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

The Fugitive

JAG

Bonanza

Third Watch

Tony Awards

American Experience

Hawaii Five-O

Touched by an Angel

All Movies (102)

• Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues2022 · as Self (archive footage)
• The Peace!2005 · as Self
• Deacons for Defense2005 · as Reverend 'Rev' Gregory
• The History Makers: Success2005 · as Self
• Unstoppable2005 · as Self
• By Any Means Necessary: The Making of 'Malcolm X'2005 · as Self
• She Hate Me2004 · as Judge Buchanan
• Proud2004 · as Lorenzo DuFau
• Baadasssss!2004 · as Granddad
• Beah: A Black Woman Speaks2004 · as Self
• The Evolution of an American Filmmaker2003 · as Self
• The Tuskegee Airmen: They Fought Two Wars2003 · as Narrator
• Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property2003 · as Himself
• Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives2003
• Theater Talk: 'A Raisin in the Sun'2002 · as Self
• Bubba Ho-tep2002 · as John F. "Jack" Kennedy
• Feast of All Saints2001 · as Jean-Jacques
• Neighborhoods: The Hidden Cities of San Francisco - The Fillmore2001 · as Narrator
• The Legend of the Candy Cane2001 · as Julius (voice)
• Here's to Life!2000 · as Duncan Cox
• Dinosaur2000 · as Yar (voice)
• Finding Buck McHenry2000 · as Buck McHenry
• The Unfinished Journey1999 · as Narrator (voice)
• Trans-Siberian Orchestra: The Ghosts of Christmas Eve1999 · as Caretaker
• The Soul Collector1999 · as Mordecai
• The Secret Path1999 · as Too Tall
• Paul Robeson: Here I Stand1999 · as Self
• A Vow to Cherish1999 · as Alexander Billman
• Doctor Dolittle1998 · as Archer Dolittle
• Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood1998 · as Self
• Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist1998 · as Self
• 12 Angry Men1997 · as Juror 2
• 4 Little Girls1997 · as Self - Actor and Playwright
• Jackie Robinson: Breaking Barriers1997 · as Narrator
• Miss Evers' Boys1997 · as Mr. Evers
• Walter Matthau: Diamond in the Rough1997 · as Self
• I'm Not Rappaport1996 · as Midge Carter
• Get on the Bus1996 · as Jeremiah / 'Pop'
• The Android Affair1995 · as Dr. Winston
• Ray Alexander: A Menu for Murder1995 · as Uncle Phil
• The Client1994 · as Harry Roosevelt
• Ray Alexander: A Taste For Justice1994 · as Uncle Phil
• Malcolm X: Make It Plain1994 · as Self
• Arthur Ashe: Citizen of the World1994 · as Narrator
• Grumpy Old Men1993 · as Chuck
• Cop & ½1993 · as Detective in Squad Room
• Goin' Back to T-Town1993 · as Narrator
• The Ernest Green Story1993 · as Grandfather
• Lincoln1992 · as Frederick Douglas (voice)
• Malcolm X1992 · as Eulogy Performer (voice)
• The Real Malcolm X1992
• Gladiator1992 · as Noah
• Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker1991 · as Self
• Jungle Fever1991 · as Reverend Purify
• Joe Versus the Volcano1990 · as Marshall
• The Red Shoes1990
• Making 'Do the Right Thing'1989 · as Self
• Do the Right Thing1989 · as Da Mayor
• School Daze1988 · as Coach Odom
• Sesame Street: Sleepytime Songs & Stories1986 · as Anansi the Spider (Sleepytime Songs and Stories) (voice)
• Avenging Angel1985 · as Capt. Harry Moradian
• Tyler Texas Black Film Collection1985 · as Himself
• Harry & Son1984 · as Raymond
• Marcus Garvey: Toward Black Nationhood1984 · as Narrator
• The House of God1984 · as Dr. Sanders
• Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy "Satchel" Paige1981 · as Chuffy Russell
• Death of a Prophet1981
• All God's Children1980 · as Blaine Whitfield
• Freedom Road1979 · as Narrator
• Hot Stuff1979 · as Captain John Geiberger
• Freedom Man1979 · as Benjamin Banneker
• Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid1977 · as Dr. Fredericks
• The Tenth Level1976 · as Reed
• Countdown at Kusini1976 · as Ernest Motapo
• Let's Do It Again1975 · as Elder Johnson
• Black Shadows on a Silver Screen1975 · as Narrator
• Wattstax1973 · as Self (uncredited)
• Malcolm X1972 · as Eulogy (voice)
• The Sheriff1971 · as James Lucas
• Kongi's Harvest1970 · as Narrator
• Night Gallery1969 · as Osmond Portifoy
• Slaves1969 · as Luke
• Sam Whiskey1969 · as Jed Hooker
• Teacher, Teacher1969 · as Charles Carter
• The Fall1969
• The Scalphunters1968 · as Joseph Lee
• Still A Brother: Inside the Negro Middle Class1968 · as Narrator
• The Outsider1967 · as Lt. Wagner
• Black Liberation1967 · as Narrator
• Now is the Time1967 · as Self
• A Man Called Adam1966 · as Nelson Davis
• The Sun... the Sand... the Hill1965 · as Jason King (archive footage)
• The Sun... the Sand... the Hill1965 · as Jason King (archival footage)
• The Hill1965 · as Jacko King
• Shock Treatment1964 · as Capshaw
• The Cardinal1963 · as Father Gillis
• Gone Are the Days!1963 · as Reverend Purlie Victorious Judson
• Hands of Inge1962 · as Narrator (voice)
• John Brown's Raid1960 · as Dangerfield Newby
• Fourteen Hours1951 · as Cab Driver (uncredited)
• No Way Out1950 · as John Brooks (uncredited)
• Haiti: Killing the Dream—

All TV Shows (45)

• Folk Britannia2006 · as Self (archival footage)
• TV Revolution2004
• The L Word2004 · as Melvin Porter
• Christianity: The First Two Thousand Years2002 · as Narrator
• Third Watch1999 · as Mr. Parker
• Christianity: The First 1000 Years1998 · as Himself - Narrator
• Thomas Jefferson1997 · as Narrator (voice)
• Promised Land1996
• Promised Land1996 · as Erasmus Jones
• The West1996 · as Self
• The West1996 · as Self / John R. Gills (voice)
• JAG1995 · as Terrence Minnerly
• The Client1995 · as Judge Harry Roosevelt
• Touched by an Angel1994 · as Gabriel
• Touched by an Angel1994 · as Erasmus Jones
• Baseball1994 · as Various (voice)
• Baseball1994 · as (voice)
• The Stand1994 · as Judge Richard Farris
• The Stand1994 · as Judge Richard Farris (credit only)
• Alex Haley's Queen1993 · as Parson Dick
• Evening Shade1990 · as Ponder Blue
• B.L. Stryker1989 · as Oz Jackson
• American Experience1988 · as Self - Harlem Resident
• American Masters1986 · as Self
• Reading Rainbow1983 · as Self - Narrator (voice)
• Roots: The Next Generations1979 · as 'Dad' Jones
• The Kennedy Center Honors1978 · as Self
• King1978 · as Rev. Martin Luther King Sr.
• Hawaii Five-O1968 · as Ramon Borelle
• The Name of the Game1968 · as Kubani
• Run for Your Life1965 · as Frankie Morton
• Run for Your Life1965 · as Sgt. Dave Corbett
• Run for Your Life1965 · as Dave Corbett
• 12 O'Clock High1964 · as Major Glenn Luke
• The Great Adventure1963 · as John Ross
• The Fugitive1963 · as Lt. Johnny Gaines
• The Defenders1961 · as Nixie
• The Defenders1961 · as Officer Bond
• The Defenders1961 · as District Attorney
• The Defenders1961 · as Assistant District Attorney
• The Defenders1961 · as District Attorney Daniel Jackson
• Bonanza1959 · as Sam Davis
• Tony Awards1956 · as Self - Presenter
• Hallmark Hall of Fame1951 · as Charles Carter
• Kraft Television Theatre1947 · as The Emperor Jones