Madame Sul-Te-Wan
Actor·1873–1959·Louisville, Kentucky, USA
5 horror films·Refine with search →
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Madame Sul-Te-Wan (born Nellie Crawford; March 7, 1873 – February 1, 1959) was the first African-American actress to sign a film contract and be a featured performer. She was an American stage, film and television actress for over 50 years. The daughter of former slaves, she began her career in entertainment touring the East Coast with various theatrical companies and moved to California to become a member of the fledgling film community. She became known as a character actress, appeared in high-profile films such as The Birth of a Nation (1915) and Intolerance (1916), and easily navigated the transition to the sound films.
In 1986, she was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame.
Revenge of the Zombies
Actor (Beulah)
King of the Zombies
Actor (Tahama)
Black Moon
Actor (Ruva)
King Kong
Actor (Native Handmaiden (uncredited))
The Birth of a Nation
Actor (Black Woman (uncredited))