Ossie Davis
Known For
Acting
Gender
Male
Birthday
Dec 18, 1917 (108 years old)
Place of Birth
Cogdell, Georgia, USA
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
| 2022 | Louis Armstrong's Black & BluesSelf (archive footage) | |
| 2006 | Folk BritanniaSelf (archival footage) | |
| 2005 | The Peace!Self | |
| 2005 | By Any Means Necessary: The Making of 'Malcolm X'Self | |
| 2005 | UnstoppableSelf | |
| 2005 | Deacons for DefenseReverend 'Rev' Gregory | |
| 2005 | The History Makers: SuccessSelf | |
| 2004 | Baadasssss!Granddad | |
| 2004 | Beah: A Black Woman SpeaksSelf | |
| 2004 | ProudLorenzo DuFau | |
| 2004 | She Hate MeJudge Buchanan | |
| 2004 | The L WordMelvin Porter | |
| 2004 | TV Revolution | |
| 2003 | The Evolution of an American FilmmakerSelf | |
| 2003 | The Tuskegee Airmen: They Fought Two WarsNarrator | |
| 2003 | Nat Turner: A Troublesome PropertyHimself | |
| 2003 | Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives | |
| 2002 | Bubba Ho-tepJohn F. "Jack" Kennedy | |
| 2002 | Theater Talk: 'A Raisin in the Sun'Self | |
| 2002 | Christianity: The First Two Thousand YearsNarrator | |
| 2001 | Neighborhoods: The Hidden Cities of San Francisco - The FillmoreNarrator | |
| 2001 | Feast of All SaintsJean-Jacques | |
| 2001 | The Legend of the Candy CaneJulius (voice) | |
| 2000 | DinosaurYar (voice) | |
| 2000 | Finding Buck McHenryBuck McHenry | |
| 2000 | Here's to Life!Duncan Cox | |
| 1999 | The Secret PathToo Tall | |
| 1999 | The Soul CollectorMordecai | |
| 1999 | Trans-Siberian Orchestra: The Ghosts of Christmas EveCaretaker | |
| 1999 | A Vow to CherishAlexander Billman | |
| 1999 | The Unfinished JourneyNarrator (voice) | |
| 1999 | Paul Robeson: Here I StandSelf | |
| 1999 | Third WatchMr. Parker | |
| 1998 | Doctor DolittleArcher Dolittle | |
| 1998 | Scandalize My Name: Stories from the BlacklistSelf | |
| 1998 | Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in HollywoodSelf | |
| 1998 | Christianity: The First 1000 YearsHimself - Narrator | |
| 1997 | 12 Angry MenJuror 2 | |
| 1997 | Miss Evers' BoysMr. Evers | |
| 1997 | 4 Little GirlsSelf - Actor and Playwright | |
| 1997 | Jackie Robinson: Breaking BarriersNarrator | |
| 1997 | Walter Matthau: Diamond in the RoughSelf | |
| 1997 | Thomas JeffersonNarrator (voice) | |
| 1996 | I'm Not RappaportMidge Carter | |
| 1996 | Get on the BusJeremiah / 'Pop' | |
| 1996 | Promised Land | |
| 1996 | The WestSelf | |
| 1996 | Promised LandErasmus Jones | |
| 1996 | The WestSelf / John R. Gills (voice) | |
| 1995 | The Android AffairDr. Winston | |
| 1995 | Ray Alexander: A Menu for MurderUncle Phil | |
| 1995 | JAGTerrence Minnerly | |
| 1995 | The ClientJudge Harry Roosevelt | |
| 1994 | Arthur Ashe: Citizen of the WorldNarrator | |
| 1994 | The ClientHarry Roosevelt | |
| 1994 | Malcolm X: Make It PlainSelf | |
| 1994 | Ray Alexander: A Taste For JusticeUncle Phil | |
| 1994 | Touched by an AngelGabriel | |
| 1994 | The StandJudge Richard Farris | |
| 1994 | Touched by an AngelErasmus Jones | |
| 1994 | BaseballVarious (voice) | |
| 1994 | The StandJudge Richard Farris (credit only) | |
| 1994 | Baseball(voice) | |
| 1993 | Goin' Back to T-TownNarrator | |
| 1993 | Grumpy Old MenChuck | |
| 1993 | The Ernest Green StoryGrandfather | |
| 1993 | Cop & ½Detective in Squad Room | |
| 1993 | Alex Haley's QueenParson Dick | |
| 1992 | Malcolm XEulogy Performer (voice) | |
| 1992 | GladiatorNoah | |
| 1992 | LincolnFrederick Douglas (voice) | |
| 1992 | The Real Malcolm X | |
| 1991 | Jungle FeverReverend Purify | |
| 1991 | Preminger: Anatomy of a FilmmakerSelf | |
| 1990 | Joe Versus the VolcanoMarshall | |
| 1990 | The Red Shoes | |
| 1990 | Evening ShadePonder Blue | |
| 1989 | Do the Right ThingDa Mayor | |
| 1989 | Making 'Do the Right Thing'Self | |
| 1989 | B.L. StrykerOz Jackson | |
| 1988 | School DazeCoach Odom | |
| 1988 | American ExperienceSelf - Harlem Resident | |
| 1986 | Sesame Street: Sleepytime Songs & StoriesAnansi the Spider (Sleepytime Songs and Stories) (voice) | |
| 1986 | American MastersSelf | |
| 1985 | Avenging AngelCapt. Harry Moradian | |
| 1985 | Tyler Texas Black Film CollectionHimself | |
| 1984 | Harry & SonRaymond | |
| 1984 | The House of GodDr. Sanders | |
| 1984 | Marcus Garvey: Toward Black NationhoodNarrator | |
| 1983 | Reading RainbowSelf - Narrator (voice) | |
| 1981 | Death of a Prophet | |
| 1981 | Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy "Satchel" PaigeChuffy Russell | |
| 1980 | All God's ChildrenBlaine Whitfield | |
| 1979 | Hot StuffCaptain John Geiberger | |
| 1979 | Freedom RoadNarrator | |
| 1979 | Freedom ManBenjamin Banneker | |
| 1979 | Roots: The Next Generations'Dad' Jones | |
| 1978 | The Kennedy Center HonorsSelf | |
| 1978 | KingRev. Martin Luther King Sr. | |
| 1977 | Billy: Portrait of a Street KidDr. Fredericks | |
| 1976 | The Tenth LevelReed | |
| 1976 | Countdown at KusiniErnest Motapo | |
| 1975 | Let's Do It AgainElder Johnson | |
| 1975 | Black Shadows on a Silver ScreenNarrator | |
| 1973 | WattstaxSelf (uncredited) | |
| 1972 | Malcolm XEulogy (voice) | |
| 1971 | The SheriffJames Lucas | |
| 1970 | Kongi's HarvestNarrator | |
| 1969 | Sam WhiskeyJed Hooker | |
| 1969 | Teacher, TeacherCharles Carter | |
| 1969 | SlavesLuke | |
| 1969 | The Fall | |
| 1969 | Night GalleryOsmond Portifoy | |
| 1968 | The ScalphuntersJoseph Lee | |
| 1968 | Still A Brother: Inside the Negro Middle ClassNarrator | |
| 1968 | Hawaii Five-ORamon Borelle | |
| 1968 | The Name of the GameKubani | |
| 1967 | The OutsiderLt. Wagner | |
| 1967 | Black LiberationNarrator | |
| 1967 | Now is the TimeSelf | |
| 1966 | A Man Called AdamNelson Davis | |
| 1965 | The HillJacko King | |
| 1965 | The Sun... the Sand... the HillJason King (archival footage) | |
| 1965 | The Sun... the Sand... the HillJason King (archive footage) | |
| 1965 | Run for Your LifeFrankie Morton | |
| 1965 | Run for Your LifeDave Corbett | |
| 1965 | Run for Your LifeSgt. Dave Corbett | |
| 1964 | Shock TreatmentCapshaw | |
| 1964 | 12 O'Clock HighMajor Glenn Luke | |
| 1963 | Gone Are the Days!Reverend Purlie Victorious Judson | |
| 1963 | The CardinalFather Gillis | |
| 1963 | The Great AdventureJohn Ross | |
| 1963 | The FugitiveLt. Johnny Gaines | |
| 1962 | Hands of IngeNarrator (voice) | |
| 1961 | The DefendersNixie | |
| 1961 | The DefendersOfficer Bond | |
| 1961 | The DefendersDistrict Attorney | |
| 1961 | The DefendersAssistant District Attorney | |
| 1961 | The DefendersDistrict Attorney Daniel Jackson | |
| 1960 | John Brown's RaidDangerfield Newby | |
| 1959 | BonanzaSam Davis | |
| 1956 | Tony AwardsSelf - Presenter | |
| 1951 | Fourteen HoursCab Driver (uncredited) | |
| 1951 | Hallmark Hall of FameCharles Carter | |
| 1950 | No Way OutJohn Brooks (uncredited) | |
| 1947 | Kraft Television TheatreThe Emperor Jones | |
| - | Haiti: Killing the Dream |
| 1976 | Countdown at KusiniDirector | |
| 1973 | Gordon's WarDirector | |
| 1972 | Black GirlDirector | |
| 1970 | Cotton Comes to HarlemDirector | |
| 1970 | Kongi's HarvestDirector |
| 2024 | Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton PatchWriter | |
| 1983 | For Us, the Living: The Story of Medgar EversWriter | |
| 1981 | PurlieMusical | |
| 1976 | Countdown at KusiniScreenplay | |
| 1970 | Cotton Comes to HarlemScreenplay | |
| 1963 | Gone Are the Days!Writer | |
| 1963 | East Side/West SideWriter |
| 1998 | Scandalize My Name: Stories from the BlacklistThanks |