Biography
Tall, dignified veteran character player of the American stage and screen with a career spanning nearly half a century. With his wife and frequent collaborator, actor Ruby Dee, Davis was a staple of black theater. Both are longstanding political activists who were highly visible during the height of the civil rights movement and continue to speak out at rallies for progressive and humanitarian causes. Davis delivered the moving eulogy at the …
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Career Milestones
2006 | With wife Ruby Dee, created the spoken word album, "With Ossie And Ruby: In This Life Together" (released after his death in 2005) | |
2004 | Emmy nomincated guest starring role as Kit (Pam Grier) and Bette's (Jennifer Beals) father on the Showtime drama series "The L word" | |
2004 | Fifth collaboration with Spike Lee for the comedy "She Hate Me" | |
2004 | Cast in Mario Van Peebles' "Baadasssss!" | |
1998 | Starred opposite Eddie Murphy in the comedy "Doctor Dolittle" | |
1997 | Starred with Alfre Woodard and Laurence Fishburne in "Miss Evers' Boys," the true story of the US Government's 1932 Tuskeegee Syphilis Experiments | |
1996 | Cast in "Get on the Bus," Spike Lee's film about the Million Man March | |
1996 | Played recurring role in the CBS drama series "Promised Land" | |
1995 | Returned to series TV as regular in "John Grisham's 'The Client'", recreating his film role as a judge | |
1993 | Starred in Alex Haley's "Queen" a CBS miniseries | |
1992 | Eulogy Performer in Spike Lee's "Malcolm X" | |
1991 | Cast as The Good Reverend Doctor Purify in Spike Lee's "Jungle Fever" | |
1990 | Had a small role in "Joe Versus the Volcano" as Joe's driver, played by Tom Hanks | |
1990 | Worked with Reynolds again as part of the stellar ensemble for the CBS sitcom, "Evening Shade" playing the role of Ponder Blue; also narrated | |
1989 | Played Da Mayor in Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing" | |
1989 | Cast as a regular on "B.L. Stryker", part of "The ABC Mystery Movie", starring Burt Reynolds | |
1987 | Wrote first TV special, "Fussell's Landing" (also acted), an episode of "Ossie and Ruby" | |
1987 | Directed first TV special, "A Letter to Booker T." (also produced, hosted and acted), an episode of "Ossie and Ruby" | |
1987 | Served as producer on "Ossie and Ruby", a PBS dramatic anthology series | |
1986 | Starred in the Tony award-winning Broadway production of "I'm Not Rappaport" for 13 months | |
1984 | Executive produced and hosted first TV special, "Martin Luther King: The Dream and the Drum" (also acted) | |
1978 | Portrayed Martin Luther King, Sr. in the acclaimed NBC biopic miniseries "King"; nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Emmy | |
| With Dee, formed Emmalyn Enterprises, a film and TV production company | ||
| Headed Third World Cinema, a film production company, in the 1970s | ||
1970 | Feature directing debut, "Cotton Comes to Harlem" (also scripted) | |
| Co-hosted "The Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee Story Hour" on radio for 3 years | ||
1965 | Delivered the eulogy at the funeral of slain civil rights leader Malcolm X | |
| Directed and appeared in the musical "Take It From the Top", written by Dee | ||
1963 | Screenwriting debut with "Gone Are the Days," adapted from the play "Purlie Victorious"; also reprised his role in the feature film version | |
1961 | Wrote and starred in Broadway play, "Purlie Victorious"; later adapted into the musical "Purlie" (1970) which was nominated for a Tony award | |
1961 | Replaced Sidney Poitier in Broadway production of "A Raisin in the Sun" | |
1955 | Served as stage manager for the City Center production of "The World of Sholom Aleichem" | |
1951 | TV acting debut, "Green Pastures", on the Showtime Network | |
1950 | Film acting debut in "No Way Out" | |
1946 | Toured with Dee in a production of "Anna Lucasta" | |
1946 | Broadway acting debut as title character in "Jeb"; first collaboration with actress Ruby Dee, whom he married two years later | |
1942 | Served in the US military | |
1941 | Professional acting debut, in "Joy Exceeding Glory" with the Rose McClendon Players | |
| 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 | ||
Awards
2005 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor In a Drama Series in The L Word |
2000 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Life Achievement |
1997 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor In a Miniseries or Special in Miss Evers' Boys |
1978 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Continuing Performance By a Supporting Actor In a Drama Series in King |
1968 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture in The Scalphunters |