on Scrubs, Faison has been a constant comedic presence on the small screen since 1996 when he co-starred in the TV spin off of Clueless. Before making the jump to Sacred Hart, Faison also co-starred on Felicity. Faison has taken on many smaller roles on the big screen, most recently starring in Benny Boom’s Next Day Air. Faison has also lent his vocal talents to Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim by voicing characters on The Boondocks and Robot Chicken. No matter the role, Faison brings both an attitude and sweetness to the part.

“The Fresh Prince” has risen from a West Philadelphia rapper to a television star to one of the biggest movie stars in the world. However, it is his breakout role in Roland Emmerich’s ID4 that secured him as a world-wide action star. Smith played the alien-punching Captain Steven Hiller with the right amount of attitude and comic timing that allowed him to become America’s new popcorn-flick Hero. He has since starred in Hollywood blockbusters like, Men in Black, I am Legend and I, Robot.

Mekhi Phifer got his start in the Spike Lee film Clockers playing a drug dealer and since has depicted a doctor and a death row prisoner. He has played serious roles like in Brian’s Song, the ABC made for TV movie where he portrayed the legendary Gale Sayers, and in HBO’s A Lesson Before Dying. He has also showed his comedic ability in High School High. However it was his role as Future in 8 Mile that first grabbed my attention. To be completely honest, I went to the theater so upset that my friends were dragging me to this movie. Walking out, I was blown away. Phifer’s performance was the rock that stabilized the movie and gave it the “street cred” that is required to “keep it real.”

I know, I know. Out of all the Morgan Freeman roles I am choosing Bruce Almighty. However, I have a perfectly good explanation: Morgan Freeman plays God. Is there really any other actor on the face of the planet that could get away with playing the “Almighty” himself? When he reveals to Jim Carey who he is, we buy it without question. Freeman’s voice and overall presence have only increased with his age. Even in the 80’s when he was simply Principal Joe Clark in Lean on Me he had a larger than life presence. In Freeman’s last film, Invictus, he captured the soul of Nelson Mandela as if President Mandela himself were on screen. How this man has never won an Oscar for best leading performance is beyond comprehension.