Taylor Polidore Williams and Crystle Stewart lead the cast of Tyler Perry’s new soap operaBeauty in Blackon Netflix as two very different women whose lives unexpectedly collide. Perry has produced the show as part of his creative partnership with Netflix. Under their multi-year first-look deal, Perry is contracted to write, direct, and produce movies and TV shows, andBeauty in Blackis the latest project to come from that deal. Part 1 of the new seriesdrops on Netflix on October 24, and it consists of 16 hour-long episodes.
Set in Atlanta,Beauty in Blackrevolves around two women on two very different paths in their lives. One of them, Kimmie, is struggling to scrape by after being kicked out by her mother, while the other, Mallory, is running her own successful business. Before too long, these two characters get swept up in each other’s lives. Polidore Williams and Stewart headline the cast ofPerry’s latest Netflix projectin the lead roles of Kimmie and Mallory, respectively, but they’re backed up by strong support from other actors like Ricco Ross, Debbi Morgan, and Richard Lawson.
Date Of Birth: July 28, 2025
Active Since:2008
Actor:Taylor Polidore Williams was born in Houston, Texas, andgot her big break with the role of bounty hunter Dallas Ali in the FX crime drama seriesSnowfall. She also played Lisa in the CW superhero showBlack Lightning, voiced Clara in the Nickelodeon cartoonIt’s Pony, and played the lead role of Camille in the Allblk supernatural drama seriesWicked City. She previously worked with Perry when she played the supporting role of Rona inhis dramatic thrillerDivorce in the Black.
2021–2023
2022–present
Divorce in the Black
Rona
2024
Character:Polidore Williams stars inBeauty in Blackin one of the lead roles, Kimmie. Kimmie is struggling to make ends meet after being kicked out of her home by her overbearing mother. She ends up finding work as an exotic dancer and falls into the seedy underbelly of a famed Magic City strip club. Although the story is pure fiction, Perry was influenced by real-life stories of strip clubs around the world.
Date Of Birth: July 27, 2025
Active Since:2011
Actor:Crystle Stewart was born in Houston, Texas, andfirst broke out with the role of real estate agent Leslie Morris in the OWN/TBS dramedy seriesFor Better or Worse, which was also created by Perry. She played Frankie in the main cast of Perry’s TLC seriesToo Close to Homeand she played Diana Wells opposite Taraji P. Henson in the psychological thrillerAcrimony, which waswritten, produced, and directed by Perry. Before her acting career, Stewart won Miss USA 2008 and represented the United States at Miss Universe 2008, where she reached the top 10.
For Better or Worse
2011–2017
2017
Diana Wells
2018
Character:Stewart plays Mallory, the other lead role inBeauty in Blackopposite Polidore Williams. Whereas Kimmie is strapped for cash and struggling to get by, Mallory is running her own successful hair care business. The two very different walks of life occupied by these two women are contrasted with each other to form the dramatic backbone of the series. Mallory is outwardly very successful, but she has a hard time keeping her wealthy family together. Eventually, as the series goes on, Kimmie and Mallory’s lives collide in unexpected ways.
Date Of Birth: July 20, 2025
Active Since:1982
Actor:Ricco Ross was born in Chicago, Illinois, andhe first broke big with the role of Private Frost inJames Cameron’s action-packed sci-fi sequelAliens. Ross has played other minor film roles like a TV journalist inFierce Creatures, a security guard inMission: Impossible, and a Cuban inDeath Wish 3. Ross’ previous TV roles include Pastor R.J. Gilfield in the drama seriesP-Valley, Greg Dacosta in the main cast of the British TV showWestbeach, and the recurring role of Liftman Coneybear in season 3 of the dramedy seriesJeeves and Wooster.
1986
2020–2022
1993
Jeeves and Wooster
Liftman Coneybear
1992
Character:Ross plays a key supporting role in theBeauty in Blackcast as Horace. Horace facilitates the first major turning point in Kimmie’s character arc. He’s a patron at the strip club where she works. When she crosses his path, he ends up changing her life.
Date Of Birth: June 14, 2025
Active Since:1971
Actor:Debbi Morgan was born in Dunn, North Carolina, andfirst broke big with her turn as Angie Baxter-Hubbard on the long-running ABC soap operaAll My Children. Morgan became the first African American to win the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series when she won the award for playing Angie in 1989. Morgan has also played the Seer in seasons 4 and 5 ofCharmed, Mozelle Batiste-Delacroix inEve’s Bayou(which earned her an Independent Spirit Award), and Estelle Green in the Starz crime drama seriesPowerand its spin-off,Power Book II: Ghost.
1982–2013
2002–2003
1997
Estelle Green
2014–2020
Character:InBeauty in Black, Morgan plays Olivia. Olivia is one of the female leads opposite Kimmie and Mallory. Morgan is a frequent collaborator of Perry’s, having previously appeared inDivorce in the BlackandAmerican Gangster Presents: Big 50 – The Delrhonda Hood Story.
Date Of Birth: August 22, 2025
Actor:Richard Lawson was born in Loma Linda, California, andfirst broke out with his role as Willis Daniels in the blaxploitation horror sequelScream Blacula Scream. Lawson is best known for playing Ryan in the haunted-house chillerPoltergeistand Dr. Ben Taylor in the NBC miniseriesV. He also played key supporting roles in movies, such as Pat inComing Home, Officer Ed Price inStreets of Fire, Jack inHow Stella Got Her Groove Back, and Marcus inGuess Who.
1982
1983
Detective Smith
2013–2016
Character:Lawson plays Norman inBeauty in Black. Norman is an important supporting player in the ensemble. Lawson is one of the most experienced actors in the cast.
Beauty In Black Supporting Cast & Characters
Amber Reign Smith as Rain:Amber Reign Smith appears in the cast ofBeauty in Blackin the role of Rain. Smith has previously played Queenie inOutlaw Posse, Roma inWu-Tang: An American Saga, Bebe Thompson inRap Sh!t, and Kiara inThe Other Black Girl.
Steven G. Norfleet as Charles:Charles is played by Steven G. Norfleet. Norfleet is best known for playing Paul de Pointe du Lac inInterview with the Vampire, O.B. Williams in HBO’s miniseries adaptation ofWatchmen, and Cecil Franklin inGenius.
Julian Horton as Roy:Roy is played by Julian Horton. Horton previously played Orlando Bishop inNational Championsand Jayce in the TV movieRuined.
Terrell Carter as Varney:Terrell Carter appears inBeauty in Blackas Varney. Carter previously worked with Perry when he played Reverend Carter in the Madea movieDiary of a Mad Black Woman. He also played Kevin Campbell in the TV show version ofShooter.
Tyler Perry’s Beauty in Black
Cast
Beauty in Black follows the life of a stripper whose destiny changes after encountering a wealthy, troubled family entrenched in a cosmetics empire and a sinister trafficking operation. Released in October 2024, the series explores themes of power, corruption, and redemption.
