Ossie Davis

Acting

Ossie Davis

Born December 18, 1917Cogdell, Georgia, USA141 credits

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

Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues
2022Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues
as Self (archive footage)Movie
F
2006Folk Britannia
as Self (archival footage)TV
T
2005The Peace!
as SelfMovie
Deacons for Defense
2005Deacons for Defense
as Reverend 'Rev' GregoryMovie
U
2005Unstoppable
as SelfMovie
She Hate Me
2004She Hate Me
as Judge BuchananMovie
Proud
2004Proud
as Lorenzo DuFauMovie
Baadasssss!
2004Baadasssss!
as GranddadMovie
The L Word
2004The L Word
as Melvin PorterTV
Bubba Ho-tep
2002Bubba Ho-tep
as John F. "Jack" KennedyMovie
Feast of All Saints
2001Feast of All Saints
as Jean-JacquesMovie
The Legend of the Candy Cane
2001The Legend of the Candy Cane
as Julius (voice)Movie
Here's to Life!
2000Here's to Life!
as Duncan CoxMovie
Dinosaur
2000Dinosaur
as Yar (voice)Movie
Finding Buck McHenry
2000Finding Buck McHenry
as Buck McHenryMovie
The Unfinished Journey
1999The Unfinished Journey
as Narrator (voice)Movie
The Soul Collector
1999The Soul Collector
as MordecaiMovie
Third Watch
1999Third Watch
as Mr. ParkerTV
The Secret Path
1999The Secret Path
as Too TallMovie
A Vow to Cherish
1999A Vow to Cherish
as Alexander BillmanMovie
Doctor Dolittle
1998Doctor Dolittle
as Archer DolittleMovie
12 Angry Men
199712 Angry Men
as Juror 2Movie
4 Little Girls
19974 Little Girls
as Self - Actor and PlaywrightMovie
Miss Evers' Boys
1997Miss Evers' Boys
as Mr. EversMovie
Thomas Jefferson
1997Thomas Jefferson
as Narrator (voice)TV
I'm Not Rappaport
1996I'm Not Rappaport
as Midge CarterMovie
Get on the Bus
1996Get on the Bus
as Jeremiah / 'Pop'Movie
The West
1996The West
as SelfTV
JAG
1995JAG
as Terrence MinnerlyTV
The Client
1995The Client
as Judge Harry RooseveltTV
The Android Affair
1995The Android Affair
as Dr. WinstonMovie
Baseball
1994Baseball
as Various (voice)TV
The Client
1994The Client
as Harry RooseveltMovie
The Stand
1994The Stand
as Judge Richard FarrisTV
Grumpy Old Men
1993Grumpy Old Men
as ChuckMovie
Cop & ½
1993Cop & ½
as Detective in Squad RoomMovie
Goin' Back to T-Town
1993Goin' Back to T-Town
as NarratorMovie
Alex Haley's Queen
1993Alex Haley's Queen
as Parson DickTV
The Ernest Green Story
1993The Ernest Green Story
as GrandfatherMovie
L
1992Lincoln
as Frederick Douglas (voice)Movie
Malcolm X
1992Malcolm X
as Eulogy Performer (voice)Movie
Gladiator
1992Gladiator
as NoahMovie
Jungle Fever
1991Jungle Fever
as Reverend PurifyMovie
Evening Shade
1990Evening Shade
as Ponder BlueTV
Do the Right Thing
1989Do the Right Thing
as Da MayorMovie
B.L. Stryker
1989B.L. Stryker
as Oz JacksonTV
American Experience
1988American Experience
as Self - Harlem ResidentTV
School Daze
1988School Daze
as Coach OdomMovie
Sesame Street: Sleepytime Songs & Stories
1986Sesame Street: Sleepytime Songs & Stories
as Anansi the Spider (Sleepytime Songs and Stories) (voice)Movie
Avenging Angel
1985Avenging Angel
as Capt. Harry MoradianMovie
Harry & Son
1984Harry & Son
as RaymondMovie
The House of God
1984The House of God
as Dr. SandersMovie
Reading Rainbow
1983Reading Rainbow
as Self - Narrator (voice)TV
All God's Children
1980All God's Children
as Blaine WhitfieldMovie
Freedom Road
1979Freedom Road
as NarratorMovie
Hot Stuff
1979Hot Stuff
as Captain John GeibergerMovie
F
1979Freedom Man
as Benjamin BannekerMovie
King
1978King
as Rev. Martin Luther King Sr.TV
Countdown at Kusini
1976Countdown at Kusini
as Ernest MotapoMovie
Let's Do It Again
1975Let's Do It Again
as Elder JohnsonMovie
Gordon's War
1973Gordon's War
DirectorMovie
Wattstax
1973Wattstax
as Self (uncredited)Movie
Black Girl
1972Black Girl
DirectorMovie
Malcolm X
1972Malcolm X
as Eulogy (voice)Movie
The Sheriff
1971The Sheriff
as James LucasMovie
Kongi's Harvest
1970Kongi's Harvest
as NarratorMovie
Night Gallery
1969Night Gallery
as Osmond PortifoyMovie
Slaves
1969Slaves
as LukeMovie
Sam Whiskey
1969Sam Whiskey
as Jed HookerMovie
Teacher, Teacher
1969Teacher, Teacher
as Charles CarterMovie
Hawaii Five-O
1968Hawaii Five-O
as Ramon BorelleTV
The Scalphunters
1968The Scalphunters
as Joseph LeeMovie
The Outsider
1967The Outsider
as Lt. WagnerMovie
Black Liberation
1967Black Liberation
as NarratorMovie
A Man Called Adam
1966A Man Called Adam
as Nelson DavisMovie
Run for Your Life
1965Run for Your Life
as Frankie MortonTV
T
1965The Sun... the Sand... the Hill
as Jason King (archival footage)Movie
The Hill
1965The Hill
as Jacko KingMovie
12 O'Clock High
196412 O'Clock High
as Major Glenn LukeTV
Shock Treatment
1964Shock Treatment
as CapshawMovie
The Cardinal
1963The Cardinal
as Father GillisMovie
The Fugitive
1963The Fugitive
as Lt. Johnny GainesTV
Gone Are the Days!
1963Gone Are the Days!
as Reverend Purlie Victorious JudsonMovie
Hands of Inge
1962Hands of Inge
as Narrator (voice)Movie
John Brown's Raid
1960John Brown's Raid
as Dangerfield NewbyMovie
Bonanza
1959Bonanza
as Sam DavisTV
Tony Awards
1956Tony Awards
as Self - PresenterTV
Hallmark Hall of Fame
1951Hallmark Hall of Fame
as Charles CarterTV
Fourteen Hours
1951Fourteen Hours
as Cab Driver (uncredited)Movie
No Way Out
1950No Way Out
as John Brooks (uncredited)Movie
Kraft Television Theatre
1947Kraft Television Theatre
as The Emperor JonesTV