Ossie Davis
- Acting
- December 18, 1917 · Cogdell, Georgia, USA
- February 4, 2005
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
Filmography
- Love in Exile · Writer
- Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch · Writer, Story
- Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues · Self
- Folk Britannia · Self
- The Peace! · Self
- Deacons for Defense · Reverend 'Rev' Gregory
- The History Makers: Success · Self
- Unstoppable · Self
- By Any Means Necessary: The Making of 'Malcolm X' · Self
- She Hate Me · Judge Buchanan
- Proud · Lorenzo DuFau
- Baadasssss! · Granddad
- TV Revolution
- Beah: A Black Woman Speaks · Self
- The L Word · Melvin Porter
- The Evolution of an American Filmmaker · Self
- The Tuskegee Airmen: They Fought Two Wars · Narrator
- Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property · Self
- Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives
- Theater Talk: 'A Raisin in the Sun' · Self
- Bubba Ho-tep · John F. "Jack" Kennedy
- Christianity: The First Two Thousand Years · Narrator
- Feast of All Saints · Jean-Jacques
- Neighborhoods: The Hidden Cities of San Francisco - The Fillmore · Narrator
- The Legend of the Candy Cane · Julius (Voice)
- Here's to Life! · Duncan Cox
- Dinosaur · Yar (Voice)
- Finding Buck McHenry · Buck McHenry
- The Unfinished Journey · Narrator (Voice)
- Trans-Siberian Orchestra: The Ghosts of Christmas Eve · Caretaker
- The Soul Collector · Mordecai
- Third Watch · Mr. Parker
- The Secret Path · Too Tall
- Paul Robeson: Here I Stand · Self
- A Vow to Cherish · Alexander Billman
- Christianity: The First 1000 Years · Self
- Doctor Dolittle · Archer Dolittle
- Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood · Self
- Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist · Self, Thanks
- 12 Angry Men · Juror 2
- 4 Little Girls · Self
- Jackie Robinson: Breaking Barriers · Narrator
- Miss Evers' Boys · Mr. Evers
- Thomas Jefferson · Narrator (Voice)
- Walter Matthau: Diamond in the Rough · Self
- I'm Not Rappaport · Midge Carter
- Get on the Bus · Jeremiah / 'Pop'
- Promised Land · Erasmus Jones
- The West · Self, Self / John R. Gills (Voice)
- JAG · Terrence Minnerly
- The Client · Judge Harry Roosevelt
- The Android Affair · Dr. Winston
- Ray Alexander: A Menu for Murder · Uncle Phil
- Touched by an Angel · Gabriel, Erasmus Jones
- Baseball · Various (Voice), Voice
- The Client · Harry Roosevelt
- Ray Alexander: A Taste For Justice · Uncle Phil
- The Stand · Judge Richard Farris, Judge Richard Farris (credit only)
- Malcolm X: Make It Plain · Self
- Arthur Ashe: Citizen of the World · Narrator
- Grumpy Old Men · Chuck
- Cop & ½ · Detective in Squad Room
- Goin' Back to T-Town · Narrator
- Alex Haley's Queen · Parson Dick
- The Ernest Green Story · Grandfather
- Lincoln · Frederick Douglas (Voice)
- Malcolm X · Eulogy Performer (Voice)
- The Real Malcolm X
- Haiti: Killing the Dream
- Gladiator · Noah
- Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker · Self
- Jungle Fever · Reverend Purify
- Evening Shade · Ponder Blue
- Joe Versus the Volcano · Marshall
- The Red Shoes
- Making 'Do the Right Thing' · Self
- Do the Right Thing · Da Mayor
- B.L. Stryker · Oz Jackson
- American Experience · Self
- School Daze · Coach Odom