Larry Wilmore

Helping end the white male domination of the late-night talk show, Larry Wilmore also achieved huge success behind the scenes, writing, producing and creating several hit shows to become a major force in African-American comedy. Initially a stand-up performer, Wilmore branched out into acting during the '80s before taking on a key writing role on "In Living Color" (Fox, 1990-94), the groundbreaking sketch show which first introduced his trademark satirical humor to a wider audience. After serving as producer on the likes of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" (NBC, 1990-96) and "The Jamie Foxx Show" (WB Network, 1996-2001), Wilmore then turned show creator, firstly by teaming up with Eddie Murphy on stop-motion animation "The PJs" (Fox, 1999-2001) and secondly by conceiving the Emmy-winning "The Bernie Mac Show" (Fox, 2001-06). Returning to performing, Wilmore landed recurring roles on "Accidentally on Purpose" (CBS, 2009-10) and "Happy Endings" (ABC, 2011-13) and a small part in the film "Dinner for Schmucks" (2010). But it was his deadpan observations as the Senior Black Correspondent on "The Daily Show" (Comedy Central 1999-), where his talents truly shone, resulting in a high-profile gig fronting the short-lived replacement for "The Colbert Report" (Comedy Central, 2005-2014) in 2015.