Lena Horne
- Known For
- Acting
- Born
- June 30, 1917 in Brooklyn, New York, USA
- Died
- May 9, 2010
- Active Years
- 1938–2024 (87 Years)
- Total Credits
- 97 credits in database
Biography
Lena Horne was a singer, dancer, actress, and civil rights activist born on June 30, 1917, in Brooklyn, New York, and she died on May 9, 2010, at the age of 92. Also known as Lena Mary Calhoun Horne, she joined the chorus of the Cotton Club at the age of sixteen and became a nightclub performer. She later moved to Hollywood, where she appeared in numerous movies with small parts, alongside more substantial roles in the films Cabin in the Sky and Stormy Weather. Due to the Red Scare and her left-leaning political views, Horne was blacklisted and unable to find work in Hollywood. She returned to her roots as a nightclub performer, participated in the March on Washington in August 1963, and continued performing in nightclubs and on television while releasing well-received records.
Career overview
Lena Horne was a singer, dancer, actress, and civil rights activist who was born on June 30, 1917, in Brooklyn, New York, and died on May 9, 2010. She joined the chorus of the Cotton Club at the age of sixteen and established herself as a nightclub performer before relocating to Hollywood. In Hollywood, she secured small parts in numerous movies as well as more substantial roles in the films Cabin in the Sky and Stormy Weather.
Due to the Red Scare and her left-leaning political views, Horne was eventually blacklisted and unable to secure work in Hollywood. Returning to her roots as a nightclub performer, she took part in the March on Washington in August 1963. Horne continued her career as a performer in both nightclubs and on television, and she released well-received records. Throughout her life and career, she also became a young figurehead in the early years of the campaign for black advancement.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
97 titles- Hollywood Black (2024) as Self (archive footage)
- How It Feels to Be Free (2021) as Self (archival footage)
- Sid & Judy (2019) as Self (archive footage)
- The Green Book: Guide to Freedom (2019) as Self - Singer (archive footage)
- Storm in My Heart (2018) as Self (archive footage)
- Sesame Street: 40 Years of Sunny Days (2010) as Self (uncredited) (archive footage)
- Jazz Voice - The Ladies sing Jazz Vol.2 (2006) as Self (archive footage)
- Judy Garland Duets (2005) as Self (archive footage)
- An Evening With Lena Horne (2005) as self
- Sarah Vaughan & Other Jazz Divas (2005)
- Sesame Street: A Celebration of Me, Grover (2004)
- The Harlem Renaissance (2004) as Self (archive footage)
- TV in Black: The First Fifty Years (2004) as Self (archive footage)
- The Incomparable Lena Horne (2004)
- It's Black Entertainment (2002) as Self (archive footage)
- Beyond Tara: The Extraordinary Life of Hattie McDaniel (2001) as Self (archive footage)
- Paul Robeson: Here I Stand (1999) as Self
- The Rosie O'Donnell Show (1996) as Self
- The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies (1995) as Self (archive footage)
- That's Entertainment! III (1994) as Self - Co-Host / Narrator
- Sesame Street | All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever! (1994) as Self (archive footage)
- Aretha Franklin: Duets (1993) as Self
- Benny Carter: Symphony in Riffs (1990) as Self (archive footage)
- You're the Top: The Cole Porter Story (1990) as Self (archive footage)
- A Different World (1987) as Self
- American Masters (1986) as Self
- Sesame Street: Learning About Letters (1986) as Self
- Night of 100 Stars II (1985) as Self
- The Cosby Show (1984) as Lena Horne
- DTV: Golden Oldies (1984) as Self
- Reading Rainbow (1983) as Self - Narrator (voice)
- Night of 100 Stars (1982) as Self
- The Kennedy Center Honors (1978) as Self
- The Wiz (1978) as Glinda the Good
- The Muppet Show (1976) as Self - Special Guest Star / Lola Bramswell
- That's Entertainment, Part II (1976) as (archive footage)
- That's Entertainment! (1974) as (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Keep US Beautiful (1973)
- Keep U.S. Beautiful (1973) as Self
- Sanford and Son (1972)
- Great Performances (1971) as Self
- The Flip Wilson Show (1970) as Self
- Death of a Gunfighter (1969) as Claire Quintana
- Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1968) as Self (uncredited)
- The Dean Martin Show (1965)
- Now! (1965) as Self (voice)
- Now! (1965) Music
- The Hollywood Palace (1964) as Self
- The Judy Garland Show (1963) as Self
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) as Self
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) as Self (archive footage)
- The Mike Douglas Show (1961) as Self
- Password (1961)
- The DuPont Show of the Week (1961) as Self
- Beyond the Riviera (1960)
- The Frank Sinatra Timex Show - To the Ladies (1960) as Self - Singer
- The Bell Telephone Hour (1959) as Self - Host
- The Bell Telephone Hour (1959) as Self
- Kraft Music Hall (1958)
- The All-Star Christmas Show (1958) as Self
- The Twentieth Century (1957)
- Tony Awards (1956) as Self - Host
- Tony Awards (1956) as Self - Recipient / Performer
- Tony Awards (1956) as Self - Presenter
- Tony Awards (1956) as Self - Co-Hostess
- The Steve Allen Show (1956) as Self - Singer
- The Perry Como Show (1956)
- Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956) as Lena Horne
- MGM Parade (1955)
- MGM Parade (1955) as Self
- Music 55 (1955)
- Val Parnell's Sunday Night at the London Palladium (1955)
- A.N.T.A. Album of 1955 (1955) as Self
- The Oscars (1953) as Self
- What's My Line? (1950) as Self
- The Colgate Comedy Hour (1950) as Self
- Your Show of Shows (1950)
- Duchess of Idaho (1950) as Lena Horne
- The Ed Sullivan Show (1948) as Self
- Words and Music (1948) as Lena Horne
- Till the Clouds Roll By (1946) as Julie LaVerne / Lena Horne
- Swingtime Jamboree (1946) as Herself
- Studio Visit (1946) as Herself
- Mantan Messes Up (1946) as Lene
- Ziegfeld Follies (1945) as Lena Horne (segment "Love")
- Harlem Hotshots (1945) as (archive footage)
- Two Girls and a Sailor (1944) as Specialty
- Broadway Rhythm (1944) as Fernway de la Fer
- Boogie-Woogie Dream (1944)
- Swing Fever (1943) as Herself
- Thousands Cheer (1943) as Lena Horne
- Cabin in the Sky (1943) as Georgia Brown
- Stormy Weather (1943) as Selina Rogers
- I Dood It (1943) as Herself
- Panama Hattie (1942) as As self, Singer in Phil's Place (uncredited)
- The Duke Is Tops (1938) as Ethel Andrews
- Honor Coles, Le Danseur De Claquettes Distingue as Self
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Lena Horne best known for?
Lena Horne is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including Sid & Judy (2019), The Harlem Renaissance (2004), TV in Black: The First Fifty Years (2004), The Rosie O'Donnell Show (1996).
When and where was Lena Horne born?
Lena Horne was born on June 30, 1917 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. They passed away on May 9, 2010.
How many credits does Lena Horne have?
Lena Horne has accumulated over 97 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1938 to 2024.
What is Lena Horne's background in cinema and television?
Lena Horne was a singer, dancer, actress, and civil rights activist born on June 30, 1917, in Brooklyn, New York, and she died on May 9, 2010, at the age of 92. Also known as Lena Mary Calhoun Horne, she joined the chorus of the Cotton Club at the age of sixteen and became a nightclub performer. She later moved to Holl...
Lena Horne by the numbers
Age in their best-rated roles
- Reading Rainbow (1983) as Self - Narrator (voice) — aged about 66
- The Judy Garland Show (1963) as Self — aged about 46
- The Muppet Show (1976) as Self - Special Guest Star / Lola Bramswell — aged about 59
- The Bell Telephone Hour (1959) as Self - Host — aged about 42
- The Bell Telephone Hour (1959) as Self — aged about 42
- The Twentieth Century (1957) — aged about 40
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