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Home · News

Black Sci-Fi Actors That Are Out of This World

With "Star Trek Beyond" (starring Zoe Saldana and Idris Elba) coming to theaters this weekend, we just had to round up our favorite Black actors cast in Sci-Fi roles. From Will Smith kicking alien booty in "Men In Black" to Nichelle Nichols' famous first interracial TV kiss on "Star Trek", our inner nerds are pretty much freaking out. Take a look at all our fave intergalactic characters here!

By Joslyn Winkfield · July 21, 2016October 27, 2020
01
Black In Space

With “Star Trek Beyond” (starring Zoe Saldana and Idris Elba) coming to theaters this weekend, we just had to round up our favorite Black actors cast in Sci Fi roles. From Will Smith kicking alien booty in “Men In Black” to Nichelle Nichols’ famous first interracial TV kiss on Star Trek, our inner nerds are pretty much freaking out. Take a look at all our fave intergalactic characters here!

02
Idris Elba
Idris Elba as Krall in “Star Trek Beyond”
Paramount Pictures
03
Zoe Saldana
Zoe Saldana as Nyota Uhura in Star Trek (2009), Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) and Star Trek Beyond (2016)
Paramount Pictures
04
John Boyega
John Boyega as Finn in “Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens”
LucasFilm
05
Zoe Kravitz
Zoe Kravitz as Senshi Raige in “After Earth”
Sony Pictures
06
Jada Pinkett Smith
Jada Pinkett Smith as Niobe in “The Matrix Reloaded” and “The Matrix Revolutions”
Warner Bros.
07
Laurence Fishburne
Laurence Fishburne as Morpheus in “The Matrix” Trilogy
Warner Bros
08
Iman

Iman as Martia in “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country”

09
Sophie Okonedo
Sophie Okonedo as Sithandra in “AEon Flux”
Paramount Pictures
10
Billy Dee Williams
Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian in “Star Wars V-VI”
Lucasfilm
11
Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg as Guinan in “Star Trek: the Next Generation”
Paramount Television
12
Idris Elba
Idris Elba in “Thor”
Marvel Studios
13
Will Smith
Will Smith as Captain Steven Hiller in “Independence Day”
1996 Twentieth Century Fox
14
Vivica Fox
Vivica Fox as Jasmine Dubrow in “Independence Day”
© 1996 Twentieth Century Fox
15
Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu in “Star Wars: Episode I – III”
Lucasfilm
16
Lupita Nyong’o
Lupita Nyong’o as Maz Kanata in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”
Lucasfilm Entertainment
17
Lanei Chapman
Lanei Chapman as Lt. Vanessa Damphousse in “Space: Above and Beyond”
Village Roadshow Pictures
18
Alfre Woodard
Alfre Woodard as Lily in “Star Trek: First Contact”
19
Jessie T. Usher
Jessie T. Usher as Dylan Hiller in “Independence Day: Resurgence”
Twentieth Century Fox
20
Michael Dorn
Michael Dorn as Lt. Worf in “Star Trek: The Next Generation”
Paramount Television
21
Sanaa Lathan
Sanaa Lathan as Alexa Woods in “Alien vs. Predator”
20th Century Fox
22
Zoe Saldana
Zoe Saldana as Neytiri in “Avatar”
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
23
Tyrese Gibson
Tyrese Gibson as USAF Tech Sergeant Epps in “Transformers”
24
Tina Turner
Tina Turner as Aunty Entity in “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome”
Kennedy Miller Productions
25
Grace Jones
Grace Jones as Zula in “Conan the Destroyer”
Dino De Laurentiis Company
26
Nichelle Nichols

Nichelle Nichols as Lt. Uhura in “Star Trek”

Desilu Productions,

27
Chris Tucker
Chris Tucker as Ruby Rhod in “Fifth Element”
Gaumont
28
LaVar Burton
LaVar Burton as Lt. Comm. Geordi LaForge in “Star Trek, The Next Generation”
CBS Photo Archive
29
Viola Davis
Viola Davis as Major Gwen Anderson in “Enders Game”
Summit Entertainment
30
Will Smith
Will Smith as Agent J in the “Men in Black” trilogy.
Columbia Pictures Corporation
31
Thandie Newton
Thandie Newton as Dame Vaako “Chronicles of Riddick”
Universal Pictures
32
Avery Brooks
Avery Brooks as Captain Sisko in “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”
Paramount Television
33
Paul Winfield
Paul Winfield as Captain Clark Terrell in “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan”
Paramount Pictures

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