Ossie Davis
Acting
148
Acting Credits
5
Directed
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 ...
Known For
Filmography
Love in Exile
2026
Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues
2022
as Self (archive footage)
Folk Britannia
2006
as Self (archival footage)
The Peace!
2005
as Self
By Any Means Necessary: The Making of 'Malcolm X'
2005
as Self
Unstoppable
2005
as Self
Deacons for Defense
2005
as Reverend 'Rev' Gregory
The History Makers: Success
2005
as Self
Baadasssss!
2004
as Granddad
Beah: A Black Woman Speaks
2004
as Self
Proud
2004
as Lorenzo DuFau
She Hate Me
2004
as Judge Buchanan
The L Word
2004
as Melvin Porter
TV Revolution
2004
The Evolution of an American Filmmaker
2003
as Self
The Tuskegee Airmen: They Fought Two Wars
2003
as Narrator
Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property
2003
as Himself
Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives
2003
Bubba Ho-tep
2002
as John F. "Jack" Kennedy
Theater Talk: 'A Raisin in the Sun'
2002
as Self
Christianity: The First Two Thousand Years
2002
as Narrator
Neighborhoods: The Hidden Cities of San Francisco - The Fillmore
2001
as Narrator
Feast of All Saints
2001
as Jean-Jacques
The Legend of the Candy Cane
2001
as Julius (voice)
Dinosaur
2000
as Yar (voice)
Finding Buck McHenry
2000
as Buck McHenry
Here's to Life!
2000
as Duncan Cox
The Secret Path
1999
as Too Tall
The Soul Collector
1999
as Mordecai
Trans-Siberian Orchestra: The Ghosts of Christmas Eve
1999
as Caretaker
A Vow to Cherish
1999
as Alexander Billman
The Unfinished Journey
1999
as Narrator (voice)
Paul Robeson: Here I Stand
1999
as Self
Third Watch
1999
as Mr. Parker
Doctor Dolittle
1998
as Archer Dolittle
Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist
1998
as Self
Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood
1998
as Self
Christianity: The First 1000 Years
1998
as Himself - Narrator
12 Angry Men
1997
as Juror 2
Miss Evers' Boys
1997
as Mr. Evers
4 Little Girls
1997
as Self - Actor and Playwright
Jackie Robinson: Breaking Barriers
1997
as Narrator
Walter Matthau: Diamond in the Rough
1997
as Self
Thomas Jefferson
1997
as Narrator (voice)
I'm Not Rappaport
1996
as Midge Carter
Get on the Bus
1996
as Jeremiah / 'Pop'
Promised Land
1996
The West
1996
as Self
Promised Land
1996
as Erasmus Jones
The West
1996
as Self / John R. Gills (voice)
The Android Affair
1995
as Dr. Winston
Ray Alexander: A Menu for Murder
1995
as Uncle Phil
JAG
1995
as Terrence Minnerly
The Client
1995
as Judge Harry Roosevelt
Arthur Ashe: Citizen of the World
1994
as Narrator
The Client
1994
as Harry Roosevelt
Malcolm X: Make It Plain
1994
as Self
Ray Alexander: A Taste For Justice
1994
as Uncle Phil
Touched by an Angel
1994
as Gabriel
The Stand
1994
as Judge Richard Farris
Touched by an Angel
1994
as Erasmus Jones
Baseball
1994
as Various (voice)
The Stand
1994
as Judge Richard Farris (credit only)
Baseball
1994
as (voice)
Goin' Back to T-Town
1993
as Narrator
Grumpy Old Men
1993
as Chuck
The Ernest Green Story
1993
as Grandfather
Cop & ½
1993
as Detective in Squad Room
Alex Haley's Queen
1993
as Parson Dick
Malcolm X
1992
as Eulogy Performer (voice)
Gladiator
1992
as Noah
Lincoln
1992
as Frederick Douglas (voice)
Haiti: Killing the Dream
1992
The Real Malcolm X
1992
Jungle Fever
1991
as Reverend Purify
Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker
1991
as Self
Joe Versus the Volcano
1990
as Marshall
The Red Shoes
1990
Evening Shade
1990
as Ponder Blue
Do the Right Thing
1989
as Da Mayor
Making 'Do the Right Thing'
1989
as Self
B.L. Stryker
1989
as Oz Jackson
School Daze
1988
as Coach Odom
American Experience
1988
as Self - Harlem Resident
Sesame Street: Sleepytime Songs & Stories
1986
as Anansi the Spider (Sleepytime Songs and Stories) (voice)
American Masters
1986
as Self
Avenging Angel
1985
as Capt. Harry Moradian
Tyler Texas Black Film Collection
1985
as Himself
Harry & Son
1984
as Raymond
The House of God
1984
as Dr. Sanders
Marcus Garvey: Toward Black Nationhood
1984
as Narrator
Reading Rainbow
1983
as Self - Narrator (voice)
Death of a Prophet
1981
Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy "Satchel" Paige
1981
as Chuffy Russell
All God's Children
1980
as Blaine Whitfield
Hot Stuff
1979
as Captain John Geiberger
Freedom Road
1979
as Narrator
Freedom Man
1979
as Benjamin Banneker
Roots: The Next Generations
1979
as 'Dad' Jones
The Kennedy Center Honors
1978
as Self
King
1978
as Rev. Martin Luther King Sr.
Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid
1977
as Dr. Fredericks
The Tenth Level
1976
as Reed
Countdown at Kusini
1976
as Ernest Motapo
Let's Do It Again
1975
as Elder Johnson
Black Shadows on a Silver Screen
1975
as Narrator
Wattstax
1973
as Self (uncredited)
Malcolm X
1972
as Eulogy (voice)
The Sheriff
1971
as James Lucas
Kongi's Harvest
1970
as Narrator
Sam Whiskey
1969
as Jed Hooker
Teacher, Teacher
1969
as Charles Carter
Slaves
1969
as Luke
The Fall
1969
Night Gallery
1969
as Osmond Portifoy
Hawaii Five-O
1969
as Ramon Borelle
The Scalphunters
1968
as Joseph Lee
Still A Brother: Inside the Negro Middle Class
1968
as Narrator
The Name of the Game
1968
as Kubani
The Outsider
1967
as Lt. Wagner
Black Liberation
1967
as Narrator
Now is the Time
1967
as Self
A Man Called Adam
1966
as Nelson Davis
The Hill
1965
as Jacko King
The Sun... the Sand... the Hill
1965
as Jason King (archival footage)
The Sun... the Sand... the Hill
1965
as Jason King (archive footage)
Run for Your Life
1965
as Frankie Morton
Run for Your Life
1965
as Dave Corbett
Run for Your Life
1965
as Sgt. Dave Corbett
Shock Treatment
1964
as Capshaw
12 O'Clock High
1964
as Major Glenn Luke
Gone Are the Days!
1963
as Reverend Purlie Victorious Judson
The Cardinal
1963
as Father Gillis
The Great Adventure
1963
as John Ross
The Fugitive
1963
as Lt. Johnny Gaines
Hands of Inge
1962
as Narrator (voice)
The Defenders
1961
as Nixie
The Defenders
1961
as Officer Bond
The Defenders
1961
as Assistant District Attorney
The Defenders
1961
as District Attorney
The Defenders
1961
as District Attorney Daniel Jackson
John Brown's Raid
1960
as Dangerfield Newby
Bonanza
1959
as Sam Davis
Tony Awards
1956
as Self - Presenter
Fourteen Hours
1951
as Cab Driver (uncredited)
Hallmark Hall of Fame
1951
as Charles Carter
No Way Out
1950
as John Brooks (uncredited)
Kraft Television Theatre
1947
as The Emperor Jones