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