The scene is confirmation that King is overdue for a big break as a leading lady in Hollywood cinema.īefore the critical and commercial acclaim of the FX drama Pose, Texas-born actress Mya Taylor broke down barriers when she became the first openly transgender actress to win an Independent Spirit Award for her portrayal of Alexandra in Sean Baker’s 2015 film Tangerine. Taylor fully inhabits the role of a sex worker with an affinity for singing and showcases her talent for both singing and acting, as emphasized by her performance of the song “Toyland” in the video above. In the scene above, Pratt declares that she’s her ancestors’ wildest dreams to Solomon Vick, the father who abandoned her. And as law student Michaela Pratt on How to Get Away with Murder, King has delivered Grade-A acting all throughout the series, especially in these last two seasons.

However, her awards season possibilities were dashed due to the controversy surrounding its director. Aja Naomi King in The Birth of a Nation and How to Get Away with Murder.ĭespite how people felt about the film as a whole, Aja Naomi King’s performance as Cherry Turner, wife of Nat Turner, in The Birth of a Nation was initially the subject of universal acclaim critics. If anything, Hinds’ performance was confirmation that her presence is too grand to be contained on just the small screen.Ģ. Hinds fully inhabits the presence of Tubman and delivers a soul-stirring speech that is just as relevant in 2019 as it was in 1857.

In the second season episode “Minty,” Tubman recounts her childhood and the perils of attaining freedom in front of a group of mostly white abolitionists in Philadelphia.

While there are numerous performances that come to mind, here are 10 of the most slept-on performances this decade.įew were prepared for the storm system that was Aisha Hinds’ revelatory performance as Harriet Tubman in the WGN historical drama series, Underground. However, we here at Shadow And Act want to give these actors and actresses their due flowers. As the decade nears its closing, there have been many Black performances from actors and actresses across the spectrum of film and television that didn’t garner their much deserved praise.

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