1933Winner
Best Performance
King Kong
Madame Sul-Te-Wan
Actor
Louisville, Kentucky, USA
March 7, 1873
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Madame Sul-Te-Wan (born Nellie Crawford; March 7, 1873 – February 1, 1959) was the first African-American actress to sign a film contract and be a featured performer. She was an American stage, film and television actress for over 50 years. The daughter of former slaves, she began her career in entertainment touring the East Coast with various theatrical companies and moved to California to become a member of the fledgling film community. She became known as a character actress, appeared in high-profile films such as The Birth of a Nation (1915) and Intolerance (1916), and easily navigated the transition to the sound films. In 1986, she was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame.
Photo
Representative Works
Awards and Honors
Critical Favorites
1915Nominee
Best Performance
The Birth of a Nation
1954Nominee
Best Performance
Carmen Jones
Career Highlights
1949Highlight
Best Performance
Mighty Joe Young
1916Highlight
Best Performance
Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages
Video
King Kong
The Birth of a Nation
Carmen Jones