Etta McDaniel was an African American

African American

African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...

 actress who appeared in over 60 films between 1933 and 1946. She is the sister of actor Sam McDaniel

Sam McDaniel

Sam McDaniel was an African American actor who appeared in over 210 television shows and films between 1929 and 1950. He was the older brother of actresses Hattie McDaniel and Etta McDaniel. born in Wichita, Kansas, to former slaves. He was one of 13 children...

 and actress and Academy Award

Academy Awards

An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...

 winner Hattie McDaniel

Hattie McDaniel

Hattie McDaniel was the first African-American actress to win an Academy Award. She won the award for Best Supporting Actress for her role of Mammy in Gone with the Wind ....

.

McDaniel was born in Witchita, Kansas. She began her entertainment career as a member of minstrel show

Minstrel show

The minstrel show, or minstrelsy, was an American entertainment consisting of comic skits, variety acts, dancing, and music, performed by white people in blackface or, especially after the Civil War, black people in blackface....

s with several others of her family.

Etta McDaniel's debut film was on the 1933 King Kong

King Kong

King Kong is a fictional character, a giant movie monster resembling a gorilla, that has appeared in several movies since 1933. These include the groundbreaking 1933 movie, the film remakes of 1976 and 2005, as well as various sequels of the first two films...

as one of the natives. Her role was the native woman who saves her baby away from the approaching monster. She then took part as a supporting actor or extra, frequently in uncredited roles, performing as maids and nannies.