
Ossie Davis
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 to Ruby Dee, with whom he frequently performed, from 1948 until his death.
Acting (87 movies)

Do the Right Thing
1989

Doctor Dolittle
1998

Jungle Fever
1991

Dinosaur
2000

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

Goin' Back to T-Town
1993

Joe Versus the Volcano
1990

Grumpy Old Men
1993

The Hill
1965

Sam Whiskey
1969

The Scalphunters
1968

12 Angry Men
1997

Bubba Ho-tep
2002

Baadasssss!
2004

Let's Do It Again
1975

I'm Not Rappaport
1996

Avenging Angel
1985

Get on the Bus
1996

The Secret Path
1999

Harry & Son
1984

Feast of All Saints
2001

The House of God
1984

Hot Stuff
1979

Finding Buck McHenry
2000

Malcolm X
1992

Here's to Life!
2000

Miss Evers' Boys
1997

John Brown's Raid
1960

The Evolution of an American Filmmaker
2003

The Red Shoes
1990

Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid
1977

A Man Called Adam
1966

Teacher, Teacher
1969

Gone Are the Days!
1963

The Tenth Level
1976

Still A Brother: Inside the Negro Middle Class
1968

The Soul Collector
1999

The Cardinal
1963

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

School Daze
1988

The Android Affair
1995

Countdown at Kusini
1976

Deacons for Defense
2005

Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues
2022

Slaves
1969

Fourteen Hours
1951

No Way Out
1950

Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist
1998

The Outsider
1967

4 Little Girls
1997

Malcolm X
1972

The Fall
1969

All God's Children
1980

Freedom Road
1979

Beah: A Black Woman Speaks
2004

The Ernest Green Story
1993

Gladiator
1992

Black Liberation
1967

Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property
2003

Trans-Siberian Orchestra: The Ghosts of Christmas Eve
1999

Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives
2003

A Vow to Cherish
1999

Night Gallery
1969

The Sheriff
1971

Death of a Prophet
1981

Theater Talk: 'A Raisin in the Sun'
2002

The Client
1994

Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker
1991

The History Makers: Success
2005

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

Black Shadows on a Silver Screen
1975

Malcolm X: Make It Plain
1994

The Legend of the Candy Cane
2001

Walter Matthau: Diamond in the Rough
1997

Sesame Street: Sleepytime Songs & Stories
1986

Hands of Inge
1962

She Hate Me
2004

Kongi's Harvest
1970

Shock Treatment
1964

The Unfinished Journey
1999

Paul Robeson: Here I Stand
1999

Ray Alexander: A Menu for Murder
1995

Ray Alexander: A Taste For Justice
1994

Cop & ½
1993

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

Wattstax
1973

The Real Malcolm X
1992
Directing (5 movies)
| Title | Year | Job |
|---|---|---|
| Gone Are the Days! | 1963 | Writer |
| Cotton Comes to Harlem | 1970 | Screenplay |
| Countdown at Kusini | 1976 | Screenplay |
| For Us, the Living: The Story of Medgar Evers | 1983 | Writer |
| Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch | 2024 | Writer |


