Ossie Davis Net Worth
Ossie Davis Net Worth is
$5 Million
Ossie Davis Bio/Wiki, Net Worth, Married 2018
Ossie Davis was born on December 18, 1917 in Cogdell, Georgia, USA as Raiford Chatman Davis. He was an actor and writer, known for Doctor Dolittle (1998), Do the Right Thing (1989) and Bubba Ho-Tep (2002). He was married to Ruby Dee. He died on February 4, 2005 in Miami Beach, Florida, USA. | Full Name | Ossie Davis |
| Date Of Birth | December 18, 1917, Cogdell, Georgia, United States |
| Died | February 4, 2005, Miami Beach, Florida, United States |
| Place Of Birth | Cogdell, Georgia, USA |
| Height | 6' 2" (1.88 m) |
| Profession | Actor, Writer, Director |
| Education | Howard University, Columbia University School of General Studies, Columbia University |
| Nationality | American |
| Spouse | Ruby Dee (m. 1948–2005) |
| Children | Guy Davis, Hasna Muhammad Davis, Nora Day Davis |
| Parents | Laura Davis, Kince Charles Davis |
| Siblings | William Davis |
| Awards | Kennedy Center Honors, Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award, Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album, NAACP Image Award – Hall of Fame Award, NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture, Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer In A Children/Youth/Family Specia... |
| Nominations | Tony Award for Best Musical, Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limite... |
| Movies | Do the Right Thing, Jungle Fever, Dr. Dolittle, Bubba Ho-Tep, Cotton Comes to Harlem, Grumpy Old Men, No Way Out, Malcolm X, She Hate Me, School Daze, Get on the Bus, Baadasssss!, The Scalphunters, Gone Are the Days!, The Client, Miss Evers' Boys, Joe Versus the Volcano, 12 Angry Men, Cool Red, Find... |
| TV Shows | Evening Shade, B.L. Stryker, Promised Land, Alex Haley's Queen, The West, The Client |
| Star Sign | Sagittarius |
| # | Trademark |
|---|---|
| 1 | Deep commanding voice |
| # | Quote |
|---|---|
| 1 | I find, in being black, a thing of beauty: a joy; a strength; a secret cup of gladness. |
| 2 | Any form of art is a form of power; it has impact, it can affect change--it can not only move us, it makes us move. |
| 3 | Struggle is strengthening. Battling with evil gives us the power to battle evil even more. |
| 4 | College ain't so much where you been as how you talk when you get back. |
| # | Fact |
|---|---|
| 1 | Grandfather of Muta'Ali Muhammad. |
| 2 | Had appeared with his wife Ruby Dee in nine films: No Way Out (1950), Gone Are the Days! (1963), The Sheriff (1971), Cool Red (1976), Roots: The Next Generations (1979), All God's Children (1980), Do the Right Thing (1989), Jungle Fever (1991) and The Stand (1994). |
| 3 | Served in the United States Army during World War II as a medical technician. |
| 4 | Studied drama with the Rose McClendon Players in Harlem, New York City. |
| 5 | Broadway debut as playwright with "Purlie Victorious" in 1961. |
| 6 | Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume 7, 2003-2005, pages 128-130. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomson Gale, 2007. |
| 7 | Had played the father of Jennifer Beals' character on The L Word (2004). In a powerful performance, fitting of his legacy, his character died in the episode "L'Chaim". This was his final performance before his own death, and the episode was dedicated to his memory. |
| 8 | He and his wife Ruby Dee were awarded the American National Medal of the Arts in 1995 by the National Endowment of the Arts in Washington, D.C. |
| 9 | Member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Actors Branch). |
| 10 | Twice nominated for Broadway's Tony Award: in 1958 as Best Supporting or Featured Actor (Musical) for "Jamaica", and in 1970 as co-author of the book for Best Musical nominee "Purlie". |
| 11 | His brother, Dr. William Davis, a professor in San Antonio, TX, holds several patents, one of which is for the chemical process to produce instant mashed potatoes. |
| 12 | Was the oldest of five children. |
| 13 | Had three children his with Ruby Dee: Guy Davis, Nora Day, and Hasna Muhammad. |
| 14 | Recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors in 2004, along with Elton John, Joan Sutherland, John Williams, Warren Beatty and wife Ruby Dee. |
| 15 | Lived in New Rochelle, New York. |
| 16 | Was a featured speaker at the funeral of both Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. |
| 17 | The county clerk misunderstood his mother's dialectal pronunciation of his initials "R.C." when he was born. He thought he heard "Ossie" and registered him as such. The name stuck. |
| 18 | Named to NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame with his wife, Ruby Dee, in 1989. |
Actor
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Angels | 2000 | TV Series | Henry, King of England / Henry Charles |
| J.C. Leyendecker: The Great American Illustrator | 2000 | TV Movie | Narrator |
| A Vow to Cherish | 1999 | TV Movie | Alexander Billman |
| The Ghosts of Christmas Eve | 1999 | TV Movie | The Caretaker |
| The Soul Collector | 1999 | TV Movie | Mordecai |
| The Secret Path | 1999 | TV Movie | Too Tall |
| Cosby | 1999 | TV Series | Fred |
| Alyson's Closet | 1998 | Short | Postman Extraordinaire |
| Promised Land | 1996-1998 | TV Series | Erasmus Jones |
| Doctor Dolittle | 1998 | Archer Dolittle | |
| The Protector | 1997 | TV Series | |
| 12 Angry Men | 1997 | TV Movie | Juror #2 |
| Miss Evers' Boys | 1997 | TV Movie | Mr. Evers |
| Home of the Brave | 1996 | TV Movie | Erasmus Jones |
| Ripper | 1996 | Video Game | Ben Dodds |
| I'm Not Rappaport | 1996 | Midge Carter | |
| Get on the Bus | 1996 | Jeremiah | |
| The Client | 1995-1996 | TV Series | Judge Harry Roosevelt |
| The Android Affair | 1995 | TV Movie | Dr. Winston |
| Ray Alexander: A Menu for Murder | 1995 | TV Movie | Uncle Phil |
| The Great Battles of the Civil War | 1994 | TV Mini-Series documentary | W. H. Carney (voice) |
| The Client | 1994 | Harry Roosevelt | |
| Evening Shade | 1990-1994 | TV Series | Ponder Blue |
| Ray Alexander: A Taste for Justice | 1994 | TV Movie | Uncle Phil |
| The Stand | 1994 | TV Mini-Series | Judge Richard Farris |
| Grumpy Old Men | 1993 | Chuck | |
| Cop & ½ | 1993 | Detective in Squad Room (uncredited) | |
| Queen | 1993 | TV Mini-Series | Parson Dick |
| The Ernest Green Story | 1993 | TV Movie | Grandfather |
| Lincoln | 1992 | TV Movie | Frederick Douglas (voice) |
| Malcolm X | 1992 | Eulogy Performer (voice) | |
| Gladiator | 1992 | Noah | |
| Jungle Fever | 1991 | The Good Reverend Doctor Purify | |
| We'll Take Manhattan | 1990 | TV Movie | Man in Subway |
| B.L. Stryker | 1989-1990 | TV Series | Oz Jackson |
| Joe Versus the Volcano | 1990 | Marshall | |
| The Red Shoes | 1990 | TV Short | Narrator / Alphonse (voice) |
| Do the Right Thing | 1989 | Da Mayor | |
| School Daze | 1988 | Coach Odom | |
| Avenging Angel | 1985 | Captain Harry Moradian | |
| The House of God | 1984 | Dr. Sanders | |
| Harry & Son | 1984 | Raymond | |
| Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy 'Satchel' Paige | 1981 | TV Movie | Chuffy Russell |
| Ossie and Ruby! | 1980 | TV Series | Co-host (1980-81) |
| All God's Children | 1980 | TV Movie | Blaine Whitfield |
| Freedom Road | 1979 | TV Movie | Narrator |
| Hot Stuff | 1979 | Captain John Geiberger | |
| Roots: The Next Generations | 1979 | TV Mini-Series | Dad Jones |
| King | 1978 | TV Mini-Series | Rev. Martin Luther King Sr. |
| NBC Special Treat | 1977 | TV Series | Mr. Elgin |
| Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid | 1977 | TV Movie | Dr. Fredericks |
| The Tenth Level | 1976 | TV Movie | Reed |
| Cool Red | 1976 | Ernest Motapo | |
| Let's Do It Again | 1975 | Elder Johnson | |
| Hawaii Five-O | 1974 | TV Series | Ramon Borelle |
| The CBS Festival of Lively Arts for Young People | 1974 | TV Series | |
| Love, American Style | 1973 | TV Series segment "Love and High Spirits" - Love and the Games People Play/Love and High Spirits/Love and the Memento/Love and the Single Husband/Love and the Stutter 1973 ... segment "Love and High Spirits" | |
| The Sheriff | 1971 | TV Movie | James Lucas |
| Night Gallery | 1969 | TV Series | Osmund Portifoy |
| Slaves | 1969 | Luke | |
| Sam Whiskey | 1969 | Jed Hooker | |
| Bonanza | 1969 | TV Series | Sam Davis |
| The Name of the Game | 1969 | TV Series | Kubani |
| Teacher, Teacher | 1969 | TV Movie | Charles Carter |
| The Scalphunters | 1968 | Joseph Lee | |
| N.Y.P.D. | 1968 | TV Series | Dempsey |
| The Outsider | 1967 | TV Movie | Lt. Wagner |
| Run for Your Life | 1966-1967 | TV Series | Sgt. Dave Corbett / Dave Corbett / Frankie Morton |
| 12 O'Clock High | 1966 | TV Series | Major Glenn Luke |
| The Fugitive | 1966 | TV Series | Lt. Johnny Gaines |
| A Man Called Adam | 1966 | Nelson Davis | |
| Slattery's People | 1965 | TV Series | Jack Phillips |
| The Hill | 1965 | Jacko King | |
| The Defenders | 1961-1965 | TV Series | District Attorney Daniel Jackson / District Attorney / Assistant District Attorney / ... |
| The Doctors and the Nurses | 1964 | TV Series | Dr. Farmer |
| Shock Treatment | 1964 | Capshaw | |
| The Cardinal | 1963 | Father Gillis | |
| The Great Adventure | 1963 | TV Series | John Ross |
| Gone Are the Days! | 1963 | Reverend Purlie Victorious Judson | |
| Car 54, Where Are You? | 1962-1963 | TV Series | Officer Omar Anderson |
| Seven Times Monday | 1962 | TV Movie | Will |
| Play of the Week | 1960-1961 | TV Series | Will |
| John Brown's Raid | 1960 | TV Movie | Dangerfield Newby |
| CBS Repertoire Workshop | 1960 | TV Series | Father |
| Playhouse 90 | 1960 | TV Series | |
| Kraft Theatre | 1955 | TV Series | The Emperor Jones |
| The Emperor Jones | 1955 | TV Movie | Brutus Jones |
| The Joe Louis Story | 1953 | Bob (uncredited) | |
| Fourteen Hours | 1951 | Cab Driver (uncredited) | |
| No Way Out | 1950 | John Brooks (uncredited) | |
| The L Word | 2004-2005 | TV Series | Melvin Porter |
| Proud | 2004 | Lorenzo DuFau | |
| She Hate Me | 2004 | Judge Buchanan | |
| JAG | 2003 | TV Series | Terrence Minnerly |
| Baadasssss! | 2003 | Granddad | |
| Deacons for Defense | 2003 | TV Movie | Reverend 'Rev' Gregory |
| Touched by an Angel | 1996-2002 | TV Series | Erasmus Jones Gabriel Gabe |
| Presidio Med | 2002 | TV Series | Otis Clayton |
| Bubba Ho-Tep | 2002 | Jack | |
| Philly | 2002 | TV Series | Gilbert Willoughby |
| Trans-Siberian Orchestra: Ghost of Christmas Eve | 2001 | Video | |
| Feast of All Saints | 2001 | TV Movie | Jean-Jacques |
| Legend of the Candy Cane | 2001 | TV Movie | Julius (voice) |
| Here's to Life! | 2000 | Duncan Cox | |
| Dinosaur | 2000 | Yar (voice) | |
| Finding Buck McHenry | 2000 | TV Movie | Buck McHenry |
| Third Watch | 1999-2000 | TV Series | Mr. Parker |
Writer
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Playhouse | 1983 | TV Series 1 episode | |
| Purlie | 1981 | TV Movie play "Purlie Victorious" | |
| Cool Red | 1976 | ||
| Cotton Comes to Harlem | 1970 | screenplay | |
| History of the Negro People | 1965 | TV Mini-Series documentary adaptation - 1 episode | |
| East Side/West Side | TV Series story - 1 episode, 1963 written by - 1 episode, 1963 | ||
| Gone Are the Days! | 1963 | play "Purlie Victorious" / screenplay |
Director
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crown Dick | 1987 | TV Movie | |
| Cool Red | 1976 | ||
| Gordon's War | 1973 | ||
| Black Girl | 1972 | ||
| Cotton Comes to Harlem | 1970 | ||
| Kongi's Harvest | 1970 |
Soundtrack
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cotton Comes to Harlem | 1970 | lyrics: "Ain't Now, But it's Gona Be" | |
| Car 54, Where Are You? | 1962 | TV Series performer - 1 episode |
Miscellaneous
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| We Shall Not Be Moved | 2001 | TV Movie documentary narrator | |
| Malcolm X | 1992 | writer: eulogy |
Producer
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hands Upon the Heart | 1991 | producer |
Thanks
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independent Lens | 2013 | TV Series documentary in memory of - 1 episode | |
| Three Days to Vegas | 2007 | in memory of: 1917-2005 | |
| Macked, Hammered, Slaughtered and Shafted | 2004 | Documentary special thanks | |
| Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist | 1998 | Documentary thanks |
Self
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| For Love of Liberty: The Story of America's Black Patriots | 2010 | TV Movie documentary voice | |
| A Trumpet at the Walls of Jericho | 2005 | Documentary | |
| By Any Means Necessary: The Making of 'Malcolm X' | 2005 | Video documentary short | Himself |
| The Peace! DVD | 2005 | Video documentary | Himself |
| Character Studies | 2005 | TV Series | Himself |
| Tavis Smiley | 2005 | TV Series | Himself |
| The History Makers | 2005 | Video documentary | Himself |
| Unstoppable: Conversation with Melvin Van Peebles, Gordon Parks, and Ossie Davis | 2005 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Romare Bearden at the High | 2005 | TV Movie | Himself - Host |
| Making of 'King' | 2005 | Video documentary short | |
| The Civil Rights Movement | 2005 | Video documentary short | Himself |
| The Struggle | 2005 | Video | Himself |
| The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts | 2004 | TV Special | Himself - Honoree |
| Emmy's Greatest Moments | 2004 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| The Story Behind Baadasssss!: The Birth of Black Cinema | 2004 | Video documentary short | Himself |
| Apollo at 70: A Hot Night in Harlem | 2004 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Making of 'Bubba Ho-tep' | 2004 | Video documentary | Himself |
| A Wealth of Wisdom | 2004 | TV Series | Himself - Panelist |
| Book TV | 2004 | TV Series | Himself - Panelist |
| Independent Lens | 2004 | TV Series documentary | Himself / Narrator |
| Beah: A Black Woman Speaks | 2003 | Documentary | Himself |
| Spike Lee's '25th Hour': The Evolution of an American Filmmaker | 2003 | Video documentary short | Himself |
| 2003 Trumpet Awards | 2003 | TV Special | Himself |
| Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property | 2003 | Documentary | Himself |
| Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives | 2003 | Documentary | Reader |
| XXI Century | 2003 | TV Series documentary | Himself - Actor |
| That's Black Entertainment: Westerns | 2002 | TV Movie documentary | Interviewee |
| An Evening with Ossie Davis & Ruby Dee | 2002 | TV Movie | Himself - Interviewee |
| Hughes' Dream Harlem | 2002 | TV Movie documentary | Narrator |
| Why Can't We Be a Family Again? | 2002 | Short documentary | Narrator (voice) |
| Broadway Legends | 2002 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| School's Out: Self-taught Artists | 2002 | Documentary short | Bill Traylor |
| The Tuskegee Airmen | 2002 | TV Movie documentary | Narrator |
| Inside TV Land: African Americans in Television | 2002 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| The Last Poets | 2002 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Voice of the Voiceless | 2001 | Documentary | Himself |
| Christianity: The First Two Thousand Years | 2001 | TV Mini-Series documentary | Narrator |
| 7th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards | 2001 | TV Special | Himself |
| Intimate Portrait | 2001 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Freedom Never Dies: The Legacy of Harry T. Moore | 2001 | TV Movie documentary | Narrator |
| The Gospel According to Mr. Allen | 2000 | Documentary | Narrator |
| The Directors | 1999-2000 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| The Unfinished Journey | 1999 | Documentary short | Narration (voice) |
| Neighborhoods: The Hidden Cities of San Francisco - The Fillmore | 1999 | TV Movie documentary | Narrator |
| The Century: America's Time | 1999 | TV Mini-Series documentary | Himself |
| 30th NAACP Image Awards | 1999 | TV Special | Himself |
| American Masters | 1996-1999 | TV Series documentary | Himself / Narrator |
| Charlie Rose | 1998-1999 | TV Series | Himself - Guest |
| Tuskegee Airmen: American Heroes | 1999 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Great Books | 1999 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist | 1998 | Documentary | Himself |
| NY TV: By the People Who Made It - Part I & II | 1998 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| The Roseanne Show | 1998 | TV Series | Himself |
| Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood | 1998 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| The 49th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards | 1997 | TV Special | Himself |
| Walter Matthau: Diamond in the Rough | 1997 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| 4 Little Girls | 1997 | Documentary | Himself - Actor and Playwright |
| Jackie Robinson: Breaking Barriers | 1997 | Video documentary | Narrator |
| The Rosie O'Donnell Show | 1997 | TV Series | Himself |
| Thomas Jefferson | 1997 | TV Mini-Series documentary | Narrator |
| VH1 Legends | 1996 | TV Series documentary | Narrator |
| Celebrate the Dream: 50 Years of Ebony Magazine | 1996 | TV Special | Himself |
| The West | 1996 | TV Series documentary | John R. Gills |
| Mississippi, America | 1996 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Dramatic Moments in Black Sports History | 1995 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Reading Rainbow | 1994 | TV Series | Himself |
| Arthur Ashe: Citizen of the World | 1994 | TV Movie documentary | Narrator (voice) |
| Baseball | 1994 | TV Mini-Series documentary | Various / Himself |
| The 48th Annual Tony Awards | 1994 | TV Special | Himself - Presenter: Lifetime Achievement Award |
| The African Burial Ground: An American Discovery | 1994 | Documentary | Himself - Narrator |
| American Experience | 1994 | TV Series documentary | Himself - Harlem Resident |
| 26th NAACP Image Awards | 1994 | TV Special | Himself |
| The Arsenio Hall Show | 1993 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Great Depression | 1993 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker | 1991 | Documentary | Himself |
| The 43rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards | 1991 | TV Special | Himself - Audience Member |
| Michael Landon: Memories with Laughter and Love | 1991 | Video documentary | |
| 22nd NAACP Image Awards | 1990 | TV Special | Himself |
| Making 'Do the Right Thing' | 1989 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| The Oprah Winfrey Show | 1989 | TV Series | Himself |
| Today | 1989 | TV Series | Himself |
| Ebony/Jet Showcase | 1988 | TV Series | Himself |
| Working in the Theatre | 1986 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| A Walk Through the 20th Century with Bill Moyers | 1984 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| A Celebration of Life: A Tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr. | 1984 | TV Special documentary | Narrator (voice) |
| Death of a Prophet | 1981 | TV Movie | Himself |
| Tony Brown's Journal | 1978 | TV Series | Himself |
| Black Journal | 1977 | TV Series | Himself |
| Black Shadows on the Silver Screen | 1975 | TV Movie documentary | Narrator |
| What's My Line? | 1973 | TV Series | Himself - Mystery Guest |
| Wattstax | 1973 | Documentary | Himself (uncredited) |
| Malcolm X | 1972 | Documentary | Eulogy (voice) |
| Actor's Choice | 1970 | TV Series | Himself - performer |
| Zur Nacht | 1970 | TV Series documentary | |
| The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | 1963-1970 | TV Series | Himself / Himself - Guest |
| He Said, She Said | 1970 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Fall | 1969 | Documentary | Himself |
| The David Frost Show | 1969 | TV Series | Himself |
| Look Up and Live | 1968 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Merv Griffin Show | 1968 | TV Series | Himself |
| History of the Negro People | 1965-1966 | TV Mini-Series documentary | Himself - Host |
| The Price Is Right | 1965 | TV Series | Himself |
| Freedom Spectacular | 1964 | TV Movie | Himself |
| To Tell the Truth | 1963 | TV Series | Himself - Panelist |
| Accent on an American Summer | 1962 | TV Series documentary | The Priest |
| The Shari Lewis Show | 1962 | TV Series | Himself |
| The 16th Annual Tony Awards | 1962 | TV Special | Himself - Presenter |
Archive Footage
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| P.O.V. | 2014 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs | 2013 | Documentary | Himself |
| Democracy Now! | 2010 | TV Series | Himself |
| Cinemassacre's Monster Madness | 2007 | TV Series documentary | Jack |
| Segregating the Greatest Generation | 2006 | Documentary | Himself |
| The Black Movie Awards | 2005 | TV Special | Himself - Memorial Tribute |
| Biography | 2005 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| The 57th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards | 2005 | TV Special | Himself - In Memoriam |
| American Masters | 2005 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| The 77th Annual Academy Awards | 2005 | TV Special | Memorial Tribute |
| 11th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards | 2005 | TV Special | Himself - Memorial Tribute |
| TV in Black: The First Fifty Years | 2004 | Video documentary | |
| The Real Malcolm X | 1992 | TV Movie documentary | Himself - Delivers Eulogy (uncredited) |
| Sesame Street: Bedtime Stories and Songs | 1986 | Video short | Narrator (segment "Anansi Tale") (as Ozzie Davis) |
| The Sun... the Sand... the Hill. | 1965 | Documentary short | Jacko King |
Won Awards
| Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Grammy | Grammy Awards | Best Spoken Word Album | |
| 2004 | Kennedy Center Honors | The Kennedy Center Honors | ||
| 2001 | Daytime Emmy | Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Performer in a Children's Special | Finding Buck McHenry (2000) |
| 2001 | Image Award | Image Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | City of Angels (2000) |
| 2001 | Life Achievement Award | Screen Actors Guild Awards | ||
| 1999 | Image Award | Image Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | Promised Land (1996) |
| 1998 | Lifetime Achievement Award | St. Louis International Film Festival | ||
| 1997 | Black Film Award | Acapulco Black Film Festival | Best Actor | Get on the Bus (1996) |
| 1991 | Image Award | Image Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture | Do the Right Thing (1989) |
| 1989 | Hall of Fame | Image Awards | ||
| 1984 | WGA Award (TV) | Writers Guild of America, USA | Adapted Drama Anthology | For Us the Living: The Medgar Evers Story (1983) |
| 1970 | Bronze Wrangler | Western Heritage Awards | Fictional Television Drama | Bonanza (1959) |
Nominated Awards
| Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Primetime Emmy | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series | The L Word (2004) |
| 2004 | Black Reel | Black Reel Awards | Television: Best Supporting Actor | Deacons for Defense (2003) |
| 2004 | Chlotrudis Award | Chlotrudis Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Bubba Ho-Tep (2002) |
| 2004 | Image Award | Image Awards | Outstanding Actor in a TV Movie, Mini-Series, or Dramatic Special | Deacons for Defense (2003) |
| 2004 | Vision Award | NAMIC Vision Awards | Best Dramatic Performance | Deacons for Defense (2003) |
| 2001 | Grammy | Grammy Awards | Best Spoken Word Album | |
| 2001 | Image Award | Image Awards | Outstanding Performance in a Youth or Children's Series/Special | Finding Buck McHenry (2000) |
| 1998 | Golden Satellite Award | Satellite Awards | Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television | Miss Evers' Boys (1997) |
| 1997 | Primetime Emmy | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Special | Miss Evers' Boys (1997) |
| 1997 | Image Award | Image Awards | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Motion Picture | Get on the Bus (1996) |
| 1996 | Image Award | Image Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | The Client (1995) |
| 1978 | Primetime Emmy | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | King (1978) |
| 1969 | Golden Globe | Golden Globes, USA | Best Supporting Actor | The Scalphunters (1968) |
| 1969 | Primetime Emmy | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role | Teacher, Teacher (1969) |
3rd Place Awards
| Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Chainsaw Award | Fangoria Chainsaw Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Bubba Ho-Tep (2002) |
Known for movies
Doctor Dolittle (1998)
as Archer Dolittle
Do the Right Thing (1989)
as Da Mayor
Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)
as Jack
Dinosaur (2000)
as Yar