Person · Actor
Ossie Davis
A legendary actor and passionate activist, Ossie Davis navigates the challenges of race, art, and love in mid-20th century America alongside his iconic wife, Ruby Dee, as they fight for justice and leave an indelible mark on the stage and screen.
- Also:
- Writer
- Director
In short · Acted for seven decades — 75 credits.
Remembered for
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Biography
Ossie Davis was an American actor, director, writer, and activist known for his extensive career in theater, film, and television. He was married to actor Ruby Dee, and the two collaborated frequently over the course of their 50-year marriage. Davis received multiple awards, including an Emmy, a Grammy, and a Writers Guild of America Award, as well as nominations for additional Emmys, a Golden Globe, and a Tony. His contributions to the arts were recognized through his induction into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1994, the receipt of the National Medal of Arts in 1995, and a Kennedy Center honor in 2004.
Filmography · 61 of 61
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Director
4 creditsWriter
1 creditActor
56 credits
Proud(2004)
Lorenzo Dufau
Film
She Hate Me(2004)
Judge Buchanan
Film
Deacons for Defense(2003)
Reverend 'Rev' Gregory
Film
Baadasssss!(2003)
Granddad
Film
Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives(2003)
Reader
FilmWhy Can't We Be a Family Again?(2002)
Narrator
Film
Bubba Ho-Tep(2002)
Jack
Film
The Feast of All Saints(2001)
Jean-Jacques
Film
Dinosaur(2000)
Yar (voice)
Film
Here's to Life!(2000)
Duncan Cox
Film
Trans-Siberian Orchestra: The Ghosts of Christmas Eve(1999)
Caretaker
Film
The Unfinished Journey(1999)
Narration
Film
A Vow to Cherish(1999)
Alexander Billman
Film
The Secret Path(1999)
Too Tall
Film
The Soul Collector(1999)
Mordecai
Film
Doctor Dolittle(1998)
Archer Dolittle
Film
12 Angry Men(1997)
Juror #2
Film
Thomas Jefferson(1997)
Narrator
TV
Miss Evers' Boys(1997)
Mr. Evers
Film
Get on the Bus(1996)
Jeremiah
Film
I'm Not Rappaport(1996)
Midge Carter
Film
Promised Land(1996)
Erasmus Jones
TV
The Android Affair(1995)
Dr. Winston
Film
The Client(1995)
Judge Harry Roosevelt
TV
JAG(1995)
Terrence Minnerly (1 Episode)
TV
The Stand(1994)
Judge Richard Farris
TV
The Client(1994)
Harry Roosevelt
Film
Grumpy Old Men(1993)
Chuck
Film
Malcolm X(1992)
Eulogy Performer (voice)
Film
Jungle Fever(1991)
The Good Reverend Doctor Purify
Film
Awards & Nominations
1 nominationGolden Globe Awards
- Nom1968Golden Globe — Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
Originals
Streaming originals this person worked on.
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Additional credits14Show
Non-headline appearances — talk-show, awards-show, panel, and archive-footage credits, kept separate from the main filmography.
- Louis Armstrong's Black & BluesSelf (archive footage) · 2022
- What's My Name | Muhammad AliSelf · 2019
- And When I Die, I Won't Stay DeadSelf · 2015
- American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee BoggsSelf · 2013
- Beah: A Black Woman SpeaksSelf · 2003
- Nat Turner: A Troublesome PropertyHimself · 2003
- Spike Lee's '25th Hour': The Evolution of an American FilmmakerSelf · 2003
- The Century: America's TimeSelf · 1999
- Scandalize My Name: Stories from the BlacklistSelf · 1998
- 4 Little GirlsSelf - Actor and Playwright · 1997
- The African Burial Ground: An American DiscoverySelf - Narrator · 1994
- Preminger: Anatomy of a FilmmakerSelf · 1991
- Save the ChildrenSelf · 1973
- Still a Brother: Inside the Negro Middle ClassSelf - Narrator · 1968
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