Ossie Davis

Ossie Davis

Acting

Born December 18, 1917 · Cogdell, Georgia, USA

5 films as director · Active 1970–1976

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 Schoo…

Known for

JAG

JAG

1995

Hawaii Five-O

Hawaii Five-O

1968

Bonanza

Bonanza

1959

Third Watch

Third Watch

1999

The Fugitive

The Fugitive

1963

Touched by an Angel

Touched by an Angel

1994

Touched by an Angel

Touched by an Angel

1994

American Experience

American Experience

1988

Directed(5)

Countdown at Kusini

1976Countdown at Kusini★ 7.0

Gordon's War

1973Gordon's War★ 6.8

Black Girl

1972Black Girl★ 6.8

Cotton Comes to Harlem

1970Cotton Comes to Harlem★ 6.2

Kongi's Harvest

1970Kongi's Harvest★ 7.5

Acting(136)

2026Love in Exile

2022Louis Armstrong's Black & BluesSelf (archive footage)

2006Folk BritanniaSelf (archival footage)

2005The Peace!Self

2005Deacons for DefenseReverend 'Rev' Gregory

2005The History Makers: SuccessSelf

2005UnstoppableSelf

2005By Any Means Necessary: The Making of 'Malcolm X'Self

2004She Hate MeJudge Buchanan

2004ProudLorenzo DuFau

2004Baadasssss!Granddad

2004TV Revolution

2004Beah: A Black Woman SpeaksSelf

2004The L WordMelvin Porter

2003The Evolution of an American FilmmakerSelf

2003The Tuskegee Airmen: They Fought Two WarsNarrator

2003Nat Turner: A Troublesome PropertyHimself

2003Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives

2002Theater Talk: 'A Raisin in the Sun'Self

2002Bubba Ho-tepJohn F. "Jack" Kennedy

2002Christianity: The First Two Thousand YearsNarrator

2001Feast of All SaintsJean-Jacques

2001Neighborhoods: The Hidden Cities of San Francisco - The FillmoreNarrator

2001The Legend of the Candy CaneJulius (voice)

2000Here's to Life!Duncan Cox

2000DinosaurYar (voice)

2000Finding Buck McHenryBuck McHenry

1999The Unfinished JourneyNarrator (voice)

1999Trans-Siberian Orchestra: The Ghosts of Christmas EveCaretaker

1999The Soul CollectorMordecai

1999Third WatchMr. Parker

1999The Secret PathToo Tall

1999Paul Robeson: Here I StandSelf

1999A Vow to CherishAlexander Billman

1998Christianity: The First 1000 YearsHimself - Narrator

1998Doctor DolittleArcher Dolittle

1998Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in HollywoodSelf

1998Scandalize My Name: Stories from the BlacklistSelf

199712 Angry MenJuror 2

19974 Little GirlsSelf - Actor and Playwright

1997Jackie Robinson: Breaking BarriersNarrator

1997Miss Evers' BoysMr. Evers

1997Thomas JeffersonNarrator (voice)

1997Walter Matthau: Diamond in the RoughSelf

1996I'm Not RappaportMidge Carter

1996Get on the BusJeremiah / 'Pop'

1996Promised Land

1996The WestSelf

1995JAGTerrence Minnerly

1995The ClientJudge Harry Roosevelt

1995The Android AffairDr. Winston

1995Ray Alexander: A Menu for MurderUncle Phil

1994Touched by an AngelGabriel

1994BaseballVarious (voice)

1994The ClientHarry Roosevelt

1994Ray Alexander: A Taste For JusticeUncle Phil

1994The StandJudge Richard Farris

1994Malcolm X: Make It PlainSelf

1994Arthur Ashe: Citizen of the WorldNarrator

1993Grumpy Old MenChuck

1993Cop & ½Detective in Squad Room

1993Goin' Back to T-TownNarrator

1993Alex Haley's QueenParson Dick

1993The Ernest Green StoryGrandfather

1992LincolnFrederick Douglas (voice)

1992Malcolm XEulogy Performer (voice)

1992The Real Malcolm X

1992Haiti: Killing the Dream

1992GladiatorNoah

1991Preminger: Anatomy of a FilmmakerSelf

1991Jungle FeverReverend Purify

1990Evening ShadePonder Blue

1990Joe Versus the VolcanoMarshall

1990The Red Shoes

1989Making 'Do the Right Thing'Self

1989Do the Right ThingDa Mayor

1989B.L. StrykerOz Jackson

1988American ExperienceSelf - Harlem Resident

1988School DazeCoach Odom

1986American MastersSelf

1986Sesame Street: Sleepytime Songs & StoriesAnansi the Spider (Sleepytime Songs and Stories) (voice)

1985Avenging AngelCapt. Harry Moradian

1985Tyler Texas Black Film CollectionHimself

1984Harry & SonRaymond

1984Marcus Garvey: Toward Black NationhoodNarrator

1984The House of GodDr. Sanders

1983Reading RainbowSelf - Narrator (voice)

1981Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy "Satchel" PaigeChuffy Russell

1981Death of a Prophet

1980All God's ChildrenBlaine Whitfield

1979Freedom RoadNarrator

1979Hot StuffCaptain John Geiberger

1979Roots: The Next Generations'Dad' Jones

1979Freedom ManBenjamin Banneker

1978The Kennedy Center HonorsSelf

1978KingRev. Martin Luther King Sr.

1977Billy: Portrait of a Street KidDr. Fredericks

1976The Tenth LevelReed

1976Countdown at KusiniErnest Motapo

1975Let's Do It AgainElder Johnson

1975Black Shadows on a Silver ScreenNarrator

1973WattstaxSelf (uncredited)

1972Malcolm XEulogy (voice)

1971The SheriffJames Lucas

1970Kongi's HarvestNarrator

1969Night GalleryOsmond Portifoy

1969Sam WhiskeyJed Hooker

1969Teacher, TeacherCharles Carter

1968Hawaii Five-ORamon Borelle

1968The Name of the GameKubani

1968The ScalphuntersJoseph Lee

1968Still A Brother: Inside the Negro Middle ClassNarrator

1967The OutsiderLt. Wagner

1967Black LiberationNarrator

1967Now is the TimeSelf

1966A Man Called AdamNelson Davis

1965Run for Your LifeFrankie Morton

1965The Sun... the Sand... the HillJason King (archival footage)

1965The HillJacko King

196412 O'Clock HighMajor Glenn Luke

1964Shock TreatmentCapshaw

1963The CardinalFather Gillis

1963The Great AdventureJohn Ross

1963The FugitiveLt. Johnny Gaines

1963Gone Are the Days!Reverend Purlie Victorious Judson

1962Hands of IngeNarrator (voice)

1961The DefendersNixie

1960John Brown's RaidDangerfield Newby

1959BonanzaSam Davis

1956Tony AwardsSelf - Presenter

1951Hallmark Hall of FameCharles Carter

1951Fourteen HoursCab Driver (uncredited)

1950No Way OutJohn Brooks (uncredited)

1947Kraft Television TheatreThe Emperor Jones