Black Vampires: Diversity Among the Undead
These characters bring color to the white world of vampires.
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Aaliyah in Queen of the Damned - Vampires are known for their sickly, ghostly-white palor, but there is considerable diversification among creatures of the night. In honor of the final installment of Twilight, we take a look at some of the more colorful vamps in Hollywood. In this adaptation of Anne Rice's eponymous novel, Aaliyah plays the rock 'n' roll vampire Akasha. The film, released six months after Aaliyah's death, may not have been a critical smash but audiences loved it. (Photo: Warner Bros Pictures)
2 / 11
Aaliyah in Queen of the Damned - Vampires are known for their sickly, ghostly-white palor, but there is considerable diversification among creatures of the night. In honor of the final installment of Twilight, we take a look at some of the more colorful vamps in Hollywood. In this adaptation of Anne Rice's eponymous novel, Aaliyah plays the rock 'n' roll vampire Akasha. The film, released six months after Aaliyah's death, may not have been a critical smash but audiences loved it. (Photo: Warner Bros Pictures)
3 / 11
Edi Gathegi in Twilight - As vegetarian vampire Laurent, who occasionally succumbs to his cravings for flesh, Gathegi brought a touch of rasta to the undead with his long dreadlocks and "olive" skin tone. Kenyan-born Gathegi also played a biracial mutant in X-Men: First Class. (Photo: Summit Entertainment)
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Traci Heggins and Judi Shekoni in Twilight - Twilight's latest vampires hail from the Amazon and become crucial allies of Edward Cullen, despite their animalistic and bloodthirsty ways. They promise to protect Bella from danger, vowing "no one will touch this young one." (Photo: Summit Entertainment)
5 / 11
William H. Marshall in Blacula - An African prince who reaches Los Angeles two centuries after his death by way of sealed coffin, Blacula embarks on a killing spree in an attempt to be reunited with his long-dead wife in this Blaxploitation classic. Realizing it's not meant to be, Blacula commits suicide by sunbathing in the Southern Cali heat. (photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios)
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Eddie Murphy in A Vampire in Brooklyn - Murphy wrote, produced and played multiple roles in this campy classic, directed by Wes Craven. But his most significant part was of Maximillian, a smooth and mysterious vampire who descends on Brooklyn from the Caribbean to reclaim his long, lost love. (Photo: Paramount Pictures)
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Grace Jones in Vamp - Jones plays the title character in this 1980's flick, a sexy succubus who preys on a couple of college boys on the prowl for strippers. The co-eds got more than they bargain for when they meet Queen Katrina (Jones), who uses her sexual powers (and her fangs) to turn them against each other. (Photo: Planet Productions)
8 / 11
Omar Epps in Dracula 2000 - In this cult classic, Dracula comes to the 21st century when a thief (Epps) and his girlfriend (Jennifer Esposito) steal him from a London antique shop and bring him to New Orleans. The petty crime goes dark when Drac's corpse awakens on the turbulent flight and starts infecting anyone in his path. (Photo: Dimension Films)
9 / 11
Cynthia Bond in Def by Temptation - There's no such thing as a perfect woman, as Cynthia Bond proves in this low-budget horror film. Bond plays a dream girl who is fought over by two best friends (Kadeem Hardison and Bill Nunn) before they realize she's a blood-sucking vampire who kills all the men she sleeps with. (Photo: Troma Entertainment)
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Duane Jones in Ganja & Hess - Despite its cult feel, this film has gotten ample critical acclaim and was even named one of the 10 best films of the 1970s by the Cannes Film Festival. The story centers on Dr. Hess, a brilliant archaeologist who turns vampire when he is stabbed with an ancient sword by his assistant. (Photo: Kelly Jordan Enterprise Pictures)
