
Ossie Davis
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- 18 December 1917 · Cogdell, Georgia, USA
- Died
- 4 February 2005
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
Writing 7
- 2026Love in Exile · writer
- 2024Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch · writer
- 1983For Us, the Living: The Story of Medgar Evers · writer
- 1981Purlie · musical
- 1976Countdown at Kusini · screenplay
- 1970Cotton Comes to Harlem · screenplay
- 1963Gone Are the Days! · writer
Acting 103
- 2026Love in Exile
- 2022Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues as Self (archive footage)
- 2005The Peace! as Self
- 2005Deacons for Defense as Reverend 'Rev' Gregory
- 2005The History Makers: Success as Self
- 2005Unstoppable as Self
- 2005By Any Means Necessary: The Making of 'Malcolm X' as Self
- 2004She Hate Me as Judge Buchanan
- 2004Proud as Lorenzo DuFau
- 2004Baadasssss! as Granddad
- 2004Beah: A Black Woman Speaks as Self
- 2003The Evolution of an American Filmmaker as Self
- 2003The Tuskegee Airmen: They Fought Two Wars as Narrator
- 2003Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property as Himself
- 2003Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives
- 2002Theater Talk: 'A Raisin in the Sun' as Self
- 2002Bubba Ho-tep as John F. "Jack" Kennedy
- 2001Feast of All Saints as Jean-Jacques
- 2001Neighborhoods: The Hidden Cities of San Francisco - The Fillmore as Narrator
- 2001The Legend of the Candy Cane as Julius (voice)
- 2000Here's to Life! as Duncan Cox
- 2000Dinosaur as Yar (voice)
- 2000Finding Buck McHenry as Buck McHenry
- 1999The Unfinished Journey as Narrator (voice)
- 1999Trans-Siberian Orchestra: The Ghosts of Christmas Eve as Caretaker
- 1999The Soul Collector as Mordecai
- 1999The Secret Path as Too Tall
- 1999Paul Robeson: Here I Stand as Self
- 1999A Vow to Cherish as Alexander Billman
- 1998Doctor Dolittle as Archer Dolittle
- 1998Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood as Self
- 1998Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist as Self
- 199712 Angry Men as Juror 2
- 19974 Little Girls as Self - Actor and Playwright
- 1997Jackie Robinson: Breaking Barriers as Narrator
- 1997Miss Evers' Boys as Mr. Evers
- 1997Walter Matthau: Diamond in the Rough as Self
- 1996I'm Not Rappaport as Midge Carter
- 1996Get on the Bus as Jeremiah / 'Pop'
- 1995The Android Affair as Dr. Winston
- 1995Ray Alexander: A Menu for Murder as Uncle Phil
- 1994The Client as Harry Roosevelt
- 1994Ray Alexander: A Taste For Justice as Uncle Phil
- 1994The Stand as Judge Richard Farris
- 1994Malcolm X: Make It Plain as Self
- 1994Arthur Ashe: Citizen of the World as Narrator
- 1993Grumpy Old Men as Chuck
- 1993Cop & ½ as Detective in Squad Room
- 1993Goin' Back to T-Town as Narrator
- 1993The Ernest Green Story as Grandfather
- 1992Lincoln as Frederick Douglas (voice)
- 1992Malcolm X as Eulogy Performer (voice)
- 1992The Real Malcolm X
- 1992Haiti: Killing the Dream
- 1992Gladiator as Noah
- 1991Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker as Self
- 1991Jungle Fever as Reverend Purify
- 1990Joe Versus the Volcano as Marshall
- 1990The Red Shoes
- 1989Making 'Do the Right Thing' as Self
- 1989Do the Right Thing as Da Mayor
- 1988School Daze as Coach Odom
- 1986Sesame Street: Sleepytime Songs & Stories as Anansi the Spider (Sleepytime Songs and Stories) (voice)
- 1985Avenging Angel as Capt. Harry Moradian
- 1985Tyler Texas Black Film Collection as Himself
- 1984Harry & Son as Raymond
- 1984Marcus Garvey: Toward Black Nationhood as Narrator
- 1984The House of God as Dr. Sanders
- 1981Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy "Satchel" Paige as Chuffy Russell
- 1981Death of a Prophet
- 1980All God's Children as Blaine Whitfield
- 1979Freedom Road as Narrator
- 1979Hot Stuff as Captain John Geiberger
- 1979Freedom Man as Benjamin Banneker
- 1977Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid as Dr. Fredericks
- 1976The Tenth Level as Reed
- 1976Countdown at Kusini as Ernest Motapo
- 1975Let's Do It Again as Elder Johnson
- 1975Black Shadows on a Silver Screen as Narrator
- 1973Wattstax as Self (uncredited)
- 1972Malcolm X as Eulogy (voice)
- 1971The Sheriff as James Lucas
- 1970Kongi's Harvest as Narrator
- 1969Night Gallery as Osmond Portifoy
- 1969Slaves as Luke
- 1969Sam Whiskey as Jed Hooker
- 1969Teacher, Teacher as Charles Carter
- 1969The Fall
- 1968The Scalphunters as Joseph Lee
- 1968Still A Brother: Inside the Negro Middle Class as Narrator
- 1967The Outsider as Lt. Wagner
- 1967Now is the Time as Self
- 1967Black Liberation as Narrator
- 1966A Man Called Adam as Nelson Davis
- 1965The Sun... the Sand... the Hill as Jason King (archival footage)
- 1965The Hill as Jacko King
- 1964Shock Treatment as Capshaw
- 1963The Cardinal as Father Gillis
- 1963Gone Are the Days! as Reverend Purlie Victorious Judson
- 1962Hands of Inge as Narrator (voice)
- 1960John Brown's Raid as Dangerfield Newby
- 1951Fourteen Hours as Cab Driver (uncredited)
- 1950No Way Out as John Brooks (uncredited)
crew 1
- 1998Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist · thanks
Directing 5
- 1976Countdown at Kusini · director
- 1973Gordon's War · director
- 1972Black Girl · director
- 1970Cotton Comes to Harlem · director
- 1970Kongi's Harvest · director





