Ossie Davis: movies and TV shows
Ossie Davis has 163 credits in the archive: 116 films and 47 TV series, from 1947 to 2026. Highest rated: Hallmark Hall of Fame (8.8/10).
Career timeline
1947 – 2026 · busiest year: 1994 (10 credits)
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Full filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Type | Rating | Age then |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Love in Exile | Film | — | 108 | |
| 2026 | Love in Exile | Film | — | 108 | |
| 2024 | Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch | Film | — | 106 | |
| 2022 | Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues | Self (archive footage) | Film | 6.5 | 104 |
| 2006 | Folk Britannia | Self (archival footage) | TV | — | 88 |
| 2005 | The Peace! | Self | Film | 5.0 | 87 |
| 2005 | Deacons for Defense | Reverend 'Rev' Gregory | Film | 6.4 | 87 |
| 2005 | By Any Means Necessary: The Making of 'Malcolm X' | Self | Film | 6.0 | 87 |
| 2005 | The History Makers: Success | Self | Film | — | 87 |
| 2005 | Unstoppable | Self | Film | — | 87 |
| 2004 | The L Word | Melvin Porter | TV | 7.7 | 86 |
| 2004 | She Hate Me | Judge Buchanan | Film | 5.2 | 86 |
| 2004 | TV Revolution | TV | — | 86 | |
| 2004 | Proud | Lorenzo DuFau | Film | 4.7 | 86 |
| 2004 | Baadasssss! | Granddad | Film | 6.5 | 86 |
| 2004 | Beah: A Black Woman Speaks | Self | Film | — | 86 |
| 2003 | Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives | Film | 5.2 | 85 | |
| 2003 | The Evolution of an American Filmmaker | Self | Film | 7.3 | 85 |
| 2003 | Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property | Himself | Film | 6.3 | 85 |
| 2003 | The Tuskegee Airmen: They Fought Two Wars | Narrator | Film | — | 85 |
| 2002 | Bubba Ho-tep | John F. "Jack" Kennedy | Film | 6.5 | 84 |
| 2002 | Christianity: The First Two Thousand Years | Narrator | TV | 6.0 | 84 |
| 2002 | Theater Talk: 'A Raisin in the Sun' | Self | Film | — | 84 |
| 2001 | Feast of All Saints | Jean-Jacques | Film | 4.8 | 83 |
| 2001 | The Legend of the Candy Cane | Julius (voice) | Film | 9.0 | 83 |
| 2001 | Neighborhoods: The Hidden Cities of San Francisco - The Fillmore | Narrator | Film | 10.0 | 83 |
| 2000 | Dinosaur | Yar (voice) | Film | 6.6 | 82 |
| 2000 | Finding Buck McHenry | Buck McHenry | Film | 7.0 | 82 |
| 2000 | Here's to Life! | Duncan Cox | Film | 10.0 | 82 |
| 1999 | Third Watch | Mr. Parker | TV | 7.9 | 81 |
| 1999 | The Secret Path | Too Tall | Film | 7.5 | 81 |
| 1999 | The Unfinished Journey | Narrator (voice) | Film | 6.5 | 81 |
| 1999 | The Soul Collector | Mordecai | Film | 7.3 | 81 |
| 1999 | Trans-Siberian Orchestra: The Ghosts of Christmas Eve | Caretaker | Film | 7.9 | 81 |
| 1999 | A Vow to Cherish | Alexander Billman | Film | 6.0 | 81 |
| 1999 | Paul Robeson: Here I Stand | Self | Film | 8.0 | 81 |
| 1998 | Doctor Dolittle | Archer Dolittle | Film | 5.7 | 80 |
| 1998 | Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood | Self | Film | 9.0 | 80 |
| 1998 | Christianity: The First 1000 Years | Himself - Narrator | TV | — | 80 |
| 1998 | Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist | Self | Film | 8.3 | 80 |
| 1998 | Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist | Film | 8.3 | 80 | |
| 1997 | 12 Angry Men | Juror 2 | Film | 7.7 | 79 |
| 1997 | Miss Evers' Boys | Mr. Evers | Film | 6.5 | 79 |
| 1997 | 4 Little Girls | Self - Actor and Playwright | Film | 7.2 | 79 |
| 1997 | Thomas Jefferson | Narrator (voice) | TV | 7.5 | 79 |
| 1997 | Walter Matthau: Diamond in the Rough | Self | Film | 6.5 | 79 |
| 1997 | Jackie Robinson: Breaking Barriers | Narrator | Film | 10.0 | 79 |
| 1996 | Promised Land | TV | 6.5 | 78 | |
| 1996 | Promised Land | Erasmus Jones | TV | 6.5 | 78 |
| 1996 | The West | Self | TV | 8.4 | 78 |
| 1996 | The West | Self / John R. Gills (voice) | TV | 8.4 | 78 |
| 1996 | Get on the Bus | Jeremiah / 'Pop' | Film | 6.3 | 78 |
| 1996 | I'm Not Rappaport | Midge Carter | Film | 5.7 | 78 |
| 1995 | JAG | Terrence Minnerly | TV | 7.3 | 77 |
| 1995 | The Client | Judge Harry Roosevelt | TV | 7.0 | 77 |
| 1995 | The Android Affair | Dr. Winston | Film | 5.3 | 77 |
| 1995 | Ray Alexander: A Menu for Murder | Uncle Phil | Film | 7.0 | 77 |
| 1994 | Touched by an Angel | Gabriel | TV | 7.2 | 76 |
| 1994 | Touched by an Angel | Erasmus Jones | TV | 7.2 | 76 |
| 1994 | The Stand | Judge Richard Farris | TV | 6.8 | 76 |
| 1994 | The Stand | Judge Richard Farris (credit only) | TV | 6.8 | 76 |
| 1994 | The Client | Harry Roosevelt | Film | 6.7 | 76 |
| 1994 | Baseball | Various (voice) | TV | 7.5 | 76 |
| 1994 | Baseball | (voice) | TV | 7.5 | 76 |
| 1994 | Arthur Ashe: Citizen of the World | Narrator | Film | 9.0 | 76 |
| 1994 | Ray Alexander: A Taste For Justice | Uncle Phil | Film | 10.0 | 76 |
| 1994 | Malcolm X: Make It Plain | Self | Film | 9.0 | 76 |
| 1993 | Alex Haley's Queen | Parson Dick | TV | 7.0 | 75 |
| 1993 | Grumpy Old Men | Chuck | Film | 6.7 | 75 |
| 1993 | Cop & ½ | Detective in Squad Room | Film | 4.6 | 75 |
| 1993 | The Ernest Green Story | Grandfather | Film | 7.1 | 75 |
| 1993 | Goin' Back to T-Town | Narrator | Film | — | 75 |
| 1992 | Malcolm X | Eulogy Performer (voice) | Film | 7.6 | 74 |
| 1992 | Gladiator | Noah | Film | 7.6 | 74 |
| 1992 | The Real Malcolm X | Film | 8.0 | 74 | |
| 1992 | Lincoln | Frederick Douglas (voice) | Film | 7.3 | 74 |
| 1991 | Jungle Fever | Reverend Purify | Film | 6.4 | 73 |
| 1991 | Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker | Self | Film | 8.0 | 73 |
| 1990 | Evening Shade | Ponder Blue | TV | 5.8 | 72 |
| 1990 | Joe Versus the Volcano | Marshall | Film | 5.8 | 72 |
| 1990 | The Red Shoes | Film | 10.0 | 72 | |
| 1989 | Do the Right Thing | Da Mayor | Film | 7.8 | 71 |
| 1989 | B.L. Stryker | Oz Jackson | TV | 6.1 | 71 |
| 1989 | Making 'Do the Right Thing' | Self | Film | 6.9 | 71 |
| 1988 | American Experience | Self - Harlem Resident | TV | 6.5 | 70 |
| 1988 | School Daze | Coach Odom | Film | 5.7 | 70 |
| 1986 | American Masters | Self | TV | 7.0 | 68 |
| 1986 | Sesame Street: Sleepytime Songs & Stories | Anansi the Spider (Sleepytime Songs and Stories) (voice) | Film | — | 68 |
| 1985 | Avenging Angel | Capt. Harry Moradian | Film | 5.2 | 67 |
| 1985 | Tyler Texas Black Film Collection | Himself | Film | 7.0 | 67 |
| 1984 | Harry & Son | Raymond | Film | 5.9 | 66 |
| 1984 | The House of God | Dr. Sanders | Film | 3.2 | 66 |
| 1984 | Marcus Garvey: Toward Black Nationhood | Narrator | Film | — | 66 |
| 1983 | Reading Rainbow | Self - Narrator (voice) | TV | 8.3 | 65 |
| 1983 | For Us, the Living: The Story of Medgar Evers | Film | 7.0 | 65 | |
| 1982 | American Playhouse | TV | 6.6 | 64 | |
| 1981 | Death of a Prophet | Film | 4.5 | 63 | |
| 1981 | Purlie | Film | 6.5 | 63 | |
| 1981 | Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy "Satchel" Paige | Chuffy Russell | Film | 6.6 | 63 |
| 1980 | All God's Children | Blaine Whitfield | Film | 6.5 | 62 |
| 1979 | Roots: The Next Generations | 'Dad' Jones | TV | 7.5 | 61 |
| 1979 | Hot Stuff | Captain John Geiberger | Film | 7.0 | 61 |
| 1979 | Freedom Road | Narrator | Film | 5.2 | 61 |
| 1979 | Freedom Man | Benjamin Banneker | Film | — | 61 |
| 1978 | The Kennedy Center Honors | Self | TV | 7.4 | 60 |
| 1978 | King | Rev. Martin Luther King Sr. | TV | 6.6 | 60 |
| 1977 | Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid | Dr. Fredericks | Film | 8.0 | 59 |
| 1976 | The Tenth Level | Reed | Film | 5.3 | 58 |
| 1976 | Countdown at Kusini | Ernest Motapo | Film | 7.0 | 58 |
| 1976 | Countdown at Kusini | Film | 7.0 | 58 | |
| 1976 | Countdown at Kusini | Film | 7.0 | 58 | |
| 1975 | Let's Do It Again | Elder Johnson | Film | 7.0 | 57 |
| 1975 | Black Shadows on a Silver Screen | Narrator | Film | — | 57 |
| 1973 | Wattstax | Self (uncredited) | Film | 6.7 | 55 |
| 1973 | Gordon's War | Film | 6.8 | 55 | |
| 1972 | Black Girl | Film | 6.8 | 54 | |
| 1972 | Malcolm X | Eulogy (voice) | Film | 6.7 | 54 |
| 1971 | The Sheriff | James Lucas | Film | 6.0 | 53 |
| 1970 | Cotton Comes to Harlem | Film | 6.2 | 52 | |
| 1970 | Cotton Comes to Harlem | Film | 6.2 | 52 | |
| 1970 | Kongi's Harvest | Narrator | Film | 7.5 | 52 |
| 1970 | Kongi's Harvest | Film | 7.5 | 52 | |
| 1969 | Night Gallery | Osmond Portifoy | Film | 6.5 | 51 |
| 1969 | Sam Whiskey | Jed Hooker | Film | 5.6 | 51 |
| 1969 | Teacher, Teacher | Charles Carter | Film | 10.0 | 51 |
| 1969 | Slaves | Luke | Film | 6.3 | 51 |
| 1969 | The Fall | Film | 7.2 | 51 | |
| 1968 | Hawaii Five-O | Ramon Borelle | TV | 7.2 | 50 |
| 1968 | The Name of the Game | Kubani | TV | 7.0 | 50 |
| 1968 | The Scalphunters | Joseph Lee | Film | 6.4 | 50 |
| 1968 | Still A Brother: Inside the Negro Middle Class | Narrator | Film | 7.0 | 50 |
| 1967 | Black Liberation | Narrator | Film | — | 49 |
| 1967 | The Outsider | Lt. Wagner | Film | 8.0 | 49 |
| 1967 | Now is the Time | Self | Film | — | 49 |
| 1966 | A Man Called Adam | Nelson Davis | Film | 6.5 | 48 |
| 1965 | Run for Your Life | Frankie Morton | TV | 7.1 | 47 |
| 1965 | Run for Your Life | Dave Corbett | TV | 7.1 | 47 |
| 1965 | Run for Your Life | Sgt. Dave Corbett | TV | 7.1 | 47 |
| 1965 | The Hill | Jacko King | Film | 7.5 | 47 |
| 1965 | The Sun... the Sand... the Hill | Jason King (archival footage) | Film | 2.7 | 47 |
| 1965 | The Sun... the Sand... the Hill | Jason King (archive footage) | Film | 2.7 | 47 |
| 1964 | 12 O'Clock High | Major Glenn Luke | TV | 7.2 | 46 |
| 1964 | Shock Treatment | Capshaw | Film | 6.8 | 46 |
| 1963 | The Fugitive | Lt. Johnny Gaines | TV | 7.3 | 45 |
| 1963 | The Great Adventure | John Ross | TV | 10.0 | 45 |
| 1963 | East Side/West Side | TV | 7.8 | 45 | |
| 1963 | The Cardinal | Father Gillis | Film | 6.6 | 45 |
| 1963 | Gone Are the Days! | Reverend Purlie Victorious Judson | Film | 7.5 | 45 |
| 1963 | Gone Are the Days! | Film | 7.5 | 45 | |
| 1962 | Hands of Inge | Narrator (voice) | Film | — | 44 |
| 1961 | The Defenders | Nixie | TV | 6.3 | 43 |
| 1961 | The Defenders | Officer Bond | TV | 6.3 | 43 |
| 1961 | The Defenders | District Attorney | TV | 6.3 | 43 |
| 1961 | The Defenders | Assistant District Attorney | TV | 6.3 | 43 |
| 1961 | The Defenders | District Attorney Daniel Jackson | TV | 6.3 | 43 |
| 1960 | John Brown's Raid | Dangerfield Newby | Film | — | 42 |
| 1959 | Bonanza | Sam Davis | TV | 7.5 | 41 |
| 1956 | Tony Awards | Self - Presenter | TV | — | 38 |
| 1951 | Hallmark Hall of Fame | Charles Carter | TV | 8.8 | 33 |
| 1951 | Fourteen Hours | Cab Driver (uncredited) | Film | 7.3 | 33 |
| 1950 | No Way Out | John Brooks (uncredited) | Film | 6.9 | 32 |
| 1947 | Kraft Television Theatre | The Emperor Jones | TV | 7.8 | 29 |
| Haiti: Killing the Dream | Film | 9.0 | — |