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Diana's family
Diana 'Diamond' Armstrong
Played By: LisaRaye McCoy
The film's protagonist, Diana Armstrong is a young woman who has to work as a stripper at The Players' Club under the stage name 'Diamond'. She aspires to become a journalist.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Do not cheat on Diana. Do not seduce her boyfriend, either. Do not try to corrupt her loved ones. And do not...DO NOT...get said family RAPED.
- Coming of Age Story: The film presents hers.
- Hand Cannon: Owns one and isn't afraid to use it.
- Single Mom Stripper: Is pregnant with Jamal, her son, when she leaves her parents and has to work as a stripper to make a living ever since. Later she finds a job as a news anchor.
- Single Woman Seeks Good Man: Eventually finds one in Blue.
Ebony
Played By: Monica Calhoun
Diana's younger cousin who comes to live with her and is quickly engulfed by the stripper lifestyle.
- Rape as Drama: Gets raped by Ronnie's brother at the end.
The Players' Club
William 'Dollar Bill' Dollar
Played By: Bernie Mac
The Players' Club manager, Dollar Bill is a cowardly buffoon who is constantly in debt and despised by his customers, his employees, the local crime boss and the police.
- Delusions of Eloquence
- Dirty Coward: He talks tough to his employees and people who can’t afford to talk back or risk being fired but when confronted by St Louis’s men? He completely shuts down like a deer in the headlights and at the end when St Louis himself enters the club to take care of him? He endangers the lives of his strippers and customers to save his own ass.
- Harmless Villain: Even though his cowardice leaves him willing to let others be hurt or killed if it'll spare his own life, he's in no way a violent person himself.
- Hated by All: Everyone hates him.
- Jive Turkey: Even compared to the other characters.
- Large Ham: He's excessively over-the-top in his speech and mannerisms.
- Laughably Evil
- Manchild: Egregiously so.
- Mean Boss: Doesn’t even begin to describe him.
- Pointy-Haired Boss
- Villainous Breakdown: Constantly has those in the most pathetic way.
L'il Man
Played By: Anthony Johnson
The club's gatekeeper.
- Butt-Monkey: L'il Man often suffers cruel jokes from both gangsters and cops.
- Deadpan Snarker: He delivers several one-liners to people who mess with him.
- Sitcom Archnemesis: He and Blue dislike each other.L'il Man: Punk.Blue: Fetus.
- Start My Own: At the end is mentioned to manage his own strip club back in Chicago.
Tina
Played By: Tracey Cherelle Jones
The club's bartender.
- Only Sane Woman
- You Are Not Alone: Gives a pep talk to Diana, to whom she's likely the only friend at the club.
Ronnie
Played By: Chrystale Wilson
One of the more influential strippers in the club.
- Corrupt the Cutie: Fails to do that to Diana. Almost does it to Ebony.
- Evil Debt Collector: Isn't nice at all to people who owe her money.
- Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: Ronnie loses it when she witnesses how her brother has beaten Ebony bloody and unconscious in order to rape her. She simply leaves together with him, then gloats at Diamond about it and threatens her with the same.
- Psycho Lesbian: Ronnie is either that or a Depraved Bisexual. She starts acting like a predator around Diana since the moment she sees her. Turns out she raped her once and almost does it again.
Trix
Played By: Adele Givens
An aging stripper, Trix is a friend of Ronnie and just as rotten.
- Big Beautiful Woman: According to Fat Joe, the only patron that doesn't leave the club when she comes on stage.
Blue
Played By: Jamie Foxx
The club's DJ.
- Nice Guy: He's just trying to make a living.
XL
Played By: Tiny Lister
The club's bouncer.
- Punch-Clock Villain: When asked, he leaves Bill to fend for himself when Blue points a gun at them.
Played by: Bettina Rae.
The only white girl who dances at The Players Club.
- Pretty Fly For A White Guy: She talks slang, has a sassy attitude,and even has N-word Privileges. Surprisingly, no one gets offended.
- The Big "NO": More like the Big "Hell No" when Ronnie asks if she wants to dance at her brother's bachelor party. Obviously, she knows how disgusting Junior is.
Gangsters
St. Louis
Played By: Larry McCoy
The resident drug dealer, he loaned $60,000 to Dollar Bill and is now trying to collect his money.
- Evil Debt Collector: He's out for Dollar Bill's blood when he doesn't pay him 10,000 bucks back.
- Evil Cripple: He's in a wheelchair.
- More Dakka: When he doesn't get paid, he turns up at the club with a submachine gun.
- Pet the Dog: He might roll into the club to shoot it up when he doesn't get his money back, but he gives the patrons and strippers a warning before he does.St. Louis: If there's anybody here who don't wanna get murdered... GET THE FUUUUUCK OOOOOUT!
- Soft-Spoken Sadist: He never yells or raises his voice even when he orders Brooklyn to [[Cold-Blooded Torture"make him feel better"]].
The Doctor
Played By: Badja Djola
St. Louis' hitman, he is first sent to Dollar Bill with a shotgun to remind him of his debts.
- Bang, Bang, BANG: Averted. See Hollywood Silencer below:The Doctor: Maybe I should just BLAM!Dollar Bill panicks.The Doctor: It's gonna be a pop, fool.
- The Brute
- Evil Debt Collector: Arguably scarier than St. Louis himself.
- Evil Laugh:The Doctor: Eheheh. It's time to hear that ''pop''.
- Labcoat of Science and Medicine: Wears one which only makes him scarier.
- Hollywood Silencer:The Doctor: You. Make. That. Payment. Or listen for the pop.
- Scary Black Man: Waking you up by whacking you in the stomach with a shotgun in the middle of the night, then threatening to blow your brains out while forcing said shotgun in your mouth. Very scary indeed.
- White Gloves: Wears medical gloves in order to not leave fingerprints on the gun. Guess why.
Brooklyn
Played By: Charlie Murphy
St. Louis' right-hand henchman.
- Cigarette Burns: Puts out his cigarette on L'il Man's nose.
- Stuff Blowing Up: Turns the club into this with a rocket launcher.
- The Dragon: To St. Louis.
- Torture Technician: Discusses torture techniques with K. C. when they capture Dollar Bill.
K.C.
Played By: Terrence Howard
Another of St. Louis' goons.
- Big Bad Wannabe: Tries to emulate Brooklyn's brutality, but fails miserably.
- Fashion-Victim Villain: In-Universe. He dresses very flamboyantly and officer Peters tells him "this ain't no fashion show".
Reggie
Played By: Ice Cube
A thug sent by St. Louis to the club to spy on Dollar Bill.
- RapeByProxy: He (and Clyde) couldn't rape Ebony when she was drunk because Diana intervened, so when she arrives at Junior's stag party, he makes Junior think she'd have sex with him and eggs him on. Then he turns up the music and leaves.Reggie: (to Ronnie) Tell her we understand, "no" do mean "no".
Clyde
Played By: Alex Thomas
Reggie's friend.
Others
Lance
Played By: Montae Russell
Officer Freeman
Played By: John Amos
- Actor Allusion: L'il Man tells him he looks like the father from Good Times. The actor is the same.
- Dirty Cop
- Jerkass: Shoves whatever he's eating (with chili sauce) under L'il Man's shirt after interrogation just to humiliate him.
Officer Peters
Played By: Faizon Love
- Dirty Cop
- Fat Bastard: Parodied - he's shown to have trouble getting out of the car because of how fat he is.
- Jerkass: He loves hazing street punks.
- Police Brutality: While interrogating L'il Man, he repeatedly slams his head against the car.
Luke
Played By: Luther Campbell
A local rapper celebrity, Luke is an occasional visitor to The Players' Club.
- Deadpan Snarker: Cracks jokes at the expense of people who try to endear themselves to him by saying "me so horny" (apparently a song of his):'L'il Man: Oh, Luke! "Me so horny"!Luke: You look horny.'Trix: "Me so horny"!Luke: You so damn fat.
Professor Mills
Played By:
Diana's journalism professor at the college who despite her frequent absences, appreciates her effort and aids her with her studies.
Miron
Played By:
A frequent client at The Players' Club. Fan of Diamond.
- Four Eyes, Zero Soul: He's a nerdy-looking man who gets a crush on Diana after she dances for him once and then stalks her on her way home, trying aggressively to get in.
- Stalker with a Crush: To Diana.
Junior
Played By: Samuel Monroe Jr.
Ronnie's brother.
