Ossie Davis

Born Dec 18, 1917 in Cogdell, Georgia, USA

Actor and activist Raiford Chatman Davis won rave reviews with his 1946 acting debut in the title role of Jeb, opposite his future wife, Ruby Dee. Ossie Davis went on to appear with his wife Ruby Dee in nine films, and was a featured speaker at the funerals of both Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. He is best remembered as Ponder Blue in Evening Shade, Harry Roosevelt in The Client, Erasmus Jones in Promised Land and Melvin Porter in The L Word

Filmography

Shows & movies

And When I Die, I Won't Stay Dead as Self (archive footage)

2016

Documentary, History | 1h 30m

American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs as Ossie Davis

2013

Documentary | 1h 22m

By Any Means Necessary: The Making of Malcolm X as Ossie Davis

2005

Documentary | 30m

The Peace! as Ossie Davis

2005

Documentary, War | 2h 4m

Apollo at 70: A Hot Night in Harlem as Ossie Davis

2004

Documentary, Musical | 1h 35m

Proud as Lorenzo DuFau

2004

Drama | 1h 27m

Baadasssss! as Granddad

2004

Drama | 1h 48m

Beah: A Black Woman Speaks as Ossie Davis

2003

Documentary | 1h 30m

Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property as Himself

2003

Documentary | 58m

Deacons for Defense as Reverend 'Rev' Gregory

2003

Drama | 1h 35m

Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives

2003

Documentary | 1h 15m

Why Can't We Be a Family Again? as Narrator

2002

Documentary | 27m

The Tuskegee Airmen: They Fought Two Wars as Narrator

2002

Documentary | 1h

Bubba Ho-tep as Jack

2002

Comedy, Fantasy, Horror, Thriller | 1h 32m

Legend of the Candy Cane as Julius

2001

Comedy, Drama, Family, Animation | 42m

The Feast of All Saints as Jean-Jacques

1 season • 2001 • Ended

Mini-Series, Drama, Romance | 2h 20m

Trans-Siberian Orchestra - The Ghosts of Christmas Eve

2001

Family, Fantasy | 46m

Walter Matthau: Diamond in the Rough as Ossie Davis

2000

Documentary | 52m

Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist as Himself

2000

Documentary | 54m

Dinosaur as Yar

2000

Animation, Family | 1h 22m

Paul Robeson: Here I Stand as Ossie Davis

1999

Documentary | 1h 30m

Trans-Siberian Orchestra: The Ghosts of Christmas Eve as The Caretaker

1999

Fantasy, Musical, Family | 46m

A Vow to Cherish as Alexander Billman

1999

Drama, Family | 1h 24m

The Secret Path as Too Tall

1999

Drama | 1h 38m

Doctor Dolittle as Archer Dolittle

1998

Comedy, Family, Fantasy | 1h 25m

Jackie Robinson: Breaking Barriers as Narrator

1997

Documentary | 1h 55m

Thomas Jefferson as Narrator (voice)

1 season • 1997 • Ended

Documentary, History | 1h 27m

4 Little Girls as Himself - Actor and Playwright

1997

Documentary | 1h 42m

Miss Evers' Boys as Mr. Evers

1997

Drama | 1h 58m

12 Angry Men as Juror 2

1997

Crime, Drama | 1h 57m

VH-1 Legends

4 seasons • 1996 • Ended

Documentary, Musical | 45m

Get on the Bus as Jeremiah

1996

Drama | 2h

I'm Not Rappaport as Midge Carter

1996

Comedy | 2h 15m

The Android Affair as Dr. Winston

1996

Science Fiction | 1h 30m

Ray Alexander: A Menu for Murder as Uncle Phil

1995

Mystery, Crime, Drama | 1h 40m

The Client

1 season • 1995 • Ended

Drama, Crime, Thriller | 47m

Malcolm X: Make It Plain as Ossie Davis

1994

History, Documentary | 2h 30m

The African Burial Ground: An American Discovery as Self - Narrator

1994

Documentary | 1h 48m

Arthur Ashe: Citizen of the World as Ossie Davis

1994

Documentary, Sport | 59m

The Stand as Judge Richard Farris

1 season • 1994 • Ended

Science Fiction, Mini-Series, Horror, Fantasy, Drama | 1h 30m

The Client as Harry Roosevelt

1994

Crime, Drama, Mystery | 1h 59m

Alex Haley's Queen as Parson Dick

1 season • 1993 • Ended

Mini-Series, Drama, Romance, War | 1h 30m

The Ernest Green Story as Grandfather

1993

Drama | 1h 41m

Grumpy Old Men as Chuck

1993

Comedy, Drama | 1h 43m

Gladiator as Noah

1992

Action, Drama | 1h 41m

Michael Landon: Memories with Laughter and Love as Ossie Davis

1991

Documentary | 1h 43m

Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker as Ossie Davis

2016

Documentary | 2h 3m

Jungle Fever as Reverend Purify

1991

Drama | 2h 12m

Evening Shade as Ponder Blue

4 seasons • 1990 • Ended

Comedy | 25m

Joe Versus the Volcano as Marshall

1990

Comedy | 1h 42m

B.L. Stryker

2 seasons • 1989 • Ended

Adventure, Action, Suspense, Mystery | 1h 25m

Making 'Do the Right Thing' as Himself

1989

Documentary | 1h

Do the Right Thing as Da Mayor

1989

Drama | 2h

School Daze as Coach Odom

1988

Comedy, Drama | 2h 1m

Angel 2: Avenging Angel as Capt. Harry Moradian

1985

Action, Thriller | 1h 33m

The House of God as Dr. Sanders

1984

Comedy, Drama | 1h 48m

Harry & Son as Raymond

1984

Drama | 2h

Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy "Satchel" Paige as Chuffy Russell

1981

Drama, Sport | 1h 38m

Death of a Prophet

1981

Drama | 1h

Roots: The Next Generations as Dad Jones

1 season • 1979 • Ended

Mini-Series, Drama, History, War | 1h 25m

Freedom Road as Narrator

1979

Drama | 3h 6m

Hot Stuff as Captain John Geiberger

1979

Comedy | 1h 31m

King (1978) as Martin Luther King, Sr.

1 season • 1978 • Ended

Mini-Series, Drama, History | 4h

Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid as Dr. Fredericks

1988

Drama | 1h 38m

Countdown at Kusini as Ernest Motapo

1977

Drama, Action | 1h 41m

The Tenth Level as Ben Reed

1976

Drama | 1h 42m

Black Shadows on the Silver Screen as Narrator

1975

Documentary | 52m

Let's Do It Again as Elder Johnson

1975

Comedy, Crime | 1h 50m

Malcolm X as Eulogy (voice)

1972

Documentary | 1h 31m

The Sheriff as James Lucas

1971

Crime, Drama | 1h 13m

Teacher, Teacher as Charles Carter

1969

Drama | 1h 30m

Slaves as Luke

1969

| 1h 50m

Sam Whiskey as Jed Hooker

1969

Action, Comedy, Western | 1h 36m

Still A Brother: Inside the Negro Middle Class as Self - Host

1968

Documentary | 1h 30m

The Scalphunters as Joseph Lee

1968

Action, Comedy, Western | 1h 42m

A Man Called Adam as Nelson Davis

1966

Drama | 1h 39m

The Sun... the Sand... the Hill as Jason King (archive footage)

1965

Documentary | 7m

The Hill as Jacko King

1965

Drama | 2h 3m

Gone Are the Days! as Reverend Purlie Victorious Judson

1963

Comedy, Drama | 1h 39m

The Cardinal as Father Gillis

1963

Drama | 2h 55m