Top 7 Black Actors & Actresses Whose Careers Are Heating Up

Amber Riley

What does Amber Riley have in common with Jennifer Hudson?  Both were rejected by American Idol and both have made their own way from the competitive arena of singing to the tougher world of acting.  As one of the standouts of one of the most popular shows on television, “Glee,” Ms. Riley is seen by millions on a weekly basis.  She can currently be seen on the new season of “Glee,” still blowing away her co-stars with a voice that looms larger than life — but Ms. Riley was featured in a major storyline on the ensemble show which, unfortunately, was abruptly ended. Scott Mendelson of Mendelson’s Memos and contributor to the Huffington Post says, “The show blew a major opportunity this season when they fired Chord Overstreet and thus broke up ‘Sam and Mercedes’.”  What lies ahead for her character this season is still a mystery to viewers, although Mr. Mendelson points out that last year’s break up, “May very well yield interesting stories, but this is the second time Glee has broken up a mixed-race couple only to pair up the minority with someone of that same ethnicity.”