Hattie McDaniel's Most Iconic Moments

Hattie McDaniel was truly an icon. The actress, best known for her performance as "Mammy" in the film Gone with the Wind, broke barriers throughout her life. She was the first person of color to win an Academy Award, the first black actor to star in a radio or television program, and the first black woman to sing on American radio. In being "the first" for countless endeavors, the actress experienced hardships—racism and prejudice were incredibly prevalent and McDaniel was often confined to the part of maid or servant because of her race. Throughout her life, McDaniel appeared in over 300 films, but received screen credits for only 83. In her Academy Award acceptance speech, she stated, "I sincerely hope I shall always be a credit to my race and to the motion picture industry." And, indeed, while there was (and is) still much work to be done, McDaniel changed Hollywood forever.

In the new Netflix series Hollywood, Queen Latifah plays McDaniel and conveys parts of the struggle she experienced in Hollywood. In light of this new portrayal, we decided to look back at the real McDaniel's life, and some of the roles that made her famous.