Acting
Ossie Davis
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.
Filmography
Love in Exile
Film · 2026
Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues
Film · 2022
Folk Britannia
Series · 2006
The Peace!
Film · 2005
By Any Means Necessary: The Making of 'Malcolm X'
Film · 2005
Unstoppable
Film · 2005
Deacons for Defense
Film · 2005
The History Makers: Success
Film · 2005
Baadasssss!
Film · 2004
Beah: A Black Woman Speaks
Film · 2004
Proud
Film · 2004
She Hate Me
Film · 2004
The L Word
Series · 2004
TV Revolution
Series · 2004
The Evolution of an American Filmmaker
Film · 2003
The Tuskegee Airmen: They Fought Two Wars
Film · 2003
Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property
Film · 2003
Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives
Film · 2003
Bubba Ho-tep
Film · 2002
Theater Talk: 'A Raisin in the Sun'
Film · 2002
Christianity: The First Two Thousand Years
Series · 2002
Neighborhoods: The Hidden Cities of San Francisco - The Fillmore
Film · 2001
Feast of All Saints
Film · 2001
The Legend of the Candy Cane
Film · 2001
Dinosaur
Film · 2000
Finding Buck McHenry
Film · 2000
Here's to Life!
Film · 2000
The Secret Path
Film · 1999
The Soul Collector
Film · 1999
Trans-Siberian Orchestra: The Ghosts of Christmas Eve
Film · 1999
A Vow to Cherish
Film · 1999
The Unfinished Journey
Film · 1999
Paul Robeson: Here I Stand
Film · 1999
Third Watch
Series · 1999
Doctor Dolittle
Film · 1998
Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist
Film · 1998
Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood
Film · 1998
Christianity: The First 1000 Years
Series · 1998
12 Angry Men
Film · 1997
Miss Evers' Boys
Film · 1997
4 Little Girls
Film · 1997
Jackie Robinson: Breaking Barriers
Film · 1997
Walter Matthau: Diamond in the Rough
Film · 1997
Thomas Jefferson
Series · 1997
I'm Not Rappaport
Film · 1996
Get on the Bus
Film · 1996
Promised Land
Series · 1996
The West
Series · 1996
Promised Land
Series · 1996
The West
Series · 1996
The Android Affair
Film · 1995
Ray Alexander: A Menu for Murder
Film · 1995
JAG
Series · 1995
The Client
Series · 1995
Arthur Ashe: Citizen of the World
Film · 1994
The Client
Film · 1994
Malcolm X: Make It Plain
Film · 1994
Ray Alexander: A Taste For Justice
Film · 1994
Touched by an Angel
Series · 1994
The Stand
Series · 1994
Touched by an Angel
Series · 1994
Baseball
Series · 1994
The Stand
Series · 1994
Baseball
Series · 1994
Goin' Back to T-Town
Film · 1993
Grumpy Old Men
Film · 1993
The Ernest Green Story
Film · 1993
Cop & ½
Film · 1993
Alex Haley's Queen
Series · 1993
Malcolm X
Film · 1992
Gladiator
Film · 1992
Lincoln
Film · 1992
Haiti: Killing the Dream
Film · 1992
The Real Malcolm X
Film · 1992
Jungle Fever
Film · 1991
Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker
Film · 1991
Joe Versus the Volcano
Film · 1990
The Red Shoes
Film · 1990
Evening Shade
Series · 1990
Do the Right Thing
Film · 1989
Making 'Do the Right Thing'
Film · 1989
B.L. Stryker
Series · 1989
School Daze
Film · 1988
American Experience
Series · 1988
Sesame Street: Sleepytime Songs & Stories
Film · 1986
American Masters
Series · 1986
Avenging Angel
Film · 1985
Tyler Texas Black Film Collection
Film · 1985
Harry & Son
Film · 1984
The House of God
Film · 1984
Marcus Garvey: Toward Black Nationhood
Film · 1984
Reading Rainbow
Series · 1983
Death of a Prophet
Film · 1981
Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy "Satchel" Paige
Film · 1981
All God's Children
Film · 1980
Hot Stuff
Film · 1979
Freedom Road
Film · 1979
Freedom Man
Film · 1979
Roots: The Next Generations
Series · 1979
The Kennedy Center Honors
Series · 1978
King
Series · 1978
Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid
Film · 1977
The Tenth Level
Film · 1976
Countdown at Kusini
Film · 1976
Let's Do It Again
Film · 1975
Black Shadows on a Silver Screen
Film · 1975
Wattstax
Film · 1973
Malcolm X
Film · 1972
The Sheriff
Film · 1971
Kongi's Harvest
Film · 1970
Sam Whiskey
Film · 1969
Teacher, Teacher
Film · 1969
Slaves
Film · 1969
The Fall
Film · 1969
Night Gallery
Film · 1969
Hawaii Five-O
Series · 1969
The Scalphunters
Film · 1968
Still A Brother: Inside the Negro Middle Class
Film · 1968
The Name of the Game
Series · 1968
The Outsider
Film · 1967
Black Liberation
Film · 1967
Now is the Time
Film · 1967
A Man Called Adam
Film · 1966
The Hill
Film · 1965
The Sun... the Sand... the Hill
Film · 1965
The Sun... the Sand... the Hill
Film · 1965
Run for Your Life
Series · 1965
Run for Your Life
Series · 1965
Run for Your Life
Series · 1965
Shock Treatment
Film · 1964
12 O'Clock High
Series · 1964
Gone Are the Days!
Film · 1963
The Cardinal
Film · 1963
The Great Adventure
Series · 1963
The Fugitive
Series · 1963
Hands of Inge
Film · 1962
The Defenders
Series · 1961
The Defenders
Series · 1961
The Defenders
Series · 1961
The Defenders
Series · 1961
The Defenders
Series · 1961
John Brown's Raid
Film · 1960
Bonanza
Series · 1959
Tony Awards
Series · 1956
Fourteen Hours
Film · 1951
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Series · 1951
No Way Out
Film · 1950
Kraft Television Theatre
Series · 1947