List of entertainers known to have performed in blackface

This is a list of entertainers known to have performed in blackface

A–C D–G H–L M–R S–Z

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A–C

* Roy Acuff cite book| last=Cockrell| first=David| title=Blackface Minstrelsy| work=Encyclopedia of Country Music| publisher=Oxford University Press| year=1998| id=ISBN 0-19-511671-2]
* Ira Aldridge
* Fred Allen, in vaudeville
* Fred Armisen, impersonating Barack Obama on "Saturday Night Live" in 2008
* Louis Armstrong, as Zulu King during 1949's New Orleans Mardi Gras
* Clarence Ashley
* Fred Astaire in "Swing Time" (1936)
* Dan Aykroyd in "Trading Places" (1983)
* Marcus "Buff" Bagwell while performing for World Championship Wrestling
* Josephine Baker Smith, Rj, " [http://web.archive.org/web/20041124222423/http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1346/is_8_46/ai_76929846 Pardon the Expression] " (book review), "Los Angeles Magazine", August 2001]
* Lucille Ball in "The Fuller Brush Girl" (1950)
* Bananarama in "I Want You Back" video
* Billy Barty in "Roman Scandals" (1933)
* Ed Begley, in vaudeville
* Jack Benny, in vaudeville
* Milton Berle in "Always Leave Them Laughing" (1949)
* Michael Ian Black in an episode of "Stella"
* Jack Black in "Be Kind Rewind" (2008)
* Robert Blake in "Mokey" (1942)
* Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band
* Eddie Bravo, as his "Quatoof" character
* Frank BrowerPrimarily a blackface performer.]
* Joe E. Brown in "Daring Young Man" (1942)
* Butterbeans and Susiecite book| last=Watkins| first= Mel| year=1994| title=On the Real Side: Laughing, Lying, and Signifying—The Underground Tradition of African-American Humor that Transformed American Culture, from Slavery to Richard Pryor| location=New York| publisher=Simon & Schuster| pages=133]
* James Cagney in "Here Comes the Navy" (1934)
* Eddie Cantor
* Johnny Carson, in a 1976 "Tonight Show" sketch
* Dave Chappelle in the second lost episode of "Chappelle's Show"
* George M. Cohan
* Charles Correll
* Joan Crawford in "Torch Song" (1953)
* Bing Crosby , in "Dream House" (1932), "Mississippi" (1935), "Holiday Inn" (1942), "Dixie" (1943), and "Here Come the Waves" (1944)
* Billy Crystal, whenever impersonating Sammy Davis Jr.
* Gene Cunningham in "Forbidden Zone" (1980) as Huckleberry P. Jones (as Ugh-Fudge Bwana)
* Anthony Cumia, impersonating OJ Simpson in his former band Rotgut's music video "Gonna Electric Shock OJ"

D–G

* D-Generation X members Triple H, Road Dogg Jesse James, Bad Ass Billy Gunn, and X-Pac during their parody of the rival WWF stable Nation of Domination on the July 6, 1998 episode of "RAW"
* Rosemary DeCamp, in "Yankee Doodle Dandy" (1942)
* Willem Dafoe in the play "Route 1 & 9 (The Last Act)"
* Dan Dailey in "You're My Everything" (1949)
* Ted Danson cite journal| url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1264/is_n9_v27/ai_18974891| title=Whoopi talks back| journal=Essence Magazine| month=January| year=1997| format=Dead link|date=May 2008. Danson appeared in blackface at a Friars Club roast, doing material written in part by Whoopi Goldberg.]
* Frankie Darro in "Up in the Air" (1940)
* Doris Day in "I'll See You in My Dreams" (1951)
* Marion Davies in "Going Hollywood" (1933) and "Operator 13" (1934)
* Tommy Davidson in "Bamboozled" (2000)
* Joan Davis in "Show Business" (1944) and "If You Knew Susie" (1948)
* Sammy Davis Jr.
* Thomas Dilward
* Neil Diamond in "The Jazz Singer" (1980)
* George Washington Dixon
* Pontus Djanaieff
* Lew Dockstader
* Roma Downey, in the "Touched by an Angel" episode "Black Like Monica"
* Robert Downey Jr. in "Tropic Thunder" (2008)
* Irene Dunne in "Show Boat" (1936)
* Jimmy Durante
* Stepin Fetchit, in vaudeville
* Dusty Fletcher
* Edwin ForrestWatkins p. 83]
* Harry 'Singin' Sam' Frankel
* Judy Garland in "Everybody Sing" (1938), "Babes in Arms" (1939) and "Babes on Broadway" (1941)
* Billy Gilbert in "The Rounders" (1914)
* Savion Glover in "Bamboozled" (2000)
* Whoopi Goldberg, impersonating Bert Williams in the special "Night of 100 Stars II" (1985)
* Freeman Gosden
* The Goodies
* Betty Grable, in "Happy Days" (1929), "Coney Island" (1943), and "The Dolly Sisters" (1945)

H–L

* Sam Hague
* Huntz Hall in "Crazy Over Horses" (1951)
* Darrell Hammond, impersonating Jesse Jackson on "Saturday Night Live" in 2006
* Ed Harris in "Masked & Anonymous" (2003)
* June Haver in "The Dolly Sisters" (1945)
* Ted Healy, in vaudeville
* Bob Height
* Hugh Herbert in "Hollywood Hotel" (1937)
* Charles Hicks
* Benny Hill, impersonating Idi Amin and in a 1981 sketch spoofing "Roots"
* Paris Hilton in an episode of "The Simple Life"
* Ernest Hogan
* William Holden in "Father Is a Bachelor" (1950)
* Billie Holiday
* Lou Holtz
* Bob Hope, in vaudeville
* C. Thomas Howell in "Soul Man" (1986)
* Walter Huston in "Yankee Doodle Dandy" (1942)
* Betty Hutton in "Somebody Loves Me" (1952)
* Kip James, professional wrestler, in a promo cut on Team 3D during a "TNA iMPACT!" episode that aired May 25, 2006
* George Jessel
* Al Jolson
* Louis Jordan
* Buster Keaton, in vaudeville 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. Callahan, Dan, " [http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/directors/02/keaton.html Buster Keaton] ", on "Senses of Cinema", accessed July 11, 2005.] Also in "College" (1927)
* Gene Kelly, in vaudeville
* Jamie Kennedy in an episode of "Blowin' Up" and in various skits of "The Jamie Kennedy Experiment"
* Billy Kersands
* Jimmy Kimmel, as Karl Malone and Oprah Winfrey on "The Man Show"
* Harmony Korine, appeared in blackface and danced in minstrel style in a short film made with Jefferson Hack.
* Robert Klein, in "The Landlord" (1970)
* Chuck Knipp, who uses blackface and drag when portraying his character Shirley Q. Liquor
* Wallace King
* Harry Langdon
* Joey Lawrence in an episode of "Gimme a Break!"
* Hugh Laurie in an episode of "Jeeves and Wooster"
* Laurel and Hardy, in "Pardon Us" (1931)
* Francis Leon
* Eddie Leonard
* Walter Long in "The Birth of a Nation" (1915)
* Sophia Loren in "Aida" (1953)
* Peter Lorre in the play "Weisse Fracht"cite book| last=Youngkin| first=Stephen| title=The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre| publisher=The University Press of Kentucky| year=2005| id=ISBN 978-0-8131-2360-8]
* Myrna Loy in "Ham and Eggs at the Front" (1927)
* Sam Lucas

M–R

* Moms Mabley, in vaudeville
* Marilyn Manson, during the Grotesque Burlesque Tour.
* Pigmeat Markham
* Dean Martin, in "Ocean's Eleven" (1960)
* The Marx Brothers, in "A Day at the Races" (1937)
* Marcello Mastroianni in "Miss Arizona" (1987)
* Sarah Miles in "Lady Caroline Lamb" (1972)
* Emmett Miller , an important influence on early country stars like Jimmie Rodgers, Bob Wills
* Flournoy E. Miller
* Irvin C. Miller
* Mark McKinney as recurring character Mississippi Gary on "The Kids in the Hall".
* Clayton McMichen
* Bill Monroe
* Constance Moore in "Show Business" (1944)
* Tim Moore
* Dennis Morgan in "Kisses for Breakfast" (1941), "The Time, the Place and the Girl" (1946) and "My Wild Irish Rose" (1947)
* Frank Morgan in "Dimples" (1936)
* Moran and Mack
* Dermot Mulroney in "Kansas City" (1996)
* George Murphy in "Show Business" (1944)
* Billy Murray, early 1900s recording star, with Al G. Field Minstrels before recording career began
* Carroll O'Connor in a 1975 episode of "All in the Family"
* Donald O'Connor in "The Merry Monahans" (1944) and "Walking My Baby Back Home" (1953)
* Michael Palin in "A Fish Called Wanda" (1988)
* Adam Parfrey in "What Is It?" (2005)
* Larry Parks in "The Jolson Story" (1946) and "Jolson Sings Again" (1949)
* Mandy Patinkin in "The Wild Party"
* Pat Paulsen in a 1974 guest spot on "The Merv Griffin Show"
* Richard Pelham
* "Rowdy" Roddy Piper while wrestling for the World Wrestling Federation
* Dana Plato in an episode of "Diff'rent Strokes"
* Dick Powell in "Hard to Get" (1938)
* Eleanor Powell in "Honolulu" (1939)
* Ma Rainey, in vaudeville
* Michael Rapaport in "Bamboozled" (2000)
* Martha Raye in "College Holiday" (1936) and "Artists and Models" (1937)
* Thomas D. Rice
* Marjorie Reynolds in "Holiday Inn" (1942)
* Cliff Richard in "Summer Holiday" (1963) and "Wonderful Life" (1964)
* Michael Richards in "Whoops Apocalypse" (1986)
* Bill Robinson, in vaudeville
* Jimmie Rodgers
* Mickey Rooney in "Boys Town" (1938), "Babes in Arms" (1939), and "Babes on Broadway" (1941)
* Shirley Ross in "Manhattan Melodrama" (1934) and "Kisses for Breakfast" (1941)

–Z

* Ramblin' Tommy Scott [ [http://www.hillbilly-music.com/artists/story/index.php?id=11998 Hillbilly-Music.com] ]
* Chloë Sevigny in "Manderlay" (2005)
* Michael Showalter in an episode of "Stella"
* Frank Sinatra, in the Major Bowes short "The Big Minstrel" (1935) and "Ocean's Eleven" (1960)
* Sarah Silverman in an episode of "The Sarah Silverman Program"
* Red Skelton, in vaudeville
* Grace Slick while performing with Jefferson Airplane on "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour"
* Bessie Smith
* David Spade in a skit on "The Showbiz Show with David Spade"
* Howard Stern, impersonating Clarence Thomas and Ted Danson
* The Three Stooges in "Uncivil War Birds" (1946)
* James Stewart, in "It's a Wonderful World" (1939)
* Ben Stiller in "Zoolander" (2001)
* Fred Stone
* Stu Stone in an episode of "Blowin' Up"
* Shirley Temple in "The Littlest Rebel" (1935)
* Lawrence Tibbett in "The Emperor Jones"
* Scott Thompson in an episode of "The Kids in the Hall"
* Fred Travalena, impersonating Eddie Murphy on "Live with Regis and Kathie Lee"
* Sophie Tuckercite book| last=Lott| first=Eric| title=Love and Theft: Blackface Minstrelsy and the American Working Class| publisher=Oxford University Press| year=1993| id=ISBN 0-19-509641-X]
* Sonny Tufts in "Here Come the Waves" (1944)
* Lupe Velez in "Redhead from Manhattan" (1943)
* George E Vinson [Born Newburg, IN, was formerly a black-faced comedian and dancer with Al G. Fields Minstrels and Quillan and Wallis. Source: Death record: Browning Funeral Home, Evansville, IN and Madisonville Messenger, Jan 1, 1934 front page.]
* Ben Vereen has performed tributes to Bert Williams, by donning blackface and singing and dancing in Williams' style
* Monica Vitti in "L'eclisse" (1962)
* David Wain in an episode of "Stella"
* George Walker
* Ethel Waters, in vaudeville
* H. Vernon Watson (performing under the sobriquet "Nosmo King")
* Virginia Weidler in "Babes on Broadway" (1941) and "Born to Sing" (1942)
* Mae West, in vaudeville
* Wheeler & Woolsey in "Diplomaniacs" (1933)
* Billy Whitlock
* Gene Wilder in "Silver Streak" (1976)
* Bert Williams
* Hank Williams
* Bob Wills
* Flip Wilson in the 1980 TV special "Uptown: A Tribute to the Apollo Theater"
* Jane Wyatt in "Kisses for Breakfast" (1941)

References