Ruby Dee
- Acting
- October 27, 1922 · Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- June 11, 2014
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).
Known for
Filmography
- Love in Exile
- Hollywood Black · Self
- Poitier's Walter Lee · Self
- Life's Essentials with Ruby Dee · Self
- Betty and Coretta · Narrator
- Long Distance Revolutionary: A Journey with Mumia Abu-Jamal · Self
- A Thousand Words · Annie McCall
- Video Girl · Valerie
- Politics of Love
- The Perfect Age of Rock 'n' Roll · Miss Candy
- A Place Out of Time: The Bordentown School · Narrator (Voice)
- America · Mrs. Harper
- Steam · Doris
- American Gangster · Mama Lucas
- All About Us · Ms. Ella
- In the Shadow of Hollywood: Race Movies and the Birth of Black Cinema · Self
- Our Paul: Remembering Paul Robeson · Self
- Discovering William Greaves · Self
- The Way Back Home · Maude
- No. 2 · Nanna Maria
- Iconoclasts · Self
- Their Eyes Were Watching God · Nanny
- Beah: A Black Woman Speaks · Self
- TV in Black: The First Fifty Years · (archive footage)
- Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives
- Theater Talk: 'A Raisin in the Sun' · Self
- Christianity: The First Two Thousand Years · Narrator
- Taking Back Our Town · Emelda West
- Feast of All Saints · Elsie Claviere
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation · Mary Wilson
- Finding Buck McHenry · Mrs. Henry
- A Storm in Summer · Grandmother
- The Unfinished Journey · Narrator (Voice)
- Little Bill
- Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years · Annie Elizabeth 'Bessie' Delany
- Baby Geniuses · Margo
- Paul Robeson: Here I Stand · Self
- Passing Glory · Mommit Porter
- A Time To Dance: The Life and Work of Norma Canner · Narrator
- Christianity: The First 1000 Years · Self
- The Wall · Mrs. Mitchell (segment "The Badge")
- Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood · Self
- A Simple Wish · Hortence
- Sports on the Silver Screen · Self
- Captive Heart: The James Mink Story · Indigo
- Mr. and Mrs. Loving · Sophia
- Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child · Grandma (Voice)
- Just Cause · Evangeline Ferguson
- Tuesday Morning Ride · Jennie
- Touched by an Angel · LaBelle Springbelt
- Whitewash · Grandmother (Voice)
- The Stand
- The Stand · Mother Abagail Freemantle
- After Goodbye · Narrator
- Cop & ½ · Rachel
- The Ernest Green Story · Lydia Wilson
- Middle Ages · Estelle Williams
- Color Adjustment · Narrator
- Jazztime Tale · Narrator (Voice)
- Jungle Fever · Lucinda Purify
- Decoration Day · Rowena
- The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson · Jackie's Mother
- Love at Large · Corrine Dart
- Zora is My Name! · Zora Neale Hurston
- Making 'Do the Right Thing' · Self
- Do the Right Thing · Mother Sister
- American Experience · Narrator (Voice)
- China Beach
- Lincoln · Elizabeth Keckley
- Spenser: For Hire
- The Golden Girls · Mammy Watkins
- The Atlanta Child Murders · Faye Williams
- Go Tell It on the Mountain · Mrs. Grimes
- Papua New Guinea: Anthropology on Trial · Vocals
- Reading Rainbow · Self
- Long Day's Journey Into Night · Mary Tyrone
- Cat People · Female
- American Playhouse · Mrs. Grimes, Zora Neale Hurston
- All God's Children · Irene Whitfield
- The Torture of Mothers: The Case of the Harlem Six