Happy Father’s Day! Today, we’re going beyond the usual Uncle Phils and Heathcliff Huxtables to honor the incredible fictional Black TV dads who have captured our hearts with their unique and diverse portrayals of fatherhood. It’s time to celebrate the dads who break the mold, the ones who unexpectedly step into fatherhood, and the ones who redefine what it means to be a great dad.
Sure, we grew up with the iconic figures like Heathcliff and Phil, but there’s a whole world of amazing Black TV dads out there that deserve our love and recognition.
These dads show us the real deal when it comes to Black fatherhood. They teach values, bring joy and laughter to parenting, and repair broken relationships. Their stories are the ones we should be supporting and witnessing on our screens.
So whether we’ve just met them in their first season or loved them for years, let’s celebrate the fictional Black TV dads we adore. Share your favorites and let us know who has left a lasting impression on you.
This Father’s Day, we salute all the present and loving dads out there. You are appreciated! And to the fictional Black TV dads who have inspired us, made us laugh, and showed us the beauty of diverse fatherhood, we say a big “thank you.”
So join us in raising a toast to these awesome TV dads who have warmed our hearts and taught us valuable lessons along the way. Happy Father’s Day, to both the real and fictional dads who make the world a better place for their children!
So whether we just got to know them or they even fit the mold you would agree with in fatherhood, check out out the fictional Black TV dads we love and let us know who is your favorite?
Judge Phillip Banks (Uncle Phil)
Played By: James Avery
Calvin Butler (The Neighborhood)
Played By: Cedric the Entertainer
Floyd Henderson (Smart Guy)
Played By: John Marshall Jones
Joe West (The Flash)
Played By: Jesse L. Martin
Flex Washington (One on One)
Played By: Flex Alexander
Myles Wilson (Young Dylan)
Played By: Carl Anthony Payne II
James Evans (Good Times)
Played By: John Amos
Uncle Phil (Bel-Air)
Played By: Adrian Holmes
Daryl Parks (A.N.T. Farm)
Played By: Finesse Mitchell
Dante Marcus (The Equalizer)
Played By: Tory Kittles
Josiah Falls (The Man Who Fell to Earth)
Played By: Clarke Peters Jr
Bill Williams (The Wonder Years)
Played By: Dule Hill
Bennie Upshaw (The Upshaws)
Played By: Mike Epps
Edwin (Unprisoned)*
*I wanted to put him because very rarely do we see a father who was absent work towards fixing his relationship with his daughter. I think this narrative is very important that is rarely seen or done this way.
Played By: Delroy Lindo
Terrie Carson (The Ms. Pat Show)
Played By: J. Bernard Calloway
Darryl Hughley (The Hughleys)
Played By: D.L. Hughley
Oliver Grayson (The Bold Type)
Played By: Stephen Conrad Moore
Ernest Frye (Amen)
Played By: Sherman Hemsley
Heathcliff Huxtable (The Cosby Show)
Played By: Bill Cosby
Ralph Angel Bordelon (‘Queen Sugar’)
Played by: Kofi Siriboe
Heyward (Outer Banks)
Played By: E. Roger Mitchell
Randall Pearson (’This is Us’)
Played by: Sterling K. Brown
Jefferson Pierce (‘Black Lightening’)
Played by: Cress Williams
Paul Patterson (Being Mary Jane)
Played by: Richard Roundtree
Richard Webber (Grey’s Anatomy)
Played By: James Pickens Jr.
Craig Cooper (K.C. Undercover)
Played By: Kadeem Hardison
Zion (Ginny and Georgia)
Played By: Nathan Mitchell
Stan Hill (Good Girls)
Played By: Reno Wilson
Alonzo Sparks (Sparks)
Played By: James Avery
Joe Carmichael (The Carmichael Show)
Played By: David Alan Grier
Michael Kyle and Jr. (My Wife and Kids)
Played By: Damon Wayans and George
Lester Jenkins (227)
Played By: Hal Williams
Robert Peterson (The Parent ‘Hood)
Played By: Robert Townsend
Oscar Proud (The Proud Family)
Played By: Tommy Davidson
Robert James (All Of Us)
Played By: Duane Martin
Rome and Walter (A Million Little Things)
Played By: Romany Malco and Lou Beatty Jr
Julius Rock (Everybody Hates Chris)
Played By: Terry Crews
Kenan Williams (Kenan)
Played By: Kenan Thompson
Billy baker (All American)
Played By: Taye Diggs
Victor Baxter (That’s So Raven)
Played By: Rondell Sheridan
Moz and Jebidiah Jebidiah McKellan (Family Reunion)
Played By: Anthony Alabi and Richard Roundtree
Colonel Bradford Taylor (A Different World)
Played By: Glynn Turman
Rowan Pope (Scandal)
Played By: Joe Morton
James (Any day now)
Played By: John Lafayette
Fred Sanford (Sanford & Son)
Played By: Redd Foxx
Roc (Roc)
Played By: Charles S. Dutton
Cleveland Brown (The Cleveland Show)
Played By: Mike Henry
John “Pops” Williams (The Wayans Bros.)
Played By: John Witherspoon
Ray Campbell (Sister Sister)
Played By: Tim Reid
Chuck Bell (The Crossover)
Played By: Derek Luke
Bishop James Greenleaf (Greenleaf)
played by: Keith David
Andre Johnson and Pops (black-ish)
Played By: Anthony Anderson and Laurence Fishburne
Bernie McCullough (The Bernie Mac Show)
Played By: Bernie Mac
Emmett (The Chi)
Played By: Jacob latimore
Eddie Sutton (Lincoln Heights)
Played By: Russell Hornsby
Granddad (The Boondocks)
Played By: John Witherspoon
Frank Mitchell (Moesha)
Played By: William Allen Young
Charles Thorne (Half & Half)
Played By: Obba Babatundé
Carl Winslow (Family Matters)
Played By: Reginald VelJohnson
George Jefferson (The Jeffersons)
Played By: Sherman Hemsley
Cal Johnson (Saturdays)
Played By: Omar Gooding
Curtis (House of Paynes)
Played By: Allen Payne, Lance Gross, LaVan Davis
Marlon Wayne (Marlon)
Played By: Marlon Wayans
Kenya Barris (#blackAF)
Played By: Kenya Barris
Message From the Founder (Me):
As a one-person team working hard to create quality content and celebrate the beauty and diversity of Black culture, I rely on the support of people like you. If you believe in what Blex Media stands for and enjoy the content I produce, please consider donating a cup of coffee. Your contribution helps me keep the site running will enable me to expand my team and improve Blex’s platform. Thank you for being a part of the Blex community!
-Sharifa