Ruby Dee
October 27, 1922 (102 years old) in Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Ruby Dee (October 27, 1922 - June 11, 2014) was an American actress, poet, playwright, screenwriter, journalist, and civil rights activist. She originated the role of "Ruth Younger" in the stage and film versions of A Raisin in the Sun. Her other notable film roles include The Jackie Robinson Story (1950), Do the Right Thing (1989) and American Gangster (2007).
Known For
Credits
- 2018 · Poitier's Walter Lee as Self (archive footage)
- 2014 · Life's Essentials with Ruby Dee as Self
- 2013 · Betty and Coretta as Narrator
- 2013 · Long Distance Revolutionary: A Journey with Mumia Abu-Jamal as Self
- 2012 · A Thousand Words as Annie McCall
- 2011 · Video Girl as Valerie
- 2011 · Politics of Love as
- 2011 · The Perfect Age of Rock 'n' Roll as Miss Candy
- 2009 · A Place Out of Time: The Bordentown School as Narrator (voice)
- 2009 · America as Mrs. Harper
- 2007 · Steam as Doris
- 2007 · American Gangster as Mama Lucas
- 2007 · All About Us as Ms. Ella
- 2007 · In the Shadow of Hollywood: Race Movies and the Birth of Black Cinema as Herself
- 2007 · Our Paul: Remembering Paul Robeson as Self
- 2006 · Discovering William Greaves as Self
- 2006 · No. 2 as Nanna Maria
- 2005 · Iconoclasts as Self
- 2005 · Their Eyes Were Watching God as Nanny
- 2004 · Beah: A Black Woman Speaks as Self
- 2004 · TV in Black: The First Fifty Years as (archive footage)
- 2003 · Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives as
- 2002 · Theater Talk: 'A Raisin in the Sun' as Self
- 2002 · Christianity: The First Two Thousand Years as Narrator
- 2001 · Taking Back Our Town as Emelda West
- 2001 · Feast of All Saints as Elsie Claviere
- 2000 · CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as Mary Wilson
- 2000 · Finding Buck McHenry as Mrs. Henry
- 2000 · A Storm in Summer as Grandmother
- 1999 · The Unfinished Journey as Narrator (voice)
- 1999 · Little Bill as
- 1999 · Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years as Annie Elizabeth 'Bessie' Delany
- 1999 · Baby Geniuses as Margo
- 1999 · Paul Robeson: Here I Stand as Self
- 1999 · Passing Glory as Mommit Porter
- 1998 · A Time To Dance: The Life and Work of Norma Canner as Narrator
- 1998 · Christianity: The First 1000 Years as Herself - Narrator
- 1998 · The Wall as Mrs. Mitchell (segment "The Badge")
- 1998 · Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood as Self
- 1997 · A Simple Wish as Hortence
- 1997 · Sports on the Silver Screen as Self (archive footage)
- 1996 · Captive Heart: The James Mink Story as Indigo
- 1996 · Mr. and Mrs. Loving as Sophia
- 1995 · Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child as Grandma (voice)
- 1995 · Just Cause as Evangeline Ferguson
- 1995 · Tuesday Morning Ride as Jennie
- 1994 · Touched by an Angel as LaBelle Springbelt
- 1994 · Whitewash as Grandmother (voice)
- 1994 · The Stand as Mother Abagail
- 1993 · After Goodbye as Narrator
- 1993 · Cop and ½ as Rachel
- 1993 · The Ernest Green Story as Lydia Wilson
- 1992 · Middle Ages as Estelle Williams
- 1992 · Color Adjustment as Narrator
- 1991 · Jazztime Tale as Narrator (voice)
- 1991 · Jungle Fever as Lucinda Purify
- 1990 · Decoration Day as Rowena
- 1990 · The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson as Jackie's Mother
- 1990 · Love at Large as Corrine Dart
- 1990 · Zora is My Name! as Zora Neale Hurston
- 1989 · Making 'Do the Right Thing' as Self
- 1989 · Do the Right Thing as Mother Sister
- 1988 · American Experience as Narrator (voice)
- 1988 · China Beach as
- 1988 · Lincoln as Elizabeth Keckley
- 1985 · Spenser: For Hire as
- 1985 · The Golden Girls as Mammy Watkins
- 1985 · The Atlanta Child Murders as Faye Williams
- 1985 · Go Tell It on the Mountain as Mrs. Grimes
- 1983 · Reading Rainbow as Herself - Narrator (voice)
- 1982 · Long Day's Journey Into Night as Mary Tyrone
- 1982 · Cat People as Female
- 1980 · All God's Children as Irene Whitfield
- 1980 · The Torture of Mothers: The Case of the Harlem Six as
- 1979 · I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings as Grandmother Baxter
- 1979 · Roots: The Next Generations as Queen Victoria Haley
- 1978 · The Kennedy Center Honors as Self
- 1976 · Countdown at Kusini as Leah Matanzima
- 1974 · Police Woman as
- 1974 · Wedding Band as Julia Augustine
- 1974 · It's Good to Be Alive as Ruth Campanella
- 1972 · Black Girl as Netta's mother
- 1972 · Buck and the Preacher as Ruth
- 1972 · To Be Young, Gifted and Black as Lorraine Hansberry and other assorted characters
- 1972 · On Merit as Narrator (voice)
- 1971 · The Sheriff as Sue Ann Lucas
- 1971 · Great Performances as Self
- 1970 · King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis as Self (archive footage)
- 1969 · Deadlock as Lucinda
- 1968 · Uptight as Laurie
- 1968 · The Dick Cavett Show as Self - Guest
- 1967 · The Incident as Joan Robinson
- 1966 · Neighbours as Vicky Kingsbury
- 1963 · The Great Adventure as Harriet Tubman
- 1963 · The Fugitive as Laura Smith
- 1963 · Gone Are the Days! as Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins
- 1963 · The Balcony as Thief
- 1961 · The Defenders as Catherine Collins
- 1961 · A Raisin in the Sun as Ruth Younger
- 1959 · Take a Giant Step as Christine
- 1959 · Virgin Island as Ruth
- 1958 · St. Louis Blues as Elizabeth
- 1957 · Edge of the City as Lucy Tyler
- 1954 · Go Man Go as Irma Jackson
- 1951 · Hallmark Hall of Fame as Rowena Finch
- 1951 · The Tall Target as Rachel
- 1950 · No Way Out as Connie Brooks (uncredited)
- 1950 · The Jackie Robinson Story as Rae Robinson
- 1948 · The Fight Never Ends as
- 1948 · What a Guy as
- 1947 · Easy to Get as Drugstore Girl
- 1946 · Love in Syncopation as
- 1946 · That Man of Mine as Joan