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 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

poster

Bonanza

Sam Davis

poster

The Fugitive

Lt. Johnny Gaines

poster

JAG

Terrence Minnerly

poster

Reading Rainbow

Self - Narrator (voice)

poster

Tony Awards

Self - Presenter

poster

American Experience

Self - Harlem Resident

poster

Hawaii Five-O

Ramon Borelle

poster

Third Watch

Mr. Parker

poster

Touched by an Angel

Gabriel

poster

Kraft Television Theatre

The Emperor Jones

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)

★ 6.5
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

★ 7.4
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
The Real Malcolm X 1992

★ NR
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

★ 6.8
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

★ 6.6
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