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IMDbPro

Ossie Davis(1917-2005)

  • Actor
  • Writer
  • Director
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Ossie Davis
Home Video Trailer from Sony Pictures Classics
Play trailer2:15
Baadasssss! (2003)
17 Videos
85 Photos
Ossie Davis was born on 18 December 1917 in Cogdell, Georgia, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Do the Right Thing (1989), Bubba Ho-Tep (2002) and The Client (1994). He was married to Ruby Dee. He died on 4 February 2005 in Miami Beach, Florida, USA.
BornDecember 18, 1917
DiedFebruary 4, 2005(87)
BornDecember 18, 1917
DiedFebruary 4, 2005(87)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • Nominated for 4 Primetime Emmys
    • 12 wins & 16 nominations total

Photos85

Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee in Jungle Fever (1991)
Ossie Davis in Television (1988)
Ossie Davis in The Android Affair (1995)
Sean Connery, Ossie Davis, Ian Hendry, and Jack Watson in The Hill (1965)
Ossie Davis in The Hill (1965)
Ossie Davis and Harry Andrews in The Hill (1965)
Sean Connery, Ossie Davis, Harry Andrews, Roy Kinnear, and Jack Watson in The Hill (1965)
Sean Connery, Ossie Davis, Roy Kinnear, and Jack Watson in The Hill (1965)
Ossie Davis in The Hill (1965)
Sean Connery and Ossie Davis in The Hill (1965)
Sean Connery, Ossie Davis, and Jack Watson in The Hill (1965)
Sean Connery, Ossie Davis, Ian Hendry, Roy Kinnear, Alfred Lynch, and Jack Watson in The Hill (1965)

Known for:

Samuel L. Jackson, Spike Lee, Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, John Turturro, Ruby Dee, Giancarlo Esposito, and Bill Nunn in Do the Right Thing (1989)
Do the Right Thing
8.0
  • Da Mayor
  • 1989
Ossie Davis and Bruce Campbell in Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)
Bubba Ho-Tep
6.9
  • Jack
  • 2002
Tommy Lee Jones, Susan Sarandon, and Brad Renfro in The Client (1994)
The Client
6.7
  • Harry Roosevelt
  • 1994
Ann-Margret, Jack Lemmon, and Walter Matthau in Grumpy Old Men (1993)
Grumpy Old Men
7.0
  • Chuck
  • 1993

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Actor

  • The L Word (2004)
    The L Word
    7.7
    TV Series
    • Melvin Porter
    • 2004–2005
  • Ossie Davis and Stephen Rea in Proud (2004)
    Proud
    5.6
    • Lorenzo Dufau
    • 2004
  • Anthony Mackie in She Hate Me (2004)
    She Hate Me
    5.3
    • Judge Buchanan
    • 2004
  • Catherine Bell, David James Elliott, and Tracey Needham in JAG (1995)
    JAG
    6.7
    TV Series
    • Terrence Minnerly
    • 2003
  • Mario Van Peebles in Baadasssss! (2003)
    Baadasssss!
    7.3
    • Granddad
    • 2003
  • Forest Whitaker in Deacons for Defense (2003)
    Deacons for Defense
    7.0
    TV Movie
    • Reverend 'Rev' Gregory
    • 2003
  • Roma Downey, John Dye, and Della Reese in Touched by an Angel (1994)
    Touched by an Angel
    6.0
    TV Series
    • Gabriel
    • Gabe
    • Erasmus Jones
    • 1996–2002
  • Blythe Danner, Dana Delany, Oded Fehr, Sasha Alexander, Paul Blackthorne, Julianne Nicholson, and Anna Deavere Smith in Presidio Med (2002)
    Presidio Med
    6.3
    TV Series
    • Otis Clayton
    • 2002
  • Ossie Davis and Bruce Campbell in Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)
    Bubba Ho-Tep
    6.9
    • Jack
    • 2002
  • Kim Delaney, Kyle Secor, Rick Hoffman, Diana Maria Riva, and Tom Everett Scott in Philly (2001)
    Philly
    7.3
    TV Series
    • Gilbert Willoughby
    • 2002
  • Gloria Reuben in The Feast of All Saints (2001)
    The Feast of All Saints
    6.5
    TV Movie
    • Jean-Jacques
    • 2001
  • Legend of the Candy Cane (2001)
    Legend of the Candy Cane
    6.1
    TV Movie
    • Julius (voice)
    • 2001
  • Jasmine Guy, Pam Arciero, Anthony Asbury, Bertice Berry, Tyler Bunch, Kim Carrell, Emilio Delgado, David Matthew Feldman, Alison Fraser, Denyce Graves, Karen Evans Kandel, James J. Kroupa, Peter Linz, Adrian Martinez, Kathryn Mullen, Fred Newman, Chris Phillips, Caroll Spinney, Matt Vogel, Ruth Westheimer, Steve Whitmire, Eric Jacobson, Jennifer Barnhart, Tim Lagasse, Heather Asch, BJ Guyer, Paul McGinnis, Trevor Heins, Misha Gonz-Cirkl, Richard O'Connor, Scott Dodson, Richard Zhuravenko, Charles Reese, Joe James, Stephen Scott Scarpulla, Brynn Williams, Brianna Montgomery, Nicole Brown, and Makeeba Mooncycle in Between the Lions (1999)
    Between the Lions
    7.1
    TV Series
    • Woodcutter
    • 2001
  • J.C. Leyendecker: The Great American Illustrator
    6.1
    TV Movie
    • Narrator
    • 2000
  • Here's to Life! (2000)
    Here's to Life!
    5.5
    • Duncan Cox
    • 2000

Writer

  • Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee in Hands Upon the Heart (1991)
    Hands Upon the Heart
    • Writer
    • 1991
  • Stacking (1987)
    American Playhouse
    7.3
    TV Series
    • Writer
    • 1983
  • Purlie (1982)
    Purlie
    8.8
    TV Movie
    • play "Purlie Victorious"
    • 1982
  • Countdown at Kusini (1976)
    Countdown at Kusini
    5.1
    • Writer
    • 1976
  • Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970)
    Cotton Comes to Harlem
    6.5
    • screenplay
    • 1970
  • History of the Negro People (1965)
    History of the Negro People
    TV Mini Series
    • adaptation
    • 1965
  • George C. Scott in East Side/West Side (1963)
    East Side/West Side
    8.6
    TV Series
    • story
    • written by
    • 1963
  • Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee in Purlie Victorious (1963)
    Purlie Victorious
    6.5
    • play "Purlie Victorious"
    • screenplay
    • 1963

Director

  • Crown Dick
    TV Movie
    • Director
    • 1987
  • Countdown at Kusini (1976)
    Countdown at Kusini
    5.1
    • Director
    • 1976
  • The CBS Festival of Lively Arts for Young People (1973)
    The CBS Festival of Lively Arts for Young People
    6.2
    TV Series
    • Director
    • 1974
  • Gordon's War (1973)
    Gordon's War
    6.4
    • Director
    • 1973
  • Black Girl (1972)
    Black Girl
    6.8
    • Director
    • 1972
  • Kongi's Harvest (1970)
    Kongi's Harvest
    6.5
    • Director
    • 1970
  • Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970)
    Cotton Comes to Harlem
    6.5
    • Director
    • 1970

Videos17

Official Trailer
Trailer 2:36
Official Trailer
Trailer
Trailer 0:31
Trailer
Trailer
Trailer 2:34
Trailer
Official Trailer
Trailer 3:14
Official Trailer
Official Trailer
Trailer 2:37
Official Trailer
Blu-ray Trailer
Trailer 2:10
Blu-ray Trailer
Do the Right Thing
Trailer 2:07
Do the Right Thing
Hot Stuff
Trailer 1:47
Hot Stuff
12 Angry Men (1997)
Trailer 0:56
12 Angry Men (1997)
Jungle Fever
Trailer 2:31
Jungle Fever
Get On the Bus
Trailer 2:24
Get On the Bus
Dr. Dolittle
Trailer 0:29
Dr. Dolittle

Personal details

Edit
  • Alternative name
    • Ozzie Davis
  • Height
    • 6′ 2¼″ (1.89 m)
  • Born
    • December 18, 1917
    • Cogdell, Georgia, USA
  • Died
    • February 4, 2005
    • Miami Beach, Florida, USA(natural causes)
  • Spouse
    • Ruby DeeDecember 9, 1948 - February 4, 2005 (his death, 3 children)
  • Children
      Guy Davis
  • Parents
      Kince Charles Davis
  • Relatives
      William Conan Davis(Sibling)
  • Other works
    Narrated "transit transit", a special one-year-later retrospective on how NYC's transit workers responded to the terrorist attacks of 9/11/01.
  • Publicity listings
    • 2 Biographical Movies
    • 1 Print Biography
    • 1 Portrayal
    • 16 Articles

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    Was a featured speaker at the funeral of both Martin Luther King and Malcolm X.
  • Quotes
    College ain't so much where you been as how you talk when you get back.
  • Trademark
    Deep commanding voice

FAQ16

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  • How old was Ossie Davis when he died?

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