Actor

Ossie Davis

Birthday: December 18, 1917

Born in: Cogdell, Georgia, USA

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.

Movie Credits

Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues (2022) as Self (archive footage)
Age: 104
The Peace! (2005) as Self
Age: 87
Deacons for Defense (2005) as Reverend 'Rev' Gregory
Age: 87
The History Makers: Success (2005) as Self
Age: 87
Unstoppable (2005) as Self
Age: 87
By Any Means Necessary: The Making of 'Malcolm X' (2005) as Self
Age: 87
She Hate Me (2004) as Judge Buchanan
Age: 86
Proud (2004) as Lorenzo DuFau
Age: 86
Baadasssss! (2004) as Granddad
Age: 86
Beah: A Black Woman Speaks (2004) as Self
Age: 86
The Evolution of an American Filmmaker (2003) as Self
Age: 85
The Tuskegee Airmen: They Fought Two Wars (2003) as Narrator
Age: 85
Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property (2003) as Himself
Age: 85
Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives (2003)
Age: 85
Theater Talk: 'A Raisin in the Sun' (2002) as Self
Age: 84
Bubba Ho-tep (2002) as John F. "Jack" Kennedy
Age: 84
Feast of All Saints (2001) as Jean-Jacques
Age: 83
Neighborhoods: The Hidden Cities of San Francisco - The Fillmore (2001) as Narrator
Age: 83
The Legend of the Candy Cane (2001) as Julius (voice)
Age: 83
Here's to Life! (2000) as Duncan Cox
Age: 82
Dinosaur (2000) as Yar (voice)
Age: 82
Finding Buck McHenry (2000) as Buck McHenry
Age: 82
The Unfinished Journey (1999) as Narrator (voice)
Age: 82
Trans-Siberian Orchestra: The Ghosts of Christmas Eve (1999) as Caretaker
Age: 81
The Soul Collector (1999) as Mordecai
Age: 81
The Secret Path (1999) as Too Tall
Age: 81
Paul Robeson: Here I Stand (1999) as Self
Age: 81
A Vow to Cherish (1999) as Alexander Billman
Age: 81
Doctor Dolittle (1998) as Archer Dolittle
Age: 80
Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood (1998) as Self
Age: 80
Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist (1998) as Self
Age: 80
12 Angry Men (1997) as Juror 2
Age: 79
4 Little Girls (1997) as Self - Actor and Playwright
Age: 79
Jackie Robinson: Breaking Barriers (1997) as Narrator
Age: 79
Miss Evers' Boys (1997) as Mr. Evers
Age: 79
Walter Matthau: Diamond in the Rough (1997) as Self
Age: 79
I'm Not Rappaport (1996) as Midge Carter
Age: 79
Get on the Bus (1996) as Jeremiah
Age: 78
The Android Affair (1995) as Dr. Winston
Age: 77
Ray Alexander: A Menu for Murder (1995) as Uncle Phil
Age: 77
The Client (1994) as Harry Roosevelt
Age: 76
Ray Alexander: A Taste For Justice (1994) as Uncle Phil
Age: 76
Malcolm X: Make It Plain (1994) as Self
Age: 76
Arthur Ashe: Citizen of the World (1994) as Narrator
Age: 76
Grumpy Old Men (1993) as Chuck
Age: 76
Cop & ½ (1993) as Detective in Squad Room
Age: 75
Goin' Back to T-Town (1993) as Narrator
Age: 75
The Ernest Green Story (1993) as Grandfather
Age: 75
Lincoln (1992) as Frederick Douglas (voice)
Age: 75
Malcolm X (1992) as Eulogy Performer (voice)
Age: 74
The Real Malcolm X (1992)
Age: 74
Gladiator (1992) as Noah
Age: 74
Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker (1991) as Self
Age: 73
Jungle Fever (1991) as Reverend Purify
Age: 73
Joe Versus the Volcano (1990) as Marshall
Age: 72
The Red Shoes (1990)
Age: 72
Making 'Do the Right Thing' (1989) as Self
Age: 71
Do the Right Thing (1989) as Da Mayor
Age: 71
School Daze (1988) as Coach Odom
Age: 70
Sesame Street: Sleepytime Songs & Stories (1986) as Anansi the Spider (Sleepytime Songs and Stories) (voice)
Age: 68
Avenging Angel (1985) as Capt. Harry Moradian
Age: 67
Tyler Texas Black Film Collection (1985) as Himself
Age: 67
Harry & Son (1984) as Raymond
Age: 66
Marcus Garvey: Toward Black Nationhood (1984) as Narrator
Age: 66
The House of God (1984) as Dr. Sanders
Age: 66
Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy "Satchel" Paige (1981) as Chuffy Russell
Age: 63
Death of a Prophet (1981)
Age: 63
All God's Children (1980) as Blaine Whitfield
Age: 62
Freedom Road (1979) as Narrator
Age: 61
Hot Stuff (1979) as Captain John Geiberger
Age: 61
Freedom Man (1979) as Benjamin Banneker
Age: 61
Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid (1977) as Dr. Fredericks
Age: 59
The Tenth Level (1976) as Reed
Age: 58
Countdown at Kusini (1976) as Ernest Motapo
Age: 58
Let's Do It Again (1975) as Elder Johnson
Age: 57
Black Shadows on a Silver Screen (1975) as Narrator
Age: 57
Wattstax (1973) as Self (uncredited)
Age: 55
Malcolm X (1972) as Eulogy (voice)
Age: 54
The Sheriff (1971) as James Lucas
Age: 53
Kongi's Harvest (1970) as Narrator
Age: 52
Haiti: Killing the Dream (Unknown)
Age: Unknown
Night Gallery (1969) as Osmond Portifoy
Age: 51
Slaves (1969) as Luke
Age: 51
Sam Whiskey (1969) as Jed Hooker
Age: 51
Teacher, Teacher (1969) as Charles Carter
Age: 51
The Fall (1969)
Age: 51
The Scalphunters (1968) as Joseph Lee
Age: 50
Still A Brother: Inside the Negro Middle Class (1968) as Narrator
Age: 50
The Outsider (1967) as Lt. Wagner
Age: 49
Black Liberation (1967) as Narrator
Age: 49
Now is the Time (1967) as Self
Age: 49
A Man Called Adam (1966) as Nelson Davis
Age: 48
The Sun... the Sand... the Hill (1965) as Jason King (archive footage)
Age: 47
The Hill (1965) as Jacko King
Age: 47
Shock Treatment (1964) as Capshaw
Age: 46
The Cardinal (1963) as Father Gillis
Age: 45
Gone Are the Days! (1963) as Reverend Purlie Victorious Judson
Age: 45
Hands of Inge (1962) as Narrator (voice)
Age: 44
John Brown's Raid (1960) as Dangerfield Newby
Age: 42
Fourteen Hours (1951) as Cab Driver (uncredited)
Age: 33
No Way Out (1950) as John Brooks (uncredited)
Age: 32