Black-ish had some surprising celebrities as guest stars over the show’s eight-season run. Because Dre Johnson (Anthony Anderson) worked at an advertising agency, there was a natural avenue to bring in figures from the worlds of music, sports, and even politics as cameos. Despite having the incredibly funny main cast of Black-ish, new faces were always welcomed to bring a different flavor to the episode. A few of the guest stars had preexisting relationships with the creator, Kenya Barris, or stars of Black-ish, like Tracee Ellis Ross, but many guests did not.
Black-ish used comedy to explore issues of race, identity, and politics through the lens of Dre and his suburban Black family, and many stars wanted to be a part of Black-ish’s cultural conversation, with many even playing heightened versions of themselves. Some of these guest stars appear in some of Black-ish’s most powerful episodes. From the season 1 finale to the premiere of season 8, Black-ish always augmented its cast with cameos that would add to the episodes and overall impact of the show.
10 Mary J. Blige Lent Her Voice To The Season 1 Finale
Season 1, Episode 24, “Pops’ Pops’ Pops”
Black-ish season 1 ended with a very special episode, a love story set in the 1920s where the main cast was recast as the spitting image of their ancestors. Black-ish went all-out with the set design and costuming for the speakeasy, one of the first times Black-ish played with format. What truly elevates this Black-ish episode is the inclusion of legendary singer Mary J. Blige as the speakeasy singer, the enchanting Mirabelle.
Having Blige fully commit to the character, urging Dre’s great-grandfather to pursue Dre’s eventual great-grandmother makes the episode feel like an event, and that is before Blige sings her hit song “I’m Going Down.
10 Best Guest Stars On Black-ish
