Ruby Dee
Born: 1922-10-27 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Died: 2014-06-11
Known For: Acting
Biography
Ruby Dee (October 27, 1922 – June 11, 2014) was an American actress, poet, playwright, screenwriter, journalist, and civil rights activist. She originated the role of "Ruth Younger" in the stage and film versions of A Raisin in the Sun. Her other notable film roles include The Jackie Robinson Story (1950), Do the Right Thing (1989) and American Gangster (2007).
Filmography
2018
- Poitier's Walter Lee as Self (archive footage)
2014
- Life's Essentials with Ruby Dee as Self
2013
- Betty and Coretta as Narrator
- Long Distance Revolutionary: A Journey with Mumia Abu-Jamal as Self
2012
- A Thousand Words as Annie McCall
2011
- The Perfect Age of Rock 'n' Roll as Miss Candy
- Video Girl as Valerie
- Politics of Love
2009
- America as Mrs. Harper
- A Place Out of Time: The Bordentown School as Narrator (voice)
2007
- American Gangster as Mama Lucas
- Steam as Doris
- In the Shadow of Hollywood: Race Movies and the Birth of Black Cinema as Herself
- All About Us as Ms. Ella
- Our Paul: Remembering Paul Robeson as Self
2006
- No. 2 as Nanna Maria
- The Way Back Home as Maude
- Discovering William Greaves as Self
2005
- Iconoclasts as Self
- Their Eyes Were Watching God as Nanny
2004
- Beah: A Black Woman Speaks as Self
- TV in Black: The First Fifty Years as (archive footage)
2002
- Christianity: The First Two Thousand Years as Narrator
- Theater Talk: 'A Raisin in the Sun' as Self
2001
- Feast of All Saints as Elsie Claviere
- Taking Back Our Town as Emelda West
2000
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as Mary Wilson
- A Storm in Summer as Grandmother
- Finding Buck McHenry as Mrs. Henry
1999
- Baby Geniuses as Margo
- Passing Glory as Mommit Porter
- Little Bill
- The Unfinished Journey as Narrator (voice)
- Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years as Annie Elizabeth 'Bessie' Delany
- Paul Robeson: Here I Stand as Self
1998
- The Wall as Mrs. Mitchell (segment "The Badge")
- A Time To Dance: The Life and Work of Norma Canner as Narrator
- Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood as Self
- Christianity: The First 1000 Years as Herself - Narrator
1997
- A Simple Wish as Hortence
- Sports on the Silver Screen as Self (archive footage)
1996
- Captive Heart: The James Mink Story as Indigo
- Mr. and Mrs. Loving as Sophia
1995
- Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child as Grandma (voice)
- Just Cause as Evangeline Ferguson
- Tuesday Morning Ride as Jennie
1994
- Touched by an Angel as LaBelle Springbelt
- The Stand as Mother Abagail Freemantle
- Whitewash as Grandmother (voice)
1993
- Cop & ½ as Rachel
- The Ernest Green Story as Lydia Wilson
- After Goodbye as Narrator
1992
- Color Adjustment as Narrator
- Middle Ages as Estelle Williams
1991
- Jungle Fever as Lucinda Purify
- Jazztime Tale as Narrator (voice)
1990
- Decoration Day as Rowena
- Love at Large as Corrine Dart
- The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson as Jackie's Mother
- Zora is My Name! as Zora Neale Hurston
1989
- Do the Right Thing as Mother Sister
- Making 'Do the Right Thing' as Self
1988
- American Experience as Narrator (voice)
- China Beach
- Lincoln as Elizabeth Keckley
1985
- The Golden Girls as Mammy Watkins
- Spenser: For Hire
- The Atlanta Child Murders as Faye Williams
1984
- Go Tell It on the Mountain as Mrs. Grimes
1983
- Reading Rainbow as Self - Narrator (voice)
- Papua New Guinea: Anthropology on Trial ... (Vocals)
1982
- Cat People as Female
- Long Day's Journey Into Night as Mary Tyrone
1980
- All God's Children as Irene Whitfield
- The Torture of Mothers: The Case of the Harlem Six
1979
- Roots: The Next Generations as Queen Haley
- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings as Grandmother Baxter
1978
- The Kennedy Center Honors as Self
1976
- Countdown at Kusini as Leah Matanzima
1974
- Police Woman
- Wedding Band as Julia Augustine
- It's Good to Be Alive as Ruth Campanella
1972
- Black Girl as Netta's mother
- To Be Young, Gifted and Black as Lorraine Hansberry and other assorted characters
- Buck and the Preacher as Ruth
- On Merit as Narrator (voice)
1971
- Great Performances as Self
- The Sheriff as Sue Ann Lucas
1970
- King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis as Self (archive footage)
1969
- Deadlock as Lucinda
1968
- The Dick Cavett Show as Self - Guest
- Uptight as Laurie
1967
- The Incident as Joan Robinson
1966
- Neighbours as Vicky Kingsbury
1963
- The Fugitive as Laura Smith
- The Great Adventure as Harriet Tubman
- The Balcony as Thief
- Gone Are the Days! as Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins
1961
- The Defenders as Catherine Collins
- A Raisin in the Sun as Ruth Younger
1959
- Virgin Island as Ruth
- Take a Giant Step as Christine
1958
- St. Louis Blues as Elizabeth
1957
- Edge of the City as Lucy Tyler
1954
- Go Man Go as Irma Jackson
1951
- The Tall Target as Rachel
- Hallmark Hall of Fame as Rowena Finch
1950
- No Way Out as Connie Brooks (uncredited)
- The Jackie Robinson Story as Rae Robinson
1947
- Easy to Get as Drugstore Girl
1946
- That Man of Mine as Joan
- Love in Syncopation