Black actors who excelled in white roles

Brandy Norwood

Nicknamed the Vocal Bible by her peers in the music industry, Brandy Rayana Norwood is a singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Norwood made her first on-screen acting appearance in the UPN sitcom Moesha as the title character for six seasons, a show which resulted in numerous other roles for her.

In the 1997 screen adaptation of the popular fairytale Cinderella, Brandy starred in the lead role of Cinderella, being the first black person to ever play the role on screen. The movie also saw a multicultural cast; Whitney Houston as Fairy Godmother, Jason Alexander as Lionel, Whoopi Goldberg as Queen Constantina, Bernadette Peters as Stepmother, Veanne Cox as Calliope, Natalie Desselle as Minerva, Victor Garber as King Maximillian and Paolo Montalbán as Prince Christopher.

It was broadcast to general acclaim and success, earning it praise from critics and award wins and nominations. It was nominated for seven Primetime Emmy Awards, for Outstanding Art Direction for a Variety or Music Program, Outstanding Choreography, Outstanding Costume Design for a Variety or Music Program, Outstanding Directing for a Variety or Music Program, Outstanding Hairstyling for a Miniseries and others at the 50th Primetime Emmy Awards in 1998.