Ossie Davis
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- December 18, 1917
- Died
- February 4, 2005 (aged 87)
- Birthplace
- Cogdell, Georgia, USA
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.
Known For
Photos
Filmography
The Man Who Loved the Stars
Movie · as Benjamin Banneker
Love in Exile
Movie
Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
Folk Britannia
TV · as Self (archival footage) · 1 ep
The Peace!
Movie · as Self
By Any Means Necessary: The Making of 'Malcolm X'
Movie · as Self
Unstoppable
Movie · as Self
Deacons for Defense
Movie · as Reverend 'Rev' Gregory
The History Makers: Success
Movie · as Self
Baadasssss!
Movie · as Granddad
Beah: A Black Woman Speaks
Movie · as Self
Proud
Movie · as Lorenzo DuFau
She Hate Me
Movie · as Judge Buchanan
The L Word
TV · as Melvin Porter · 4 eps
TV Revolution
TV · 2 eps
The Evolution of an American Filmmaker
Movie · as Self
The Tuskegee Airmen: They Fought Two Wars
Movie · as Narrator
Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property
Movie · as Himself
Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives
Movie
Bubba Ho-tep
Movie · as John F. "Jack" Kennedy
Theater Talk: 'A Raisin in the Sun'
Movie · as Self
Christianity: The First Two Thousand Years
TV · as Narrator · 2 eps
Neighborhoods: The Hidden Cities of San Francisco - The Fillmore
Movie · as Narrator
Feast of All Saints
Movie · as Jean-Jacques
The Legend of the Candy Cane
Movie · as Julius (voice)
Dinosaur
Movie · as Yar (voice)
Finding Buck McHenry
Movie · as Buck McHenry
Here's to Life!
Movie · as Duncan Cox
The Secret Path
Movie · as Too Tall
The Soul Collector
Movie · as Mordecai
Trans-Siberian Orchestra: The Ghosts of Christmas Eve
Movie · as Caretaker
A Vow to Cherish
Movie · as Alexander Billman
The Unfinished Journey
Movie · as Narrator (voice)
Paul Robeson: Here I Stand
Movie · as Self
Third Watch
TV · as Mr. Parker · 3 eps
Doctor Dolittle
Movie · as Archer Dolittle
Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist
Movie · as Self
Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood
Movie · as Self
Christianity: The First 1000 Years
TV · as Himself - Narrator · 4 eps
12 Angry Men
Movie · as Juror 2
Miss Evers' Boys
Movie · as Mr. Evers
4 Little Girls
Movie · as Self - Actor and Playwright
Jackie Robinson: Breaking Barriers
Movie · as Narrator
Walter Matthau: Diamond in the Rough
Movie · as Self
Thomas Jefferson
TV · as Narrator (voice) · 2 eps
I'm Not Rappaport
Movie · as Midge Carter
Get on the Bus
Movie · as Jeremiah / 'Pop'
Promised Land
TV · as Erasmus Jones · 1 ep
The West
TV · as Self, Self / John R. Gills (voice) · 9 eps
The Android Affair
Movie · as Dr. Winston
Ray Alexander: A Menu for Murder
Movie · as Uncle Phil
JAG
TV · as Terrence Minnerly · 1 ep
The Client
TV · as Judge Harry Roosevelt · 21 eps
Arthur Ashe: Citizen of the World
Movie · as Narrator
The Client
Movie · as Harry Roosevelt
Malcolm X: Make It Plain
Movie · as Self
Ray Alexander: A Taste For Justice
Movie · as Uncle Phil
Touched by an Angel
TV · as Gabriel, Erasmus Jones · 2 eps
The Stand
TV · as Judge Richard Farris, Judge Richard Farris (credit only) · 2 eps
Baseball
TV · as Various (voice)
Goin' Back to T-Town
Movie · as Narrator
Grumpy Old Men
Movie · as Chuck
The Ernest Green Story
Movie · as Grandfather
Cop & ½
Movie · as Detective in Squad Room
Alex Haley's Queen
TV · as Parson Dick · 3 eps
Malcolm X
Movie · as Eulogy Performer (voice)
Gladiator
Movie · as Noah
Lincoln
Movie · as Frederick Douglas (voice)
Haiti: Killing the Dream
Movie
The Real Malcolm X
Movie
Jungle Fever
Movie · as Reverend Purify
Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker
Movie · as Self
Joe Versus the Volcano
Movie · as Marshall
The Red Shoes
Movie
Evening Shade
TV · as Ponder Blue · 100 eps
Do the Right Thing
Movie · as Da Mayor
Making 'Do the Right Thing'
Movie · as Self
B.L. Stryker
TV · as Oz Jackson · 12 eps
School Daze
Movie · as Coach Odom
American Experience
TV · as Self - Harlem Resident · 1 ep
Sesame Street: Sleepytime Songs & Stories
Movie · as Anansi the Spider (Sleepytime Songs and Stories) (voice)
American Masters
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Avenging Angel
Movie · as Capt. Harry Moradian
Tyler Texas Black Film Collection
Movie · as Himself
Harry & Son
Movie · as Raymond
The House of God
Movie · as Dr. Sanders
Marcus Garvey: Toward Black Nationhood
Movie · as Narrator
Reading Rainbow
TV · as Self - Narrator (voice) · 1 ep
Death of a Prophet
Movie
Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy "Satchel" Paige
Movie · as Chuffy Russell
All God's Children
Movie · as Blaine Whitfield
Hot Stuff
Movie · as Captain John Geiberger
Freedom Road
Movie · as Narrator
Freedom Man
Movie · as Benjamin Banneker
Roots: The Next Generations
TV · as 'Dad' Jones · 1 ep
The Kennedy Center Honors
TV · as Self · 1 ep
King
TV · as Rev. Martin Luther King Sr. · 3 eps
Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid
Movie · as Dr. Fredericks
The Tenth Level
Movie · as Reed
Countdown at Kusini
Movie · as Ernest Motapo
Let's Do It Again
Movie · as Elder Johnson
Black Shadows on a Silver Screen
Movie · as Narrator
Wattstax
Movie · as Self (uncredited)
Malcolm X
Movie · as Eulogy (voice)
The Sheriff
Movie · as James Lucas
Kongi's Harvest
Movie · as Narrator
Sam Whiskey
Movie · as Jed Hooker
Teacher, Teacher
Movie · as Charles Carter
Slaves
Movie · as Luke
The Fall
Movie
Night Gallery
Movie · as Osmond Portifoy
Hawaii Five-O
TV · as Ramon Borelle · 1 ep
The Scalphunters
Movie · as Joseph Lee
Still A Brother: Inside the Negro Middle Class
Movie · as Narrator
The Name of the Game
TV · as Kubani · 1 ep
The Outsider
Movie · as Lt. Wagner
Black Liberation
Movie · as Narrator
Now is the Time
Movie · as Self
A Man Called Adam
Movie · as Nelson Davis
The Hill
Movie · as Jacko King
The Sun... the Sand... the Hill
Movie · as Jason King (archival footage), Jason King (archive footage)
Run for Your Life
TV · as Frankie Morton, Dave Corbett, Sgt. Dave Corbett · 1 ep
Shock Treatment
Movie · as Capshaw
12 O'Clock High
TV · as Major Glenn Luke · 1 ep
Gone Are the Days!
Movie · as Reverend Purlie Victorious Judson
The Cardinal
Movie · as Father Gillis
The Great Adventure
TV · as John Ross · 1 ep
The Fugitive
TV · as Lt. Johnny Gaines · 1 ep
Hands of Inge
Movie · as Narrator (voice)
The Defenders
TV · as Nixie, Officer Bond, District Attorney, Assistant District Attorney, District Attorney Daniel Jackson · 1 ep
John Brown's Raid
Movie · as Dangerfield Newby
Bonanza
TV · as Sam Davis · 1 ep
Tony Awards
TV · as Self - Presenter · 1 ep
Fourteen Hours
Movie · as Cab Driver (uncredited)
Hallmark Hall of Fame
TV · as Charles Carter · 1 ep
No Way Out
Movie · as John Brooks (uncredited)
Kraft Television Theatre
TV · as The Emperor Jones · 1 ep