Famous African American Actors Quiz

Answer: Training Day

At the 74th Academy Awards, Julia Roberts presented Denzel Washington with the Best Actor Oscar for his role as Alonzo Harris in the 2001 movie "Training Day".

In "Training Day", Alonzo Harris is a bad cop and Jake Hoyt is a good cop. Only one of them will come out of training day alive.

Upon receiving his Best Actor award, Denzel spoke, "Forty years, I've been chasing Sidney and what do they do? They give it to him in the same night".

Denzel's fellow nominees were:

Russell Crowe for "A Beautiful Mind"
Sean Penn for "I am Sam"
Will Smith for "Ali"
Tom Wilkinson for "In The Bedroom"

Answer: Monster's Ball

At the 74th Academy Awards, Russell Crowe presented Halle Berry with the Best Actress Oscar for her role as Leticia Musgrove in the 2001 "Monster's Ball".

In "Monster's Ball", Leticia Musgrove turns to a bigoted corrections officer when her ex-husband is executed and her son is killed in a hit-and-run.

Halle was the first African American female to win Best Actress. Upon receiving her Oscar a tearful Halle said, "This moment is so much bigger than me".

Halle's fellow nominees were:

Judi Dench for "Iris"
Nicole Kidman for "Moulin Rouge!"
Sissy Spacek for "In The Bedroom"
Renée Zellweger for "Bridget Jones's Diary"

Answer: Glory

Geena Davis presented Denzel Washington with the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role as 1989 role as Pvt. Silas Trip in "Glory" at the 62nd Academy Awards.

As Pvt. Silas Trip in "Glory", Denzel Washington played a former slave turned private in the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment. Private Trip was killed alongside several of his fellow soldiers while defending Fort Wagner in 1863.

Upon receiving the award, Denzel pulled out his speech and remarked, "Thank God I get to use this".

Fellow nominees were:

Danny Aiello for "Do The Right Thing"
Dan Akroyd for "Driving Miss Daisy"
Marlon Brando for "A Dry White Season"
Martin Landau for "Crimes and Misdemeanors"

Answer: An Officer and a Gentleman

Susan Sarandon and Christopher Reeve presented Louis Gossett, Jr. with the Best Supporting Actor at the 55th Academy Awards. He won for playing Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley in the 1982 "An Officer and a Gentleman".

In "An Officer and a Gentleman", Gunnery Sgt. Emil Foley is a drill instructor teaching a new set of recruits in Aviation Officer Candidate School. He constantly butts heads with candidate Zack Mayo (Richard Gere); finally getting Zack to admit that he couldn't have made it through AOCS without Foley.

Louis wore a red rose in his lapel with a matching polka dot bowtie. Part of his speech consisted of, "When you prepare a speech it's no use because it's all gone".

Fellow Oscar nominees were:

Charles Durning for "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas"
John Lithgow for "The World According to Garp"
James Mason for "The Verdict"
Robert Preston for "Victor/Victoria"

Answer: Lilies of the Field

Ann Bancroft presented Sidney Poitier with his Best Actor Oscar at the 36th annual Academy Awards. Sidney was nominated for his role as Homer Smith in the 1963 "Lilies of the Field".

As Homer Smith, Sidney plays a scripture quoting handyman who works to build nuns a chapel.

Part of Sidney's Oscar speech was "A very special thank you".

Nominated with Sidney was:

Albert Finney for "Tom Jones"
Rex Harrison for "Cleopatra"
Richard Harris for "This Sporting Life"
Paul Newman for "Hud"

Answer: Ghost

Whoopi Goldberg was presented the Best Supporting Actress Oscar by Denzel Washington at the 63rd Academy Awards. She played Oda Mae Brown in the 1990 movie "Ghost". When accepting her award, Whoopi remarked, "Ever since I was a little kid I wanted this".

In "Ghost", Whoopi plays psychic Oda Mae Brown who can communicate with Sam Wheat (Patrick Swayze) who was killed during a supposed mugging. Oda Mae is able to help Sam find his killer and learn the reason why he was killed.

Whoopi's fellow nominees were:

Annette Benning for "The Grifters"
Lorraine Bracco for "Goodfellas"
Diane Ladd for "Wild At Heart"
Mary McDonnell for "Dances With Wolves"

Answer: Million Dollar Baby

Morgan Freeman won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for portraying Eddie Dupris in 2004's "Million Dollar Baby". The award was presented to him by Renée Zellweger at the 77th Academy Awards. Upon accepting the Oscar, Morgan said, "I want to thank everybody and anyone who had anything to do with the making of this picture".

In "Million Dollar Baby", while writing a letter, Eddie tells the story of how he and Frankie Dunn help train Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) to be a boxing champion.

Morgan's fellow nominees were:

Alan Alda for "The Aviator"
Jamie Foxx for "Collateral"
Thomas Haden Church for "Sideways"
Clive Owen for "Closer"

Answer: Jerry Maguire

At the 69th Academy Awards, Mira Sorvino presented the Best Supporting Actor Oscar to Cuba Gooding, Jr. for playing Rod Tidwell in the 1996 "Jerry Maguire". Upon winning the award Cuba said, "Everybody involved in the movie, I love you!"

In "Jerry Maguire", as the only client of the sports agent, Jerry Maguire, all Rod Tidwell wants Jerry to show him is the money.

Cuba's fellow nominees were:

William Macy for "Fargo"
Armin Mueller-Stahl for "Shine"
Edward Norton for "Primal Fear"
James Woods for "Ghosts of Mississippi"

Answer: Gone With The Wind

"One of the happiest moments of my life." Hattie McDaniel was the first African American to win an Oscar. Hattie's Oscar was presented to her by Faye Bainter at the 12th Academy Awards. Hattie was nominated for her role as Mammy in the 1939 movie "Gone With The Wind".

In "Gone With The Wind", Mammy is a former slave who works at the Tara plantation for the O'Hara family and forms a close relationship with the daughter, Scarlett.

Other nominees were:

Olivia De Havilland for "Gone With The Wind"
Geraldine Fitzgerald for "Wuthering Heights"
Edna Oliver for "Drums Along the Mohawk"
Maria Ouspenskaya for "Love Affair"

Answer: Ray

At the 77th Academy Awards, Jamie Fox was presented with the Best Actor Oscar by Charlize Theron for playing "Ray" in the 2004 biopic. Jamie was the tenth person to be nominated for two categories at the Oscars. When accepting the Oscar, Jamie said his daughter told him, "If you don't win, dad, you're still good".

Jamie Foxx played the adult Ray Charles from his entrance into a country band in Seattle, Washington to him playing "Georgia On My Mind" when it becomes Georgia's official state song.

Jamie's fellow nominees were:

Don Cheadle for "Hotel Rwanda"
Clint Eastwood for "Million Dollar Baby"
Johnny Depp for "Finding Neverland"
Leonardo DiCaprio for "The Aviator"