Obba Babatundé
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- December 1, 1951 (age 74)
- Birthplace
- Queens, New York City, New York, USA
Biography
Obba Babatundé (born December 1, 1951) is an American actor of stage and screen, known for his Emmy-nominated performance in the television movie Miss Evers' Boys, a NAACP Image Award-nominated performance in the TV movie Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, and a Tony Award-nominated role for his performance as C.C. White in the original cast of the 1981 Broadway musical Dreamgirls. Babatundé was a protege of Sammy Davis, Jr., who said of him, "This is the only cat who can do everything I can do." Babatundé does dance, sing, play instruments, execute impersonations, including his portrayal of Davis, aided by their similarity in energy, size and talent, tap dancing and performing on multiple instruments. In fall 2009, Babatundé played Davis in the title role of "Sammy: Once in a Lifetime," a world premiere musical at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego. Early in 2000, Babatundé partnered with writer/producer Ruth Adkins Robinson for a series of TV projects including "TV in Black: The First 50 Years," "Oscar's Black Odyssey: From Hattie to Hallie" and "Dorthy Dandridge: An American Beauty". The pair have projects that will take them through 2011. His TV roles have often portrayed authority figures, such as a recurring guest-starring role as a high school principal on Dawson's Creek, an appearance as a judge in a two-part episode of Any Day Now, and as the father of the main characters on Half & Half. He also played Harvard college Dean Cain in the movie How High, as well as the role of Willie Long in the movie Life, and co-starred as an attorney in Philadelphia and as a senator in the 2004 reprise of The Manchurian Candidate. He also played the director in season 3 of Friends in an episode titled "The One with All the Jealousy". Other TV shows he has had recurring roles on include The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Chicago Hope, Rocket Power, Static Shock, and Karen Sisco. He played a small but pivotal role as a doorman/bellhop in the film That Thing You Do! and also appeared in The Wild Thornberrys Movie as the voice of Boko. He played a famous producer known as Gordy Berry on two episodes of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. In the 1998 miniseries, The Temptations, he played the founder of Motown Records Berry Gordy. Babatundé is adept at American sign language and had used this talent in many roles including on one NYPD Blue. His recorded work includes a performance with the New York pianist Onaje Allan Gumbs on the 2007 album Sack Full of Dreams. The actor/producer is also an avid horseman and is a highly regarded rider and trainer in the Rodeo Circuit, including the annual Bill Pickett Rodeol. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Known For
Filmography
Start Without Me
Movie · as Leo
People Not Places
Movie
Run
Movie · as President
Wrong Place, Wrong Time
Movie · as Captain Green
The Christmas Showdown
Movie · as Jesse
Love the Skin You're In
Movie · as Arnold
Mississippi Scholar
Movie · as Reginald
Noble Intentions
Movie · as Pastor Stevens
The Millennial
Movie · as Mr. Burke
All The Men In My Life
Movie · as Simon Helms
Trigger
Movie · as Chief Keaton
Kiss Me for Christmas
Movie · as Mr. Porter
Little Fires Everywhere
TV · as George Wright · 2 eps
City of Lies
Movie · as Chief of Police
Kinky
Movie · as Mr. Bernard
Jingle Belle
Movie · as Charles Williams
Revival!
Movie · as Nicodemus
Forever
TV · as Gregory · 2 eps
For the People
TV · as Philip Kaws · 1 ep
Pup Star: Better 2Gether
Movie · as Big Ears (voice)
'Til Death Do Us Part
Movie · as John Harris
S.W.A.T.
TV · as Daniel Harrelson, Sr. · 26 eps
The Good Fight
TV · as Danny Quinn · 1 ep
Dear White People
TV · as Dean Fairbanks · 4 eps
Detroiters
TV · as Mr. Duvet · 2 eps
Pup Star
Movie · as Big Ears (voice)
The Watcher
Movie · as Stark
Goliath
TV · as Ivan Tillinger · 3 eps
American Bad Boy
Movie · as Pastor Lovely
Death's Door
Movie · as Mesmer
If I Tell You I Have to Kill You
Movie · as Jonathan Black
Chicago Med
TV · as Dr. James Coleman · 1 ep
Ballers
TV · as J.D. Pritchard · 1 ep
Lap Dance
Movie · as Roscoe
Kingdom
TV · as Detective Gaines · 3 eps
Enlisted
TV · as General Murray · 1 ep
Madam Secretary
TV · as President Silvanus Fabre · 1 ep
Dolls of Voodoo
Movie · as Iklif
The Last Fall
Movie · as Larry Armstrong
Scooby-Doo! Music of the Vampire
Movie · as Vampire Actor #4 (voice)
Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups
Movie · as Mayor Denny
Trapped: Haitian Nights
Movie · as Ikliff
Joy Road
Movie · as Dr. Howard Perkins
The Trap Door
Movie · as Mesmer
All Star Superman
Movie · as Judge / Bibliobot (voice)
I Do... I Did!
Movie · as Mr. Johnson
Black Dynamite
Movie · as Osiris
Why Am I Doing This?
Movie · as Cliff
The Eye
Movie · as Dr. Haskins
Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History
Movie · as Self
King: Man of Peace in a Time of War
Movie · as Narrator
Cover
Movie · as Attorney Miller
April Fools
Movie · as Detective Combs
Private Practice
TV · as Dr. Larry Cannon · 1 ep
Saving Grace
TV · as Doc · 1 ep
Material Girls
Movie · as Craig
The Celestine Prophecy
Movie · as Miguel
Psych
TV · as David Gaffney · 1 ep
Grey's Anatomy
TV · as Dan Gates · 1 ep
After the Sunset
Movie · as Zacharias
The Manchurian Candidate
Movie · as Senator Wells
The Notebook
Movie · as Band Leader
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
Movie · as Self
Kangaroo Jack: G'Day, U.S.A.!
Movie · as Chief Ankamuti (voice)
Boston Legal
TV · as Dr. Victor Rivers · 2 eps
Dorothy Dandridge: An American Beauty
Movie · as Host
NCIS
TV · as Joe Banks · 1 ep
Redeemer
Movie · as Charles Henderson
John Q
Movie · as Sgt. Moody
The Wild Thornberrys Movie
Movie · as Boko (voice)
Everwood
TV · as Jason · 1 ep
How High
Movie · as Dean Carl Cain
One Special Moment
Movie
The Visit
Movie · as Tony
Static Shock
TV · as Watch Store Salesman (voice), Singer (voice) · 1 ep
Max Steel
TV · as (voice) · 1 ep
Girlfriends
TV · as Attendant · 1 ep
Life
Movie · as Willie Long
Introducing Dorothy Dandridge
Movie · as Harold Nicholas
The Apartment Complex
Movie · as Chett
Family Law
TV · as Philip Hamilton · 1 ep
Dawson's Creek
TV · as Howard Green · 8 eps
The Temptations
TV · as Berry Gordy · 2 eps
Miss Evers' Boys
Movie · as Willie Johnson
Spy Game
TV · as Lieutenant Wardell · 1 ep
Multiplicity
Movie · as Paul
Soul of the Game
Movie · as Cum Posey
That Thing You Do!
Movie · as Lamarr
The Cherokee Kid
Movie · as Isom Dart
The Tomorrow Man
Movie · as Brian Parish
Carpool
Movie · as Jeffery
Fatal Pursuit
Movie · as Trinidad
Born to Be Wild
Movie · as Interpreter
The Net
Movie · as FBI Agent (uncredited)
A Reason to Believe
Movie · as Prof. Thurman
The Outer Limits
TV · as Dr. Joseph Lennox · 1 ep
Sliders
TV · as Cezanne Brown · 1 ep
M.A.N.T.I.S.
Movie · as Cornell
Friends
TV · as Director · 1 ep
Chicago Hope
TV · as Charles Ellis · 2 eps
Touched by an Angel
TV · as Carter Evans · 1 ep
Undercover Blues
Movie · as Sawyer
Philadelphia
Movie · as Jerome Green
Necronomicon
Movie · as Paul
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
TV · as Mongoose · 1 ep
The Importance of Being Earnest
Movie · as Lane
The Human Factor
TV · 1 ep
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper
TV · as Jameson Walker · 1 ep
The Silence of the Lambs
Movie · as TV Anchor Man
Dead Again
Movie · as Syd
Miami Blues
Movie · as Blink Willie
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
TV · as Gordy Berry · 2 eps
Tales from the Crypt
TV · as Lieutenant Jamison · 1 ep
God Bless the Child
Movie · as Raymond Watkins
Married to the Mob
Movie · as The Face of Justice
Leonard Part 6
Movie · as Bongo Drummer
A Different World
TV · as Frank Benning · 1 ep
Matlock
TV · as Backstage Man · 1 ep
Treemonisha
Movie · as Zodzetrick
Baryshnikov on Broadway
Movie · as Dancer
An Evening with Liza Minnelli
Movie · as Self - Dancer