Ossie Davis

Dec 18, 1917 - Feb 04, 2005 (87 years old) in Cogdell, Georgia, USA

Raiford Chatman "Ossie" Davis (December 18, 1917 – February 4, 2005) was an American actor, director, writer, and activist. He is best known for his roles in the Spike Lee-directed films Do the Right Thing and Malcolm X.

Known For

poster

Bonanza

Sam Davis

poster

JAG

Terrence Minnerly

poster

Tony Awards

Self - Presenter

poster

The Fugitive

Lt. Johnny Gaines

poster

Hawaii Five-O

Ramon Borelle

poster

Touched by an Angel

Gabriel

poster

American Experience

Self - Harlem Resident

poster

Third Watch

Mr. Parker

poster

The Name of the Game

Kubani

poster

Run for Your Life

Frankie Morton

Credits

Haiti: Killing the Dream Future

★ NR
Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues 2022

Self (archive footage)

★ 6.6
Folk Britannia 2006

Self (archival footage)

★ NR
The Peace! 2005

Self

★ 5
Deacons for Defense 2005

Reverend 'Rev' Gregory

★ 6.2
The History Makers: Success 2005

Self

★ NR
Unstoppable 2005

Self

★ NR
By Any Means Necessary: The Making of 'Malcolm X' 2005

Self

★ 5
She Hate Me 2004

Judge Buchanan

★ 5.2
Proud 2004

Lorenzo DuFau

★ 4.4
Baadasssss! 2004

Granddad

★ 6.5
TV Revolution 2004

★ NR
Beah: A Black Woman Speaks 2004

Self

★ NR
The L Word 2004

Melvin Porter

★ 7.6
The Evolution of an American Filmmaker 2003

Self

★ 7.3
The Tuskegee Airmen: They Fought Two Wars 2003

Narrator

★ NR
Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property 2003

Himself

★ 6.1
Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives 2003

★ 4.8
Theater Talk: 'A Raisin in the Sun' 2002

Self

★ NR
Bubba Ho-tep 2002

John F. "Jack" Kennedy

★ 6.5
Christianity: The First Two Thousand Years 2002

Narrator

★ 6
Feast of All Saints 2001

Jean-Jacques

★ 4.7
Neighborhoods: The Hidden Cities of San Francisco - The Fillmore 2001

Narrator

★ NR
The Legend of the Candy Cane 2001

Julius (voice)

★ NR
Here's to Life! 2000

Duncan Cox

★ NR
Dinosaur 2000

Yar (voice)

★ 6.6
Finding Buck McHenry 2000

Buck McHenry

★ NR
The Unfinished Journey 1999

Narrator (voice)

★ 6
Trans-Siberian Orchestra: The Ghosts of Christmas Eve 1999

Caretaker

★ 9
The Soul Collector 1999

Mordecai

★ 7.2
Third Watch 1999

Mr. Parker

★ 7.9
The Secret Path 1999

Too Tall

★ 7.6
Paul Robeson: Here I Stand 1999

Self

★ NR
A Vow to Cherish 1999

Alexander Billman

★ 6.2
Christianity: The First 1000 Years 1998

Himself - Narrator

★ NR
Doctor Dolittle 1998

Archer Dolittle

★ 5.7
Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood 1998

Self

★ NR
Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist 1998

Self

★ 7.7
12 Angry Men 1997

Juror 2

★ 7.7
4 Little Girls 1997

Self - Actor and Playwright

★ 7.2
Jackie Robinson: Breaking Barriers 1997

Narrator

★ 10
Miss Evers' Boys 1997

Mr. Evers

★ 6.3
Thomas Jefferson 1997

Narrator (voice)

★ 8
Walter Matthau: Diamond in the Rough 1997

Self

★ 6.5
I'm Not Rappaport 1996

Midge Carter

★ 5.6
Get on the Bus 1996

Jeremiah

★ 6.4
Promised Land 1996

★ 6.1
The West 1996

Self

★ 8.4
JAG 1995

Terrence Minnerly

★ 7.3
The Android Affair 1995

Dr. Winston

★ 5
Ray Alexander: A Menu for Murder 1995

Uncle Phil

★ NR
Touched by an Angel 1994

Gabriel

★ 7.2
Baseball 1994

Various (voice)

★ 7.3
The Client 1994

Harry Roosevelt

★ 6.7
Ray Alexander: A Taste For Justice 1994

Uncle Phil

★ NR
The Stand 1994

Judge Richard Farris

★ 6.8
Malcolm X: Make It Plain 1994

Self

★ 10
Arthur Ashe: Citizen of the World 1994

Narrator

★ NR
Grumpy Old Men 1993

Chuck

★ 6.7
Cop & ½ 1993

Detective in Squad Room

★ 4.5
Goin' Back to T-Town 1993

Narrator

★ NR
Alex Haley's Queen 1993

Parson Dick

★ 7.2
The Ernest Green Story 1993

Grandfather

★ 6.9
Lincoln 1992

Frederick Douglas (voice)

★ 6.8
Malcolm X 1992

Eulogy Performer (voice)

★ 7.5
Gladiator 1992

Noah

★ 7.6
Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker 1991

Self

★ 7.7
Jungle Fever 1991

Reverend Purify

★ 6.4
Evening Shade 1990

Ponder Blue

★ 5.6
Joe Versus the Volcano 1990

Marshall

★ 5.8
The Red Shoes 1990

★ NR
Making 'Do the Right Thing' 1989

Self

★ 6.7
Do the Right Thing 1989

Da Mayor

★ 7.8
B.L. Stryker 1989

Oz Jackson

★ 6
American Experience 1988

Self - Harlem Resident

★ 7.4
School Daze 1988

Coach Odom

★ 5.7
American Masters 1986

Self

★ 7.4
Sesame Street: Sleepytime Songs & Stories 1986

Anansi the Spider (Sleepytime Songs and Stories) (voice)

★ NR
Avenging Angel 1985

Capt. Harry Moradian

★ 5
Tyler Texas Black Film Collection 1985

Himself

★ 7
Harry & Son 1984

Raymond

★ 5.8
Marcus Garvey: Toward Black Nationhood 1984

Narrator

★ NR
The House of God 1984

Dr. Sanders

★ 2.7
Reading Rainbow 1983

Self - Narrator (voice)

★ 8.3
Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy "Satchel" Paige 1981

Chuffy Russell

★ 6
Death of a Prophet 1981

★ 4.1
All God's Children 1980

Blaine Whitfield

★ 4
Freedom Road 1979

Narrator

★ 4.8
Hot Stuff 1979

Captain John Geiberger

★ 7
Roots: The Next Generations 1979

Dad Jones

★ 7.5
Freedom Man 1979

Benjamin Banneker

★ NR
The Kennedy Center Honors 1978

Self

★ 7.4
King 1978

Rev. Martin Luther King Sr.

★ 6.4
Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid 1977

Dr. Fredericks

★ NR
The Tenth Level 1976

Reed

★ 5.1
Countdown at Kusini 1976

Ernest Motapo

★ NR
Let's Do It Again 1975

Elder Johnson

★ 6.9
Black Shadows on a Silver Screen 1975

Narrator

★ NR
Wattstax 1973

Self (uncredited)

★ 7
The Sheriff 1971

James Lucas

★ 6
Kongi's Harvest 1970

Narrator

★ 6
Night Gallery 1969

Osmond Portifoy

★ 6.9
Slaves 1969

Luke

★ 5.7
Sam Whiskey 1969

Jed Hooker

★ 5.6
Teacher, Teacher 1969

Charles Carter

★ NR
The Fall 1969

★ 7
Hawaii Five-O 1968

Ramon Borelle

★ 7.1
The Name of the Game 1968

Kubani

★ 6.8
The Scalphunters 1968

Joseph Lee

★ 6.4
Still A Brother: Inside the Negro Middle Class 1968

Narrator

★ NR
The Outsider 1967

Lt. Wagner

★ 6
Black Liberation 1967

Narrator

★ NR
A Man Called Adam 1966

Nelson Davis

★ 6
Run for Your Life 1965

Frankie Morton

★ 7.2
The Sun... the Sand... the Hill 1965

Jason King (archive footage)

★ 1
The Hill 1965

Jacko King

★ 7.5
12 O'Clock High 1964

Major Glenn Luke

★ 7.2
Shock Treatment 1964

Capshaw

★ 6.7
The Cardinal 1963

Father Gillis

★ 6.5
The Great Adventure 1963

John Ross

★ NR
The Fugitive 1963

Lt. Johnny Gaines

★ 7.2
Gone Are the Days! 1963

Reverend Purlie Victorious Judson

★ 6.7
Hands of Inge 1962

Narrator (voice)

★ NR
The Defenders 1961

Nixie

★ 5.9
John Brown's Raid 1960

Dangerfield Newby

★ NR
Bonanza 1959

Sam Davis

★ 7.5
Tony Awards 1956

Self - Presenter

★ 5.9
Hallmark Hall of Fame 1951

Charles Carter

★ 8.6
Fourteen Hours 1951

Cab Driver (uncredited)

★ 7.2
No Way Out 1950

John Brooks (uncredited)

★ 6.9
Kraft Television Theatre 1947

The Emperor Jones

★ 7.5

Images