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6 Actors Who Played Martin Luther King Jr. On Screen

Find out where you can still watch these breakout roles inspired by the great civil rights leader

Dr. Martin Luther King, the American Black leader gestures as he carries on an animated conversation during a one-day visit to London

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Ever since his 1968 assassination, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. has inspired some of our greatest actors to portray him — from Courtney B. Vance in TV's Parting the Waters to Samuel L. Jackson in the 2011 play The Mountaintop. In real life, Jackson was an usher at King's funeral, and The Mountaintop, which closed in January 2012, was Jackson's Broadway debut. Here are six other fine actors who played King in films and shows you can watch right now.

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