Date of Birth:27 October 1924, Cleveland, Ohio, USA more

Trivia:1989: Voted into the NAACP image award Hall of Fame with husband Ossie Davis. more

Awards:Nominated for Oscar. Another 12 wins & 14 nominations more


Filmography

Actress:

The Middle of Nowhere (2009) (pre-production).... Cornelia

Red & Blue Marbles (2009) (post-production).... Professor Wright

The Perfect Age of Rock'n' Roll (2009) (post-production).... Miss Candy the bartender

Steam (2007).... Doris

American Gangster (2007).... Mama Lucas

All About Us (2007).... Ms. Ella

"CSI: Crime Scene Investigation".... Mary Wilson (1 episode, 2007)
... aka CSI: Las Vegas (South Africa: English title: informal alternative title) (USA: syndication title)
... aka C.S.I. (USA: short title)
... aka CSI: Weekends (USA: promotional title)
... aka Experts, Les (Canada: French title)
- Empty Eyes (2007) TV episode.... Mary Wilson

The Way Back Home (2006).... Maude

No. 2 (2006).... Nanna Maria

Their Eyes Were Watching God (2005) (TV).... Nanny
... aka Oprah Winfrey Presents Their Eyes Were Watching God (Australia: DVD box title)

Dream Street (2005)

Baby of the Family (2002)

Taking Back Our Town (2001) (TV).... Emelda West

Feast of All Saints (2001) (TV).... Elsie Claviere
... aka Anne Rice's The Feast of All Saints (USA: complete title)

Freedom Never Dies: The Legacy of Harry T. Moore (2001) (TV).... Narrator

Finding Buck McHenry (2000) (TV).... Mrs. Henry

A Storm in Summer (2000) (TV).... Grandmother

"Touched by an Angel".... LaBelle (1 episode, 1999)
- The Christmas Gift (1999) TV episode.... LaBelle

Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years (1999) (TV).... Annie Elizabeth'Bessie' Delany
... aka Having Our Say (USA: short title)

Baby Geniuses (1999).... Margo

Passing Glory (1999) (TV).... Mommit Porter

"Cosby".... Mattie (1 episode, 1999)
- Ol' Betsy (1999) TV episode.... Mattie

"Little Bill" (1999) TV series.... Alice the Great (unknown episodes)

"Promised Land".... Alicia (1 episode, 1998)
... aka Home of the Brave
- Baptism of Fire (1998) TV episode.... Alicia

The Wall (1998) (TV).... Mrs. Mitchell (segment "The Badge")

A Simple Wish (1997).... Hortense
... aka The Fairy Godmother (Canada: English title)

Stories from the Edge (1996) (TV).... (segment "Tuesday Morning Ride")

Captive Heart: The James Mink Story (1996) (TV).... Indigo

Mr. and Mrs. Loving (1996) (TV).... Sophia

"American Masters".... Narrator (1 episode, 1995)
- Edgar Allan Poe: Terror of the Soul (1995) TV episode (voice).... Narrator

Just Cause (1995).... Evangeline

Tuesday Morning Ride (1995)

Whitewash (1994) (TV).... Grandmother

"The Stand" (1994) TV mini-series.... Mother Abigail Freemantle
... aka Stephen King's The Stand

Cop and ½ (1993).... Rachel
... aka Cop and a Half

"Evening Shade".... Aurelia Danforth (1 episode, 1993)
- They Can't Take That Away From (1993) TV episode.... Aurelia Danforth

The Ernest Green Story (1993) (TV).... Mrs. Lydia Wilson

"Middle Ages" (1992) TV series.... Estelle Williams (unknown episodes)

Jazztime Tale (1992).... Old Lucinda

Jungle Fever (1991).... Lucinda Purify

Decoration Day (1990) (TV).... Rowena, Finch's Housekeeper

"The Golden Girls".... Viola Watkins (1 episode, 1990)
- Wham, Bam, Thank You, Mammy (1990) TV episode.... Viola Watkins

The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson (1990) (TV).... Jackie's mother

"China Beach".... Ruby (1 episode, 1990)
- Skylark (1990) TV episode.... Ruby

Love at Large (1990).... Corrine Dart

Do the Right Thing (1989).... Mother Sister

Lincoln (1988) (TV).... Elizabeth Keckley
... aka Gore Vidal's Lincoln

Windmills of the Gods (1988) (TV)
... aka Sidney Sheldon's Windmills of the Gods

"Spenser: For Hire".... Eleanor Simpson (1 episode, 1987)
- Personal Demons (1987) TV episode.... Eleanor Simpson

"The Atlanta Child Murders" (1985) TV mini-series.... Faye Williams

Go Tell It on the Mountain (1985) (TV).... Mrs. Grimes

Long Day's Journey Into Night (1982) (TV).... Mary Tyrone

Cat People (1982).... Female

"American Playhouse".... Zora Neal Hurston (1 episode)
- Zora Is My Name! (????) TV episode.... Zora Neal Hurston

"Ossie and Ruby!" (1980) TV series.... Co-host (1980-81)

All God's Children (1980) (TV).... Irene Whitfield

The Torture of Mothers (1980)

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1979) (TV).... Grandmother Baxter

"Roots: The Next Generations" (1979) TV mini-series.... Queen Haley

Countdown at Kusini (1976).... Leah Matanzima
... aka Cool Red (USA)

"Police Woman".... Cora Sanders (1 episode, 1975)
- Target Black (1975) TV episode.... Cora Sanders

It's Good to Be Alive (1974) (TV).... Ruth Campanella

"Tenafly".... Jan Lennox (1 episode, 1973)
- The Window That Wasn't (1973) TV episode.... Jan Lennox

Chelsea D.H.O. (1973) (TV).... Dr. Bianca Pearson

"The CBS Festival of Lively Arts for Young People" (1 episode)
- Today Is Ours (????) TV episode

Black Girl (1972).... Netta's mother

Buck and the Preacher (1972).... Ruth

To Be Young, Gifted, and Black (1972) (TV)

The Sheriff (1971) (TV).... Sue-Anne Lucas

Deadlock (1969) (TV).... Lucinda

"Peyton Place" (1964) TV series.... Alma Miles (unknown episodes, 1968-1969)

Up Tight! (1968).... Laurie

"The Guiding Light" (1952) TV series.... Martha Frazier (unknown episodes, 1967)
... aka Guiding Light (USA: new title)

The Incident (1967).... Joan Robinson

"Armchair Theatre".... Vicky Kingsbury (1 episode, 1966)
- Neighbours (1966) TV episode.... Vicky Kingsbury

"The Defenders".... Catherine Collins (1 episode, 1965)
- The Sworn Twelve (1965) TV episode.... Catherine Collins

"East Side/West Side".... Marilyn Marsden (1 episode, 1963)
- No Hiding Place (1963) TV episode.... Marilyn Marsden

"The Great Adventure".... Harriet Tubman (1 episode, 1963)
- Go Down, Moses (1963) TV episode.... Harriet Tubman

"The Fugitive".... Laura (1 episode, 1963)
- Decision in the Ring (1963) TV episode.... Laura

Gone Are the Days! (1963).... Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins
... aka Purlie Victorious
... aka The Man from C.O.T.T.O.N. (USA: reissue title)

"The Nurses".... Jenny Bishop (1 episode, 1963)
... aka The Doctors and the Nurses (USA: new title)
- Express Stop from Lenox Avenue (1963) TV episode.... Jenny Bishop

The Balcony (1963).... Thief

"Alcoa Premiere".... Irene Clayton (1 episode, 1963)
- Impact of an Execution (1963) TV episode.... Irene Clayton

Seven Times Monday (1962) (TV).... Lila

A Raisin in the Sun (1961).... Ruth Younger

"Play of the Week".... Lila (2 episodes, 1960-1961)
- Black Monday (1961) TV episode
- Seven Times Monday (1960) TV episode.... Lila

Take a Giant Step (1959).... Christine the maid

St. Louis Blues (1958).... Elizabeth

Virgin Island (1958).... Ruth
... aka Our Virgin Island (USA)

Edge of the City (1957).... Lucy Tyler
... aka A Man Is Ten Feet Tall (UK)

The Great American Pastime (1956) (uncredited).... Mrs. Ashlow

Go, Man, Go! (1954)

The Tall Target (1951).... Rachel, Slave Maid

"Frontiers of Faith".... Grace Gilmore (1 episode)
- The Bitter Cup (????) TV episode.... Grace Gilmore

No Way Out (1950) (uncredited).... Connie Brooks

The Jackie Robinson Story (1950).... Rae Robinson

The Fight Never Ends (1949).... Janie

What a Guy (1948)

That Man of Mine (1947)

The First Year (1946) (TV)

Soundtrack:
"The Stand" (1994) TV mini-series (performer: "What A Friend We Have In Jesus")
... aka Stephen King's The Stand

Writer:
Up Tight! (1968) (writer)

Producer:
Up Tight! (1968) (co-producer)