Ossie Davis
Born: 1917-12-18 in Cogdell, Georgia, USA
Died: 2005-02-04
Known For: Acting
Biography
Raiford Chatman "Ossie" Davis (December 18, 1917 – February 4, 2005) was an American actor, director, writer, and activist. He may be best known for his roles in Spike Lee-directed films such as School Daze (1988) and Do the Right Thing (1989). Other films Davis acted in include The Hill (1965), A Man Called Adam (1966), Let's Do It Again (1975), Joe Versus the Volcano (1990), Grumpy Old Men (1993), The Client (1994), Dr. Dolittle (1998), Dinosaur (2000), and Bubba Ho-Tep (2002). He was married to Ruby Dee, with whom he frequently performed, from 1948 until his death.
Filmography
2024
2022
- Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues as Self (archive footage)
2006
- Folk Britannia as Self (archival footage)
2005
- Deacons for Defense as Reverend 'Rev' Gregory
- By Any Means Necessary: The Making of 'Malcolm X' as Self
- The Peace! as Self
- The History Makers: Success as Self
- Unstoppable as Self
2004
- The L Word as Melvin Porter
- She Hate Me as Judge Buchanan
- TV Revolution
- Baadasssss! as Granddad
- Proud as Lorenzo DuFau
- Beah: A Black Woman Speaks as Self
2003
2002
- Bubba Ho-tep as John F. "Jack" Kennedy
- Christianity: The First Two Thousand Years as Narrator
- Theater Talk: 'A Raisin in the Sun' as Self
2001
- Feast of All Saints as Jean-Jacques
- The Legend of the Candy Cane as Julius (voice)
- Neighborhoods: The Hidden Cities of San Francisco - The Fillmore as Narrator
2000
- Dinosaur as Yar (voice)
- Finding Buck McHenry as Buck McHenry
- Here's to Life! as Duncan Cox
1999
- Third Watch as Mr. Parker
- The Secret Path as Too Tall
- The Unfinished Journey as Narrator (voice)
- The Soul Collector as Mordecai
- A Vow to Cherish as Alexander Billman
- Trans-Siberian Orchestra: The Ghosts of Christmas Eve as Caretaker
- Paul Robeson: Here I Stand as Self
1998
- Doctor Dolittle as Archer Dolittle
- Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist as Self
- Christianity: The First 1000 Years as Himself - Narrator
- Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood as Self
1997
- 12 Angry Men as Juror 2
- Miss Evers' Boys as Mr. Evers
- Thomas Jefferson as Narrator (voice)
- 4 Little Girls as Self - Actor and Playwright
- Walter Matthau: Diamond in the Rough as Self
- Jackie Robinson: Breaking Barriers as Narrator
1996
- Promised Land
- The West as Self
- Get on the Bus as Jeremiah / 'Pop'
- I'm Not Rappaport as Midge Carter
1995
- JAG as Terrence Minnerly
- The Client as Judge Harry Roosevelt
- Ray Alexander: A Menu for Murder as Uncle Phil
- The Android Affair as Dr. Winston
1994
- Touched by an Angel as Gabriel
- The Stand as Judge Richard Farris
- Baseball as Various (voice)
- The Client as Harry Roosevelt
- Ray Alexander: A Taste For Justice as Uncle Phil
- Malcolm X: Make It Plain as Self
- Arthur Ashe: Citizen of the World as Narrator
1993
- Grumpy Old Men as Chuck
- Alex Haley's Queen as Parson Dick
- Cop & ½ as Detective in Squad Room
- The Ernest Green Story as Grandfather
- Goin' Back to T-Town as Narrator
1992
- Malcolm X as Eulogy Performer (voice)
- Gladiator as Noah
- Lincoln as Frederick Douglas (voice)
- The Real Malcolm X
1991
- Jungle Fever as Reverend Purify
- Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker as Self
1990
- Evening Shade as Ponder Blue
- Joe Versus the Volcano as Marshall
- The Red Shoes
1989
- Do the Right Thing as Da Mayor
- B.L. Stryker as Oz Jackson
- Making 'Do the Right Thing' as Self
1988
- American Experience as Self - Harlem Resident
- School Daze as Coach Odom
1986
- American Masters as Self
- Sesame Street: Sleepytime Songs & Stories as Anansi the Spider (Sleepytime Songs and Stories) (voice)
1985
- Avenging Angel as Capt. Harry Moradian
- Tyler Texas Black Film Collection as Himself
1984
- Harry & Son as Raymond
- The House of God as Dr. Sanders
- Marcus Garvey: Toward Black Nationhood as Narrator
1983
- Reading Rainbow as Self - Narrator (voice)
- For Us, the Living: The Story of Medgar Evers ... (Writer)
1981
- Death of a Prophet
- Purlie ... (Musical)
- Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy "Satchel" Paige as Chuffy Russell
1980
- All God's Children as Blaine Whitfield
1979
- Roots: The Next Generations as 'Dad' Jones
- Hot Stuff as Captain John Geiberger
- Freedom Road as Narrator
- Freedom Man as Benjamin Banneker
1978
- The Kennedy Center Honors as Self
- King as Rev. Martin Luther King Sr.
1977
- Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid as Dr. Fredericks
1976
- The Tenth Level as Reed
- Countdown at Kusini as Ernest Motapo
1975
- Let's Do It Again as Elder Johnson
- Black Shadows on a Silver Screen as Narrator
1973
- Wattstax as Self (uncredited)
- Gordon's War ... (Director)
1972
- Black Girl ... (Director)
- Malcolm X as Eulogy (voice)
1971
- The Sheriff as James Lucas
1970
- Cotton Comes to Harlem ... (Director)
- Kongi's Harvest as Narrator
1969
- Night Gallery as Osmond Portifoy
- Sam Whiskey as Jed Hooker
- Slaves as Luke
- The Fall
- Teacher, Teacher as Charles Carter
1968
- Hawaii Five-O as Ramon Borelle
- The Name of the Game as Kubani
- The Scalphunters as Joseph Lee
- Still A Brother: Inside the Negro Middle Class as Narrator
1967
- The Outsider as Lt. Wagner
- Now is the Time as Self
- Black Liberation as Narrator
1966
- A Man Called Adam as Nelson Davis
1965
- Run for Your Life as Frankie Morton
- The Hill as Jacko King
- The Sun... the Sand... the Hill as Jason King (archive footage)
1964
- 12 O'Clock High as Major Glenn Luke
- Shock Treatment as Capshaw
1963
- The Fugitive as Lt. Johnny Gaines
- The Great Adventure as John Ross
- East Side/West Side ... (Writer)
- The Cardinal as Father Gillis
- Gone Are the Days! as Reverend Purlie Victorious Judson
1962
- Hands of Inge as Narrator (voice)
1961
- The Defenders as Nixie
1960
- John Brown's Raid as Dangerfield Newby
1959
- Bonanza as Sam Davis
1956
- Tony Awards as Self - Presenter
1951
- Hallmark Hall of Fame as Charles Carter
- Fourteen Hours as Cab Driver (uncredited)
1950
- No Way Out as John Brooks (uncredited)
1947
- Kraft Television Theatre as The Emperor Jones