Ossie Davis
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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
Credits
The Client (1994)
as Harry Roosevelt
Dinosaur (2000)
as Yar (voice)
Do the Right Thing (1989)
as Da Mayor
Doctor Dolittle (1998)
as Archer Dolittle
Jungle Fever (1991)
as Reverend Purify
12 Angry Men (1997)
as Juror 2
Malcolm X (1992)
as Eulogy Performer (voice)
Grumpy Old Men (1993)
as Chuck
Gladiator (1992)
as Noah
Joe Versus the Volcano (1990)
as Marshall
Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues (2022)
as Self (archive footage)
Fourteen Hours (1951)
as Cab Driver (uncredited)
The Secret Path (1999)
as Too Tall
Bubba Ho-tep (2002)
as John F. "Jack" Kennedy
The Hill (1965)
as Jacko King
The Scalphunters (1968)
as Joseph Lee
School Daze (1988)
as Coach Odom
Get on the Bus (1996)
as Jeremiah / 'Pop'
The Cardinal (1963)
as Father Gillis
Let's Do It Again (1975)
as Elder Johnson
Feast of All Saints (2001)
as Jean-Jacques
She Hate Me (2004)
as Judge Buchanan
Cop & ½ (1993)
as Detective in Squad Room
Making 'Do the Right Thing' (1989)
as Self
Night Gallery (1969)
as Osmond Portifoy
A Man Called Adam (1966)
as Nelson Davis
No Way Out (1950)
as John Brooks (uncredited)
Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker (1991)
as Self
Avenging Angel (1985)
as Capt. Harry Moradian
Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives (2003)
Actor
Sam Whiskey (1969)
as Jed Hooker
Ray Alexander: A Taste For Justice (1994)
as Uncle Phil
I'm Not Rappaport (1996)
as Midge Carter
The House of God (1984)
as Dr. Sanders
Miss Evers' Boys (1997)
as Mr. Evers
The Ernest Green Story (1993)
as Grandfather
4 Little Girls (1997)
as Self - Actor and Playwright
Gone Are the Days! (1963)
as Reverend Purlie Victorious Judson
The Evolution of an American Filmmaker (2003)
as Self
John Brown's Raid (1960)
as Dangerfield Newby
Black Shadows on a Silver Screen (1975)
as Narrator
Hot Stuff (1979)
as Captain John Geiberger
A Vow to Cherish (1999)
as Alexander Billman
The Real Malcolm X (1992)
Actor
Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property (2003)
as Himself
Ray Alexander: A Menu for Murder (1995)
as Uncle Phil
Walter Matthau: Diamond in the Rough (1997)
as Self
All God's Children (1980)
as Blaine Whitfield
The Peace! (2005)
as Self
Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid (1977)
as Dr. Fredericks
The Legend of the Candy Cane (2001)
as Julius (voice)
Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist (1998)
as Self
Beah: A Black Woman Speaks (2004)
as Self
Paul Robeson: Here I Stand (1999)
as Self
Slaves (1969)
as Luke
Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy "Satchel" Paige (1981)
as Chuffy Russell
The History Makers: Success (2005)
as Self
The Tenth Level (1976)
as Reed
Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood (1998)
as Self
Baadasssss! (2004)
as Granddad
Here's to Life! (2000)
as Duncan Cox
Still A Brother: Inside the Negro Middle Class (1968)
as Narrator
By Any Means Necessary: The Making of 'Malcolm X' (2005)
as Self
Death of a Prophet (1981)
Actor
Goin' Back to T-Town (1993)
as Narrator
Harry & Son (1984)
as Raymond
The Unfinished Journey (1999)
as Narrator (voice)
The Soul Collector (1999)
as Mordecai
The Sun... the Sand... the Hill (1965)
as Jason King (archival footage)
Finding Buck McHenry (2000)
as Buck McHenry
Malcolm X: Make It Plain (1994)
as Self
Trans-Siberian Orchestra: The Ghosts of Christmas Eve (1999)
as Caretaker
Sesame Street: Sleepytime Songs & Stories (1986)
as Anansi the Spider (Sleepytime Songs and Stories) (voice)
Black Liberation (1967)
as Narrator
Freedom Road (1979)
as Narrator
Proud (2004)
as Lorenzo DuFau
Arthur Ashe: Citizen of the World (1994)
as Narrator
Wattstax (1973)
as Self (uncredited)
Theater Talk: 'A Raisin in the Sun' (2002)
as Self
Lincoln (1992)
as Frederick Douglas (voice)
Teacher, Teacher (1969)
as Charles Carter
Haiti: Killing the Dream (1992)
Actor
Neighborhoods: The Hidden Cities of San Francisco - The Fillmore (2001)
as Narrator
The Android Affair (1995)
as Dr. Winston
Marcus Garvey: Toward Black Nationhood (1984)
as Narrator
Shock Treatment (1964)
as Capshaw
The Outsider (1967)
as Lt. Wagner
The Sheriff (1971)
as James Lucas
Deacons for Defense (2005)
as Reverend 'Rev' Gregory
Now is the Time (1967)
as Self
Kongi's Harvest (1970)
as Narrator
Malcolm X (1972)
as Eulogy (voice)
Countdown at Kusini (1976)
as Ernest Motapo
Jackie Robinson: Breaking Barriers (1997)
as Narrator
Love in Exile (2026)
Actor
The Red Shoes (1990)
Actor
The Fall (1969)
Actor
The Tuskegee Airmen: They Fought Two Wars (2003)
as Narrator
Hands of Inge (1962)
as Narrator (voice)
Tyler Texas Black Film Collection (1985)
as Himself
Freedom Man (1979)
as Benjamin Banneker
Unstoppable (2005)
as Self