"Black-ish" Is (Tragically) Ending After 8 Seasons — So Here's The Cast In Their First Roles, On The Show, And IRL
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1.Anthony Anderson's first role in 1995:
Anthony's first TV appearances came during two episodes of The Wayans Bros. in 1995. He played "Guy at Party" and "Guy in Jail" in two episodes during Season 1. From here, Anthony went on to land a recurring role on Hang Time and he appeared in shows like NYPD Blue, The Shield, Veronica Mars, and more. He also created and starred in the short-lived sitcom All About The Andersons.
Anthony Anderson as Andre "Dre" Johnson on Black-ish:
Anthony landed the starring role as Dre Johnson in 2014 and will have starred in over 160 episodes by the time the show wraps in 2022. He's also played Dre on Grown-ish and Mixed-ish, the two Black-ish spin-offs. Anthony has been nominated for several awards for his work as Dre, including Golden Globe and Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. He also won several NAACP Image Awards.
Anthony Anderson in real life:
Anthony's first role after Black-ish will be when he reprises his role as Det. Kevin Bernard on Law & Order when the series returns for Season 21. Anthony notably played the part of Kevin from Season 18 to Season 20 before the show ended in 2010.
2.Tracee Ellis Ross' first role in 1997:
One of Tracee's first notable roles was in the movie Sue alongside Anna Thomson. After this she appeared in some smaller movies before landing her breakout role as Joan Clayton on Girlfriends, a role she played for 170 episodes from 2000 to 2008.
Tracee Ellis Ross as Dr. Rainbow "Bow" Johnson on Black-ish:
Tracee landed the role of Dr. Bow Johnson in 2014 and will have starred in over 160 episodes by the time the show wraps in 2022. She's also played Bow on Mixed-ish where she served as the spin-off's narrator and she was the co-creator and an executive producer. Tracee has been nominated for several awards for her work as Bow on Black-ish and she even won a 2017 Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a TV Series Musical or Comedy.
Tracee Ellis Ross in real life:
3.Yara Shahidi's first major role in 2009:
After appearing in an episode of Entourage in 2007, Yara made her big screen debut as Olivia in Imagine That opposite Eddie Murphy. From there, she went on to appear in several TV shows like Wizards of Waverly Place, Lie To Me, and she even played young Olivia Pope in two episodes of Scandal.
Yara Shahidi as Zoey Johnson on Black-ish:
Yara landed the role of Zoey Johnson in 2014 and will have starred in over 90 episodes by the time the show wraps in 2022. In 2018, Yara got her own spin-off series called Grown-ish, which follows Zoey as she attends college. She's also a producer on the series.
Yara Shahidi in real life:
Yara's next big acting project will be playing the live-action version of Tinker Bell in the upcoming film Peter Pan & Wendy. Outside of acting, Yara is a well-known activist, who has helped lead organizations that talk about voting and women's leadership. She also started a production company called 7th Sun alongside her mom, and in 2020, they inked an overall deal with ABC.
4.Marcus Scribner's first role in 2010:
Marcus's first TV credit is for an episode of Castle during the show's second season. After this, he went on to appear in episodes of New Girl, Wedding Band, and Wendell & Vinnie. He also voiced Buck in the Pixar movie The Good Dinosaur in 2015.
Marcus Scribner as Junior Johnson on Black-ish:
Marcus landed the role of Junior Johnson in 2014 and will have starred in over 160 episodes by the time the show wraps in 2022. He's also played Junior on Grown-ish and Mixed-ish.
Marcus Scribner in real life:
5.Miles Brown's first role in 2013:
Miles's first notable acting role was in an episode of Shameless during the show's third season. Before this he appeared in one episode of Raising Hope, but you couldn't see his face. Also in 2010, he competed on America's Got Talent as part of the dance duo Future Funk and made they made it all the way to the semifinals.
Miles Brown as Jack Johnson on Black-ish:
Miles landed the role of Jack Johnson in 2014 and will have starred in over 160 episodes by the time the show wraps in 2022. He's also played Jack on Mixed-ish.
Miles Brown in real life:
6.Marsai Martin's first role in 2014:
Marsai's first ever acting role was on Black-ish in 2014, but before then she starred in several commercials during the same year — including a few commercials for Meineke Car Care Centers where she portrayed a kid mechanic.
Marsai Martin as Diane Johnson on Black-ish:
Marsai landed the role of Diane Johnson in 2014 and will have starred in over 160 episodes by the time the show wraps in 2022. During her time on Black-ish, Marsai won a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
Marsai Martin in real life:
7.Jenifer Lewis's first role in 1988:
Jenifer's acting career began after she was hired as one of Bette Midler's Harlettes, who were a trio of backup singers who supported Bette during her musical performances. This is how Jenifer ended up in movies like Beaches and Sister Act. From there she went on to star in numerous movies and TV shows like A Different World, What's Love Got to Do With It, Poetic Justice, The Preacher's Wife, Think Like A Man, The Princess and the Frog, Girlfriends, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and more. Jenifer's also had a renowned Broadway career and has starred in several musicals, like Hairspray.
Jenifer Lewis as Ruby Johnson on Black-ish:
Jenifer made her first appearance as Ruby Johnson, Dre's mother, in Season 1, Episode 8. While she only had a recurring role during the show's first season, eventually she became a series regular. Jenifer will have starred in over 150 episodes by the time Black-ish wraps in 2022.
Jenifer Lewis in real life:
8.Laurence Fishburne's first role in 1973:
Laurence's first starring role was as Josh Hall on One Life To Live. He appeared on the show from 1973 to 1976 for 15 episodes. After this, Laurence went on to appear in numerous TV shows and movies before he notably starred in What's Love Got To Do With It as Ike Turner, which earned him an Academy Award nomination too. Ironically, he starred in the movie alongside his future Black-ish wife Jenifer Lewis. Laurence's other film credits include The Color Purple, Searching for Bobby Fischer, John Wick, Boyz n the Hood, The Matrix, and more.
Laurence Fishburne as Earl "Pops" Johnson on Black-ish:
Laurence landed the recurring role of Pops Johnson, Dre's father, in 2014 and will have starred in over 80 episodes by the time the show wraps in 2022. He's also reprised the role of Pops on Grown-ish and he was an executive producer on the spin-off Mixed-ish.
Laurence Fishburne in real life:
While starring on Black-ish, Laurence has continued to appear in numerous film projects, like John Wick: Chapter 2, John Wick: Chapter 3, Ant-Man and the Wasp, and he recently reprised his role as Morpheus in The Matrix Resurrections. After the show ends, you'll be able to see him in John Wick: Chapter 4, The School for Good and Evil, All the Old Knives, Slingshot, and more.
9.August and Berlin Gross's first acting roles as Devante Johnson on Black-ish:
August and Berlin's first acting jobs were as baby Devante on Black-ish in 2017. Since officially joining the series in Season 4, the twins have gone on to appear in over 40 episodes while they split the role of Devante.
August and Berlin Gross in real life:
10.Deon Cole's first role in 2002:
Deon is a well-known comedian, so his first appearances on TV were in various comedy specials and he also appeared in several episodes of Conan. His first acting role was in Barbershop in 2002, a movie he appeared in alongside his future Black-ish co-star Anthony Anderson.
Deon Cole as Charlie Telphy on Black-ish and Grown-ish:
Deon landed the role of Charlie Telphy in 2014 and will have starred in over 80 episodes by the time the show wraps in 2022. Deon was originally a recurring character until he was bumped to a series lead in Season 4. He's also had a main role on Grown-ish.
Deon Cole in real life:
While starring on Black-ish and Grown-ish, Deon also appeared in TV shows like Angie Tribeca and Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts. He also reprised his role from Barbershop in Barbershop: The Next Cut in 2016. In 2021, Deon notably appeared in Netflix's The Harder They Fall as Wiley Escoe.
And finally, just for fun, here's the entire cast together in Season 1 vs. Season 8:
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