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Ossie Davis

Acting

Born: 1917-12-18
Died: 2005-02-04
From: Cogdell, Georgia, USA
Gender: Male
Popularity: 0.9

Also Known As

Ozzie DavisRaiford Chatman "Ossie" DavisRaiford Chatman 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.

Photos3

Awards & Nominations13 won · 15 nominated

🏆 Won

Grammy Award for Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording

2006
Nominated

Grammy Award for Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording

2006
🏆 Won

Marian Anderson Award

2005
Nominated

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series

The L Word

2005
🏆 Won

Kennedy Center Honors

2004
Nominated

NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special

Deacons for Defense

2004
🏆 Won

Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award

2001
🏆 Won

NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

City of Angels

2001
Nominated

NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Performance in a Youth/Children's Series or Special

2001
Nominated

NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

City of Angels

2001
🏆 Won

NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Promised Land

1999
Nominated

NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Promised Land

1999
Nominated

Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film

Miss Evers' Boys

1998
Nominated

NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture

Get on the Bus

1997
Nominated

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie

Miss Evers' Boys

1997
Nominated

NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

The Client

1996
🏆 Won

NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture

Do the Right Thing

1989
Nominated

NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture

Do the Right Thing

1989
🏆 Won

NAACP Image Award – Hall of Fame Award

1987
🏆 Won

Coretta Scott King Award

1979
Nominated

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

King

1978
🏆 Won

Paul Robeson Award

1975
Nominated

Tony Award for Best Musical

Purlie

1970
Nominated

Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture

The Scalphunters

1968
Nominated

Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical

1958
🏆 Won

Daytime Emmy Award

🏆 Won

James Parks Morton Interfaith Award

🏆 Won

National Medal of Arts

Acting121 titles

Neighborhoods: The Hidden Cities of San Francisco - The Fillmore
10.0
Movie

Neighborhoods: The Hidden Cities of San Francisco - The Fillmore

2001Documentary
Here's to Life!
10.0
Movie

Here's to Life!

2000Drama
The Red Shoes
10.0
Cartoon

The Red Shoes

1990Animation
Teacher, Teacher
10.0
Movie

Teacher, Teacher

1969Drama
Ray Alexander: A Taste For Justice
10.0
Movie

Ray Alexander: A Taste For Justice

1994Thriller
The Great Adventure
10.0
Series

The Great Adventure

1963-1964Drama
Malcolm X: Make It Plain
9.0
Movie

Malcolm X: Make It Plain

1994Documentary
The Legend of the Candy Cane
9.0
Cartoon

The Legend of the Candy Cane

2001Animation
Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood
9.0
Movie

Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood

1998Documentary
Haiti: Killing the Dream
9.0
Movie

Haiti: Killing the Dream

2024Documentary
Hallmark Hall of Fame
8.8
Series

Hallmark Hall of Fame

1951 - ...Drama
The West
8.4
Series

The West

1996Documentary
Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist
8.3
Movie

Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist

1998Documentary
Reading Rainbow
8.3
Cartoon

Reading Rainbow

1983-2006Animation
Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid
8.0
Movie

Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid

1977Drama
The Outsider
8.0
Movie

The Outsider

1967Drama
Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker
8.0
Movie

Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker

1991Documentary
Paul Robeson: Here I Stand
8.0
Movie

Paul Robeson: Here I Stand

1999Documentary
The Real Malcolm X
8.0
Movie

The Real Malcolm X

1992Documentary
Trans-Siberian Orchestra: The Ghosts of Christmas Eve
7.9
Movie

Trans-Siberian Orchestra: The Ghosts of Christmas Eve

1999Sci-Fi
Third Watch
7.9
Series

Third Watch

1999-2005Drama
Do the Right Thing
7.8
Movie

Do the Right Thing

1989Drama
Kraft Television Theatre
7.8
Series

Kraft Television Theatre

1947 - ...Drama
12 Angry Men
7.7
Movie

12 Angry Men

1997Drama
The L Word
7.7
Series

The L Word

2004-2009Drama
Malcolm X
7.6
Movie

Malcolm X

1992Drama
Gladiator
7.6
Movie

Gladiator

1992Drama
The Hill
7.5
Movie

The Hill

1965Drama
The Secret Path
7.5
Movie

The Secret Path

1999Drama
Gone Are the Days!
7.5
Movie

Gone Are the Days!

1963Drama
Kongi's Harvest
7.5
Movie

Kongi's Harvest

1970Drama
Thomas Jefferson
7.5
Series

Thomas Jefferson

1997Documentary
Baseball
7.5
Series

Baseball

1994Documentary
Bonanza
7.5
Series

Bonanza

1959-1973Action
The Kennedy Center Honors
7.4
Series

The Kennedy Center Honors

1978 - ...Drama
Roots: The Next Generations
7.4
Series

Roots: The Next Generations

1979Drama
The Evolution of an American Filmmaker
7.3
Movie

The Evolution of an American Filmmaker

2003Documentary
The Soul Collector
7.3
Movie

The Soul Collector

1999Romance
Fourteen Hours
7.3
Movie

Fourteen Hours

1951Drama
JAG
7.3
Series

JAG

1995-2005Drama
The Fugitive
7.3
Series

The Fugitive

1963-1967Action
4 Little Girls
7.2
Movie

4 Little Girls

1997Documentary
The Fall
7.2
Movie

The Fall

1969Documentary
Touched by an Angel
7.2
Series

Touched by an Angel

1994-2003Sci-Fi
Hawaii Five-O
7.2
Series

Hawaii Five-O

1968-1980Action
12 O'Clock High
7.2
Series

12 O'Clock High

1964-1967Drama
The Ernest Green Story
7.1
Movie

The Ernest Green Story

1993Drama
Run for Your Life
7.1
Series

Run for Your Life

1965-1968Drama
Let's Do It Again
7.0
Movie

Let's Do It Again

1975Comedy
Hot Stuff
7.0
Movie

Hot Stuff

1979Comedy
Finding Buck McHenry
7.0
Movie

Finding Buck McHenry

2000Drama
Still A Brother: Inside the Negro Middle Class
7.0
Movie

Still A Brother: Inside the Negro Middle Class

1968Documentary
Countdown at Kusini
7.0
Movie

Countdown at Kusini

1976Drama
Tyler Texas Black Film Collection
7.0
Movie

Tyler Texas Black Film Collection

1985Drama
Ray Alexander: A Menu for Murder
7.0
Movie

Ray Alexander: A Menu for Murder

1995Thriller
Alex Haley's Queen
7.0
Series

Alex Haley's Queen

1993Drama
The Client
7.0
Series

The Client

1995-1996Drama
The Name of the Game
7.0
Series

The Name of the Game

1968-1971Action
American Masters
7.0
Series

American Masters

1986 - ...Documentary
No Way Out
6.9
Movie

No Way Out

1950Drama
Wattstax
6.9
Movie

Wattstax

1973Drama
Shock Treatment
6.8
Movie

Shock Treatment

1964Drama
The Stand
6.8
Series

The Stand

1994Sci-Fi
Grumpy Old Men
6.7
Movie

Grumpy Old Men

1993Comedy
Malcolm X
6.7
Movie

Malcolm X

1972Documentary
The Client
6.7
Movie

The Client

1994Drama
Dinosaur
6.6
Cartoon

Dinosaur

2000Action
The Cardinal
6.6
Movie

The Cardinal

1963Drama
Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy "Satchel" Paige
6.6
Movie

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

1981Drama
King
6.6
Series

King

1978Drama
Bubba Ho-tep
6.5
Movie

Bubba Ho-tep

2002Comedy
Baadasssss!
6.5
Movie

Baadasssss!

2004Drama
Miss Evers' Boys
6.5
Movie

Miss Evers' Boys

1997Drama
A Man Called Adam
6.5
Movie

A Man Called Adam

1966Drama
Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues
6.5
Movie

Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues

2022Documentary
All God's Children
6.5
Movie

All God's Children

1980Drama
Night Gallery
6.5
Movie

Night Gallery

1969Horror
Walter Matthau: Diamond in the Rough
6.5
Movie

Walter Matthau: Diamond in the Rough

1997Documentary
The Unfinished Journey
6.5
Movie

The Unfinished Journey

1999Documentary
Promised Land
6.5
Series

Promised Land

1996-1999Drama
American Experience
6.5
Series

American Experience

1988 - ...Documentary
Jungle Fever
6.4
Movie

Jungle Fever

1991Drama
The Scalphunters
6.4
Movie

The Scalphunters

1968Comedy
Get on the Bus
6.4
Movie

Get on the Bus

1996Drama
Deacons for Defense
6.4
Movie

Deacons for Defense

2005Drama
Slaves
6.3
Movie

Slaves

1969Drama
Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property
6.3
Movie

Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property

2003Documentary
The Defenders
6.3
Series

The Defenders

1961-1965Drama
B.L. Stryker
6.1
Series

B.L. Stryker

1989-1990Drama
By Any Means Necessary: The Making of 'Malcolm X'
6.0
Movie

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

2005Documentary
A Vow to Cherish
6.0
Movie

A Vow to Cherish

1999Drama
The Sheriff
6.0
Movie

The Sheriff

1971Drama
Christianity: The First Two Thousand Years
6.0
Series

Christianity: The First Two Thousand Years

2002 - ...Documentary
Joe Versus the Volcano
5.8
Movie

Joe Versus the Volcano

1990Comedy
Harry & Son
5.8
Movie

Harry & Son

1984Drama
The Tenth Level
5.8
Movie

The Tenth Level

1976Drama
Evening Shade
5.8
Series

Evening Shade

1990-1994Comedy
Doctor Dolittle
5.7
Movie

Doctor Dolittle

1998Comedy
I'm Not Rappaport
5.7
Movie

I'm Not Rappaport

1996Comedy
School Daze
5.7
Movie

School Daze

1988Comedy
Sam Whiskey
5.6
Movie

Sam Whiskey

1969Comedy
The Android Affair
5.3
Movie

The Android Affair

1995Sci-Fi
Avenging Angel
5.2
Movie

Avenging Angel

1985Action
Freedom Road
5.2
Movie

Freedom Road

1979Drama
Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives
5.2
Movie

Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives

2003Drama
She Hate Me
5.2
Movie

She Hate Me

2004Comedy
Feast of All Saints
4.8
Movie

Feast of All Saints

2001Romance
Proud
4.7
Movie

Proud

2004Drama
Cop & ½
4.6
Movie

Cop & ½

1993Action
Death of a Prophet
4.5
Movie

Death of a Prophet

1981Drama
The House of God
3.2
Movie

The House of God

1984Comedy
Goin' Back to T-Town
0
Movie

Goin' Back to T-Town

1993Documentary
John Brown's Raid
0
Movie

John Brown's Raid

1960Drama
Beah: A Black Woman Speaks
0
Movie

Beah: A Black Woman Speaks

2004Documentary
Black Liberation
0
Movie

Black Liberation

1967Documentary
Theater Talk: 'A Raisin in the Sun'
0
Movie

Theater Talk: 'A Raisin in the Sun'

2002Documentary
The History Makers: Success
0
Movie

The History Makers: Success

2005Documentary
Black Shadows on a Silver Screen
0
Movie

Black Shadows on a Silver Screen

1975Documentary
Sesame Street: Sleepytime Songs & Stories
0
Movie

Sesame Street: Sleepytime Songs & Stories

1986Drama
Hands of Inge
0
Movie

Hands of Inge

1962Documentary
Tony Awards
0
Series

Tony Awards

1956 - ...Drama

Directing5 titles

Kongi's Harvest
7.5
Movie

Kongi's Harvest

1970Drama
Countdown at Kusini
7.0
Movie

Countdown at Kusini

1976Drama
Gordon's War
6.8
Movie

Gordon's War

1973Action
Black Girl
6.8
Movie

Black Girl

1972Drama
Cotton Comes to Harlem
6.2
Movie

Cotton Comes to Harlem

1970Action

Writing7 titles

East Side/West Side
7.8
Series

East Side/West Side

1963-1964Drama
Gone Are the Days!
7.5
Movie

Gone Are the Days!

1963Drama
For Us, the Living: The Story of Medgar Evers
7.0
Movie

For Us, the Living: The Story of Medgar Evers

1983Drama
Countdown at Kusini
7.0
Movie

Countdown at Kusini

1976Drama
Purlie
6.5
Movie

Purlie

1981Drama
Cotton Comes to Harlem
6.2
Movie

Cotton Comes to Harlem

1970Action
Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch
0
Movie

Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch

2024Comedy

Crew1 title

Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist
8.3
Movie

Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist

1998Documentary