Ossie Davis

With wife Ruby Dee, created the spoken word album, "With Ossie And Ruby: In This Life Together" (released after his death in 2005)

Cast in Mario Van Peebles' "Baadasssss!"

Emmy nomincated guest starring role as Kit (Pam Grier) and Bette's (Jennifer Beals) father on the Showtime drama series "The L word"

Fifth collaboration with Spike Lee for the comedy "She Hate Me"

Starred opposite Eddie Murphy in the comedy "Doctor Dolittle"

Starred with Alfre Woodard and Laurence Fishburne in "Miss Evers' Boys," the true story of the US Government's 1932 Tuskeegee Syphilis Experiments

Cast in "Get on the Bus," Spike Lee's film about the Million Man March

Played recurring role in the CBS drama series "Promised Land"

Returned to series TV as regular in "John Grisham's 'The Client'", recreating his film role as a judge

Starred in Alex Haley's "Queen" a CBS miniseries

Eulogy Performer in Spike Lee's "Malcolm X"

Cast as The Good Reverend Doctor Purify in Spike Lee's "Jungle Fever"

Had a small role in "Joe Versus the Volcano" as Joe's driver, played by Tom Hanks

Worked with Reynolds again as part of the stellar ensemble for the CBS sitcom, "Evening Shade" playing the role of Ponder Blue; also narrated

Cast as a regular on "B.L. Stryker", part of "The ABC Mystery Movie", starring Burt Reynolds

Played Da Mayor in Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing"

Directed first TV special, "A Letter to Booker T." (also produced, hosted and acted), an episode of "Ossie and Ruby"

Served as producer on "Ossie and Ruby", a PBS dramatic anthology series

Wrote first TV special, "Fussell's Landing" (also acted), an episode of "Ossie and Ruby"

Starred in the Tony award-winning Broadway production of "I'm Not Rappaport" for 13 months

Executive produced and hosted first TV special, "Martin Luther King: The Dream and the Drum" (also acted)

Portrayed Martin Luther King, Sr. in the acclaimed NBC biopic miniseries "King"; nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Emmy

Feature directing debut, "Cotton Comes to Harlem" (also scripted)

Delivered the eulogy at the funeral of slain civil rights leader Malcolm X

Screenwriting debut with "Gone Are the Days," adapted from the play "Purlie Victorious"; also reprised his role in the feature film version

Replaced Sidney Poitier in Broadway production of "A Raisin in the Sun"

Wrote and starred in Broadway play, "Purlie Victorious"; later adapted into the musical "Purlie" (1970) which was nominated for a Tony award

Served as stage manager for the City Center production of "The World of Sholom Aleichem"

TV acting debut, "Green Pastures", on the Showtime Network

Film acting debut in "No Way Out"

Broadway acting debut as title character in "Jeb"; first collaboration with actress Ruby Dee, whom he married two years later

Toured with Dee in a production of "Anna Lucasta"

Served in the US military

Professional acting debut, in "Joy Exceeding Glory" with the Rose McClendon Players

Co-hosted "The Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee Story Hour" on radio for 3 years

Directed and appeared in the musical "Take It From the Top", written by Dee

Headed Third World Cinema, a film production company, in the 1970s

Joined the Rose McClendon Players in Harlem NYC; remained for three years

Set out on foot from Waycross, GA for Washington, DC to attend Howard University

With Dee, formed Emmalyn Enterprises, a film and TV production company