Personal Info
Known For:
Acting
Birthday:
December 18, 1917
Place of Birth:
Cogdell, Georgia, USA
Social Media
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
Filmography
| Year | TV Show | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Folk Britannia | Self (archival footage) |
| 2004 | The L Word | Melvin Porter |
| 2004 | TV Revolution | |
| 2002 | Christianity: The First Two Thousand Years | Narrator |
| 1999 | Third Watch | Mr. Parker |
| 1998 | Christianity: The First 1000 Years | Himself - Narrator |
| 1997 | Thomas Jefferson | Narrator (voice) |
| 1996 | Promised Land | |
| 1996 | The West | Self |
| 1996 | Promised Land | Erasmus Jones |
| 1996 | The West | Self / John R. Gills (voice) |
| 1995 | JAG | Terrence Minnerly |
| 1995 | The Client | Judge Harry Roosevelt |
| 1994 | Touched by an Angel | Gabriel |
| 1994 | The Stand | Judge Richard Farris |
| 1994 | Touched by an Angel | Erasmus Jones |
| 1994 | Baseball | Various (voice) |
| 1994 | The Stand | Judge Richard Farris (credit only) |
| 1994 | Baseball | (voice) |
| 1993 | Alex Haley's Queen | Parson Dick |
| 1990 | Evening Shade | Ponder Blue |
| 1989 | B.L. Stryker | Oz Jackson |
| 1988 | American Experience | Self - Harlem Resident |
| 1986 | American Masters | Self |
| 1983 | Reading Rainbow | Self - Narrator (voice) |
| 1979 | Roots: The Next Generations | 'Dad' Jones |
| 1978 | The Kennedy Center Honors | Self |
| 1978 | King | Rev. Martin Luther King Sr. |
| 1968 | Hawaii Five-O | Ramon Borelle |
| 1968 | The Name of the Game | Kubani |
| 1965 | Run for Your Life | Frankie Morton |
| 1965 | Run for Your Life | Sgt. Dave Corbett |
| 1965 | Run for Your Life | Dave Corbett |
| 1964 | 12 O'Clock High | Major Glenn Luke |
| 1963 | The Great Adventure | John Ross |
| 1963 | The Fugitive | Lt. Johnny Gaines |
| 1961 | The Defenders | Nixie |
| 1961 | The Defenders | Officer Bond |
| 1961 | The Defenders | District Attorney |
| 1961 | The Defenders | Assistant District Attorney |
| 1961 | The Defenders | District Attorney Daniel Jackson |
| 1959 | Bonanza | Sam Davis |
| 1956 | Tony Awards | Self - Presenter |
| 1951 | Hallmark Hall of Fame | Charles Carter |
| 1947 | Kraft Television Theatre | The Emperor Jones |