Ossie Davis

Biography

Ossie Davis was an American actor, director and writer whose career began in the theater with the Rose McClendon Players and who made his Broadway debut in Jeb in 1946. He earned a Tony nomination for Jamaica in 1958 and wrote and starred in the satirical farce Purlie Victorious, later adapted for film and stage. His film debut came in No Way Out in 1950, and he received a Golden Globe nomination for The Scalphunters. He directed Cotton Comes to Harlem, Black Girl and Gordon's War, and acted in School Daze (1988), Do the Right Thing (1989), Jungle Fever (1991), The Client (1994), Get on the Bus (1996), Dr. Dolittle (1998) and She Hate Me (2004), often in Spike Lee's films. He was Emmy-nominated for King and Miss Evers' Boys, and received the National Medal of Arts and Kennedy Center Honors.

87years old at death

Born December 18, 1917Cogdell
Died February 4, 2005Miami
Star sign: SagittariusThe sign runs November 22 to December 21
Also credited as Raiford Chatman Davis and Ossie

Movie Career

Films: 28
Career span: 54 years1950 to 2004

Genres

Drama61%, 17 films
Comedy39%, 11 films
History14%, 4 films
Crime11%, 3 films
Family11%, 3 films

First and latest

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Behind the camera
In 1961, Ossie Davis wrote and starred in the Broadway farce Purlie Victorious, which satirized the Confederate South. He played the title character, Purlie Victorious Judson, and the play became the 1963 film Gone Are the Days!.
Behind the camera
Davis directed Cotton Comes to Harlem, Black Girl and Gordon's War, and he was counted among the notable black directors of his generation, together with Melvin Van Peebles and Gordon Parks.

Ossie Davis movies on Netflix

She Hate Me2004IMDb rating 5.3as Judge Buchanan
Baadasssss!2003IMDb rating 7.3as Granddad
Bubba Ho-tep2002IMDb rating 6.9as Jack
Dinosaur2000IMDb rating 6.4as Yar (voice)
The Secret Path1999IMDb rating 7.7as Too Tall
Doctor Dolittle1998IMDb rating 5.5as Archer Dolittle
12 Angry Men1997IMDb rating 7.8as Juror 2
Miss Evers' Boys1997IMDb rating 7.1as Mr. Evers
Get on the Bus1996IMDb rating 6.9as Jeremiah
I'm Not Rappaport1996IMDb rating 6.5as Midge Carter
The Client1994IMDb rating 6.7as Harry Roosevelt
Cop & ½1993IMDb rating 4.3as Detective in Squad Room
Grumpy Old Men1993IMDb rating 7.0as Chuck
Jungle Fever1991IMDb rating 6.6as The Good Reverend Doctor Purify
Joe Versus the Volcano1990IMDb rating 5.9as Marshall
Do the Right Thing1989IMDb rating 7.9as Da Mayor
School Daze1988IMDb rating 6.1as Coach Odom
Harry & Son1984IMDb rating 5.8as Raymond
The House of God1984IMDb rating 5.6as Dr. Sanders
Death of a Prophet1981IMDb rating 4.3as Himself
Let's Do It Again1975IMDb rating 6.7as Elder Johnson
Wattstax1973IMDb rating 7.7as Himself
Night Gallery1969IMDb rating 7.5as Osmond Portifoy
Sam Whiskey1969IMDb rating 5.9as Jed Hooker
The Scalphunters1968IMDb rating 6.7as Joseph Lee
The Hill1965IMDb rating 7.8as Jacko King
The Cardinal1963IMDb rating 6.8as Father Gillis
No Way Out1950IMDb rating 7.4as John Brooks

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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Do the Right Thing1989 Dramaas Da Mayor
IMDb rating 7.9126K votes
Doctor Dolittle1998 Comedy, Family, Fantasyas Archer Dolittle
IMDb rating 5.5108K votes
Dinosaur2000as Yarvoice
IMDb rating 6.474K votes
Bubba Ho-tep2002as Jack
IMDb rating 6.955K votes
12 Angry Men1997as Juror 2
IMDb rating 7.821K votes
Joe Versus the Volcano1990as Marshall
IMDb rating 5.943K votes
Grumpy Old Men1993as Chuck
IMDb rating 7.058K votes
Jungle Fever1991as The Good Reverend Doctor Purify
IMDb rating 6.621K votes

Most often with

Spike Lee directed five of these films. Five actors appear in three of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Samuel L. Jackson

John Turturro

Ruby Dee

Spike Lee

Joie Lee

Morgan Freeman

Spike LeeDirector, 5 films

Films together

Samuel L. Jackson3 films together, 1988 to 1991
Samuel L. Jackson's page
- Jungle Fever1991IMDb rating 6.6Davis as The Good Reverend Doctor PurifyJackson as Gator Purify
- Do the Right Thing1989IMDb rating 7.9Davis as Da MayorJackson as Mister Señor Love Daddy
- School Daze1988IMDb rating 6.1Davis as Coach OdomJackson as Leeds
John Turturro3 films together, 1989 to 2004
John Turturro's page
- She Hate Me2004IMDb rating 5.3Davis as Judge BuchananTurturro as Don Angelo Bonasera
- Jungle Fever1991IMDb rating 6.6Davis as The Good Reverend Doctor PurifyTurturro as Paulie Carbone
- Do the Right Thing1989IMDb rating 7.9Davis as Da MayorTurturro as Pino
Ruby Dee3 films together, 1989 to 1993
Ruby Dee's page
- Cop & ½1993IMDb rating 4.3Davis as Detective in Squad RoomDee as Rachel
- Jungle Fever1991IMDb rating 6.6Davis as The Good Reverend Doctor PurifyDee as Lucinda Purify
- Do the Right Thing1989IMDb rating 7.9Davis as Da MayorDee as Mother Sister
Spike Lee3 films together, 1988 to 1991
Spike Lee's page
- Jungle Fever1991IMDb rating 6.6Davis as The Good Reverend Doctor PurifyLee as Cyrus
- Do the Right Thing1989IMDb rating 7.9Davis as Da MayorLee as Mookie
- School Daze1988IMDb rating 6.1Davis as Coach OdomLee as Half-Pint
Joie Lee3 films together, 1988 to 1996
Joie Lee's page
- Get on the Bus1996IMDb rating 6.9Davis as JeremiahLee as Jindai
- Do the Right Thing1989IMDb rating 7.9Davis as Da MayorLee as Jade
- School Daze1988IMDb rating 6.1Davis as Coach OdomLee as Lizzie Life
Morgan Freeman2 films together, 1981 to 1984
Morgan Freeman's page
- Harry & Son1984IMDb rating 5.8Davis as RaymondFreeman as Siemanowski
- Death of a Prophet1981IMDb rating 4.3Davis as HimselfFreeman as Malcolm X
Spike LeeDirector, 5 films, 1988 to 2004
All films by Spike Lee
- She Hate Me2004IMDb rating 5.3Davis as Judge Buchanan
- Get on the Bus1996IMDb rating 6.9Davis as Jeremiah
- Jungle Fever1991IMDb rating 6.6Davis as The Good Reverend Doctor Purify
- Do the Right Thing1989IMDb rating 7.9Davis as Da Mayor
- School Daze1988IMDb rating 6.1Davis as Coach Odom
Also two films together17 more actors
- Laurence FishburneMiss Evers' Boys (1997) and School Daze (1988)
- Burt ReynoldsCop & ½ (1993) and Sam Whiskey (1969)
- Giancarlo EspositoDo the Right Thing (1989) and School Daze (1988)
- Alfre WoodardDinosaur (2000) and Miss Evers' Boys (1997)
- Burgess MeredithGrumpy Old Men (1993) and The Cardinal (1963)
- Walter MatthauI'm Not Rappaport (1996) and Grumpy Old Men (1993)
- Jack Lemmon12 Angry Men (1997) and Grumpy Old Men (1993)
- Ellen BarkinShe Hate Me (2004) and Harry & Son (1984)
- Robert AdlerSam Whiskey (1969) and No Way Out (1950)
- Sidney PoitierLet's Do It Again (1975) and No Way Out (1950)
- Bill NunnDo the Right Thing (1989) and School Daze (1988)
- Roger Guenveur SmithGet on the Bus (1996) and Do the Right Thing (1989)
- Kristen WilsonDoctor Dolittle (1998) and Get on the Bus (1996)
- Lonette McKeeShe Hate Me (2004) and Jungle Fever (1991)
- Della ReeseDinosaur (2000) and The Secret Path (1999)
- Steve WhiteGet on the Bus (1996) and Do the Right Thing (1989)
- Yolanda KingThe Secret Path (1999) and Death of a Prophet (1981)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.

Box office

What Ossie Davis's films earned in cinemas worldwide.

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Combined worldwide box office

$1.0 billion

16 of the 28 films have a worldwide figure.

16Worldwide figure
3US gross only
5Never in cinemas
4Figure not found

Top grosser

Dinosaur2000Yar$354 million

Highest grossing

The eight biggest films earned 96% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.

1
Dinosaur2000as Yar (voice)
$354M34.6% of the total
2
Doctor Dolittle1998as Archer Dolittle
$295M28.7% of the total
3
The Client1994as Harry Roosevelt
$118M11.5% of the total
4
Grumpy Old Men1993as Chuck
$70M6.9% of the total
5
Cop & ½1993as Detective in Squad Room
$41M4.0% of the total
6
Joe Versus the Volcano1990as Marshall
$39M3.8% of the total
7
Do the Right Thing1989as Da Mayor
$37M3.6% of the total
8
Jungle Fever1991as The Good Reverend Doctor Purify
$32M3.2% of the total

$37.9 millionfrom the other 8 films with a worldwide figure, 4% of the total

Awards

Twelve awards and honors from 1975 to 2006, three of them major.

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Ossie Davis's awards and nominations, grouped by award
Year	Award	Film	Result
Emmy Awards
	Daytime Emmy Award		Won
SAG Awards
2001	Life Achievement Award		Won
Grammy Awards
2006	Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording (posthumous)		Won
Other honors
2005	Marian Anderson Award		Won
2004	Kennedy Center Honors		Won
2001	NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series	City of Angels	Won
1999	NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series	Promised Land	Won
1989	NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture	Do the Right Thing	Won
1987	NAACP Image Award – Hall of Fame Award		Won
1979	Coretta Scott King Award		Won
1975	Paul Robeson Award		Won
	James Parks Morton Interfaith Award		Won

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

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