Discover
Ossie Davis was an American film, television and Broadway actor, director, poet, playwright, author, and civil rights activist.
Birth Name
Raiford Chatman Davis
Born
Tuesday, 18 December 1917
Died
Friday, 04 February 2005
Actor Filmography
| Title | Character | Year |
|---|
| Zinzun: A Revolutionary Activist | Self | 2023 |
| Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues | Self | 2022 |
| I Am Burt Reynolds | Self | 2020 |
| By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem | Self / Self - Actor and Civil Rights Activist | 2020 |
| King of Stage: The Woodie King Jr. Story | Self | 2018 |
| And when I die, I won't stay dead | Self | 2015 |
| 50 Years with Peter Paul and Mary | Self - Actor / Activist | 2014 |
| American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs | Self | 2013 |
| Mafia's Greatest Hits | Self | 2012 |
| For Love of Liberty: The Story of America's Black Patriots | (voice) | 2010 |
Actor Filmography
| Title | Character | Year |
|---|
| Zinzun: A Revolutionary Activist | Self | 2023 |
| Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues | Self | 2022 |
| I Am Burt Reynolds | Self | 2020 |
| By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem | Self / Self - Actor and Civil Rights Activist | 2020 |
| King of Stage: The Woodie King Jr. Story | Self | 2018 |
| And when I die, I won't stay dead | Self | 2015 |
| 50 Years with Peter Paul and Mary | Self - Actor / Activist | 2014 |
| American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs | Self | 2013 |
| Mafia's Greatest Hits | Self | 2012 |
| For Love of Liberty: The Story of America's Black Patriots | (voice) | 2010 |
| Mystères d'archives | Self | 2009 |
| Cinemassacre's Monster Madness | Jack | 2007 |
| The Peace! DVD | Himself / Self | 2005 |
| Peace | Self | 2005 |
| Character Studies | Self | 2005 |
| The 77th Annual Academy Awards | Self - Memorial Tribute | 2005 |
| The History Makers: Success | Himself | 2005 |
| Unstoppable: Conversation with Melvin Van Peebles, Gordon Parks, and Ossie Davis | Self | 2005 |
| By Any Means Necessary: The Making of 'Malcolm X' | Himself / Self | 2005 |
| She Hate Me | Judge Buchanan | 2004 |
| Proud | 2004 | |
| Apollo at 70: A Hot Night in Harlem | Self | 2004 |
| Baadasssss! | Granddad | 2004 |
| The L Word | Melvin Porter | 2004 |
| TV in Black: The First Fifty Years | (archive footage) | 2004 |
| Beah: A Black Woman Speaks | Himself / Self | 2003 |
| Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property | Himself / Self | 2003 |
| Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives | Reader | 2003 |
| XXI Century | Self - Actor | 2003 |
| Deacons for Defense | Reverend 'Rev' Gregory | 2003 |
| Presidio Med | Otis Clayton | 2002 |
| Hughes' Dream Harlem | Narrator | 2002 |
| Bubba Ho-Tep | Jack / John F. "Jack" Kennedy | 2002 |
| Counting on Democracy: The Untold Story of 175,000 Missing Votes in the 2000 Presidential Election | Self - Narrator | 2002 |
| Why Can't We Be a Family Again? | Narrator | 2002 |
| The Feast of All Saints | Jean-Jacques | 2001 |
| Philly | Gilbert Willoughby | 2001 |
| Legend of the Candy Cane | Julius (voice) / Julius | 2001 |
| Jazz | Self | 2001 |
| Here's to Life! | Duncan Cox | 2000 |
| Dinosaur | Yar (voice) / Yar | 2000 |
| Finding Buck McHenry | Buck McHenry | 2000 |
| Between the Lions | Woodcutter | 2000 |
| City of Angels | Henry, King of England / Henry Charles | 2000 |
| Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist | Himself / Self | 2000 |
| The Ghosts of Christmas Eve | The Caretaker | 1999 |
| The Soul Collector | Mordecai | 1999 |
| Third Watch | Mr. Parker | 1999 |
| Independent Lens | Narrator / Self | 1999 |
| The Century: America's Time | Self | 1999 |
| The Secret Path | Too Tall | 1999 |
| Paul Robeson: Here I Stand | Self | 1999 |
| The Directors | Self | 1999 |
| A Vow to Cherish | Alexander Billman | 1999 |
| Doctor Dolittle | Archer Dolittle | 1998 |
| 12 Angry Men | Juror #2 / Juror 2 | 1997 |
| 4 Little Girls | Self - Actor and Playwright | 1997 |
| Jackie Robinson: Breaking Barriers | Narrator | 1997 |
| Miss Evers' Boys | Mr. Evers | 1997 |
| Thomas Jefferson | Narrator | 1997 |
| Walter Matthau: Diamond in the Rough | Self | 1997 |
| I'm Not Rappaport | Midge Carter | 1996 |
| Get on the Bus | Jeremiah | 1996 |
| Cosby | Fred | 1996 |
| The West | Self / John R. Gills | 1996 |
| Promised Land | Erasmus Jones | 1996 |
| The Rosie O'Donnell Show | Self | 1996 |
| JAG | Terrence Minnerly | 1995 |
| The Client | Judge Harry Roosevelt | 1995 |
| The Android Affair | Dr. Winston | 1995 |
| Touched by an Angel | Erasmus Jones / Gabe / Gabriel | 1994 |
| Baseball | Various / Various (voice) / Self | 1994 |
| The Client | Harry Roosevelt | 1994 |
| The 48th Annual Tony Awards | Self - Presenter | 1994 |
| The Stand | Judge Richard Farris | 1994 |
| The African Burial Ground: An American Discovery | Self - Narrator | 1994 |
| Malcolm X: Make It Plain | Self | 1994 |
| Grumpy Old Men | Chuck | 1993 |
| Great Books | Self | 1993 |
| Cop & ½ | Detective in Squad Room | 1993 |
| Queen | Parson Dick | 1993 |
| The Great Depression | Self | 1993 |
| Lincoln | Frederick Douglas (voice) / Frederick Douglas | 1992 |
| Malcolm X | Eulogy Performer / Eulogy Performer (voice) | 1992 |
| Gladiator | Noah | 1992 |
| Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker | Self | 1991 |
| Jungle Fever | The Good Reverend Doctor Purify / Reverend Purify | 1991 |
| Evening Shade | Ponder Blue | 1990 |
| Joe Versus the Volcano | Marshall | 1990 |
| The Red Shoes | Narrator / Alphonse | 1990 |
| Making Do the Right Thing | Self | 1989 |
| Do the Right Thing | Da Mayor | 1989 |
| B.L. Stryker | Oz Jackson | 1989 |
| American Experience | Self - Harlem Resident / Narrator | 1988 |
| P.O.V. | Self | 1988 |
| School Daze | Coach Odom | 1988 |
| Eyes on the Prize | Self | 1987 |
| Nightlife | Self | 1986 |
| American Masters | Self / Narrator / Self - Host | 1986 |
| Sesame Street: Sleepytime Songs & Stories | Narrator (segment "Anansi Tale") / Anansi the Spider (Sleepytime Songs and Stories) (voice) | 1986 |
| Avenging Angel | Captain Harry Moradian / Capt. Harry Moradian | 1985 |
| Harry & Son | Raymond | 1984 |
| The House of God | Dr. Sanders | 1984 |
| Reading Rainbow | Self | 1983 |
| Death of a Prophet | Self | 1981 |
| All God's Children | Blaine Whitfield | 1980 |
| Freedom Road | Narrator | 1979 |
| Hot Stuff | Captain John Geiberger | 1979 |
| Roots: The Next Generations | Dad Jones | 1979 |
| King | Rev. Martin Luther King Sr. | 1978 |
| Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid | Dr. Fredericks | 1977 |
| The Tenth Level | Reed / Ben Reed | 1976 |
| Cool Red | Ernest Motapo | 1976 |
| NBC Special Treat | Mr. Elgin | 1975 |
| Let's Do It Again | Elder Johnson | 1975 |
| Bicentennial Minutes | Self - Narrator | 1974 |
| Wattstax | Self | 1973 |
| Malcolm X | Eulogy / Eulogy (voice) | 1972 |
| Actor's Choice | Self - performer | 1970 |
| Kongi's Harvest | Narrator | 1970 |
| Love, American Style | (segment "Love and High Spirits") | 1969 |
| The David Frost Show | Self | 1969 |
| Slaves | Luke | 1969 |
| Sam Whiskey | Jed Hooker | 1969 |
| Teacher, Teacher | Charles Carter | 1969 |
| The Fall | Self | 1969 |
| The Name of the Game | Kubani | 1968 |
| Hawaii Five-O | Ramon Borelle | 1968 |
| Still a Brother: Inside the Negro Middle Class | Narrator / Self - Host | 1968 |
| The Scalphunters | Joseph Lee | 1968 |
| The Outsider | Lt. Wagner | 1967 |
| N.Y.P.D. | Dempsey | 1967 |
| A Man Called Adam | Nelson Davis | 1966 |
| History of the Negro People | Self - Host | 1965 |
| Run for Your Life | Sgt. Dave Corbett / Frankie Morton / Dave Corbett | 1965 |
| The Hill | Jacko King | 1965 |
| Slattery's People | Jack Phillips | 1964 |
| 12 O'Clock High | Major Glenn Luke | 1964 |
| Shock Treatment | Capshaw | 1964 |
| The Cardinal | Father Gillis | 1963 |
| The Great Adventure | John Ross | 1963 |
| Gone Are the Days! | Reverend Purlie Victorious Judson | 1963 |
| The Fugitive | Lt. Johnny Gaines | 1963 |
| The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | Himself / Himself - Guest | 1962 |
| The Doctors and the Nurses | Dr. Farmer | 1962 |
| Accent on an American Summer | The Priest | 1962 |
| Car 54, Where Are You? | Officer Omar Anderson | 1961 |
| The Defenders | District Attorney Daniel Jackson / District Attorney / Officer Bond / Nixie / Assistant District Attorney | 1961 |
| CBS Repertoire Workshop | Father | 1960 |
| Play of the Week | Will Harris | 1959 |
| Bonanza | Sam Davis | 1959 |
| To Tell the Truth | Self - Panelist | 1956 |
| The Joe Louis Story | Bob | 1953 |
| Fourteen Hours | Cab Driver | 1951 |
| Showtime, U.S.A. | Self | 1950 |
| No Way Out | John Brooks | 1950 |
| The Ed Sullivan Show | Self - Singer | 1948 |
| Kraft Theatre | The Emperor Jones | 1947 |
Director Filmography
| Title | Year |
|---|
| Cool Red | 1976 |
| Gordon's War | 1973 |
| Black Girl | 1972 |
| Cotton Comes to Harlem | 1970 |
| Kongi's Harvest | 1970 |
| Year | Type | Category | Won |
|---|
| 2005 | Emmy | Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series | Nominated |
| 1997 | Emmy | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Special | Nominated |
| 1978 | Emmy | Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | Nominated |
| 1969 | Golden Globe | Best Supporting Actor | Nominated |
| 1969 | Emmy | Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role | Nominated |
