Nina Mae McKinney | |
---|---|
![]() McKinney in costume, 1929 film Hallelujah | |
Born | Nannie Mayme McKinney June 12, 1912 |
Died | May 3, 1967 New York City, U.S. | (aged 54)
Other names | Nina McKinney, The Black Garbo |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1927–1967 |
Spouse |
James "Jimmy" Monroe
(m. 1931; div. 1938) |
Nina Mae McKinney (June 12, 1912 – May 3, 1967) was an American actress who worked internationally during the 1930s and in the postwar period in theatre, film and television, after beginning her career on Broadway and in Hollywood. Dubbed "The Black Garbo" in Europe because of her striking beauty,[1][2] McKinney was both one of the first African-American film stars in the United States and one of the first African-Americans to appear on British television.