Ossie Davis
Ossie Davis
Biography
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
Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Known Credits
159
Gender
Male
Birthday
1917-12-18 (107 years old)
Place of Birth
Cogdell, Georgia, USA
Acting

2022

Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues as Self (archive footage)

2004

The L Word as Melvin Porter

2002

Bubba Ho-tep as John F. "Jack" Kennedy

2000

Dinosaur as Yar (voice)

2000

Here's to Life! as Duncan Cox

1999

Third Watch as Mr. Parker

1999

The Secret Path as Too Tall

1998

Doctor Dolittle as Archer Dolittle

1997

12 Angry Men as Juror 2

1996

Promised Land as Not available

1996

Promised Land as Erasmus Jones

1996

I'm Not Rappaport as Midge Carter

1995

JAG as Terrence Minnerly

1995

The Client as Judge Harry Roosevelt

1994

Touched by an Angel as Gabriel

1994

Touched by an Angel as Erasmus Jones

1994

The Stand as Judge Richard Farris

1994

The Stand as Judge Richard Farris (credit only)

1994

The Client as Harry Roosevelt

1994

Baseball as Various (voice)

1994

Baseball as (voice)

1993

Grumpy Old Men as Chuck

1993

The Ernest Green Story as Grandfather

1993

Cop & ½ as Detective in Squad Room

1993

Alex Haley's Queen as Parson Dick

1992

Malcolm X as Eulogy Performer (voice)

1992

Gladiator as Noah

1990

Evening Shade as Ponder Blue

1990

Joe Versus the Volcano as Marshall

1989

Do the Right Thing as Da Mayor

1988

American Experience as Self - Harlem Resident

1988

School Daze as Coach Odom

1986

American Masters as Self

1985

Avenging Angel as Capt. Harry Moradian

1983

Reading Rainbow as Self - Narrator (voice)

1981

Death of a Prophet as Not available

1979

Roots: The Next Generations as Dad Jones

1979

Freedom Man as Benjamin Banneker

1976

The Tenth Level as Reed

1976

Countdown at Kusini as Ernest Motapo

1973

Wattstax as Self (uncredited)

1968

Hawaii Five-O as Ramon Borelle

1968

The Name of the Game as Kubani

1968

The Scalphunters as Joseph Lee

1967

The Outsider as Lt. Wagner

1965

Run for Your Life as Frankie Morton

1965

Run for Your Life as Dave Corbett

1965

Run for Your Life as Sgt. Dave Corbett

1965

The Hill as Jacko King

1964

12 O'Clock High as Major Glenn Luke

1964

Shock Treatment as Capshaw

1963

The Fugitive as Lt. Johnny Gaines

1963

The Great Adventure as John Ross

1963

The Cardinal as Father Gillis

1961

The Defenders as Nixie

1961

The Defenders as Officer Bond

1961

The Defenders as District Attorney

1961

The Defenders as Assistant District Attorney

1961

The Defenders as District Attorney Daniel Jackson

1959

Bonanza as Sam Davis

1956

Tony Awards as Self - Presenter

1950

No Way Out as John Brooks (uncredited)

1947

Kraft Television Theatre as The Emperor Jones

NaN

Haiti: Killing the Dream as Not available

2006

Folk Britannia as Self (archival footage)

2005

Unstoppable as Self

2005

Deacons for Defense as Reverend 'Rev' Gregory

2005

The Peace! as Self

2004

Baadasssss! as Granddad

2004

She Hate Me as Judge Buchanan

2004

Proud as Lorenzo DuFau

2004

TV Revolution as Not available

2001

Feast of All Saints as Jean-Jacques

2001

The Legend of the Candy Cane as Julius (voice)

2000

Finding Buck McHenry as Buck McHenry

1999

A Vow to Cherish as Alexander Billman

1999

The Unfinished Journey as Narrator (voice)

1999

The Soul Collector as Mordecai

1998

Christianity: The First 1000 Years as Himself - Narrator

1997

Thomas Jefferson as Narrator (voice)

1997

Miss Evers' Boys as Mr. Evers

1997

4 Little Girls as Self - Actor and Playwright

1996

Get on the Bus as Jeremiah

1996

The West as Self

1996

The West as Self / John R. Gills (voice)

1995

The Android Affair as Dr. Winston

1993

Goin' Back to T-Town as Narrator

1992

Lincoln as Frederick Douglas (voice)

1992

The Real Malcolm X as Not available

1991

Jungle Fever as Reverend Purify

1990

The Red Shoes as Not available

1989

B.L. Stryker as Oz Jackson

1986

Sesame Street: Sleepytime Songs & Stories as Anansi the Spider (Sleepytime Songs and Stories) (voice)

1984

Harry & Son as Raymond

1984

The House of God as Dr. Sanders

1980

All God's Children as Blaine Whitfield

1979

Freedom Road as Narrator

1979

Hot Stuff as Captain John Geiberger

1978

King as Rev. Martin Luther King Sr.

1977

Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid as Dr. Fredericks

1975

Let's Do It Again as Elder Johnson

1972

Malcolm X as Eulogy (voice)

1971

The Sheriff as James Lucas

1970

Kongi's Harvest as Narrator

1969

Sam Whiskey as Jed Hooker

1969

Teacher, Teacher as Charles Carter

1969

Slaves as Luke

1969

Night Gallery as Osmond Portifoy

1969

The Fall as Not available

1967

Black Liberation as Narrator

1966

A Man Called Adam as Nelson Davis

1965

The Sun... the Sand... the Hill as Jason King (archive footage)

1965

The Sun... the Sand... the Hill as Jason King (archival footage)

1963

Gone Are the Days! as Reverend Purlie Victorious Judson

1962

Hands of Inge as Narrator (voice)

1960

John Brown's Raid as Dangerfield Newby

1951

Hallmark Hall of Fame as Charles Carter

1951

Fourteen Hours as Cab Driver (uncredited)