Ruby Dee

Person

Ruby Dee

Born 27 October 1922 Died 11 June 2014, aged 91 Cleveland, Ohio, USA TMDB ↗

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).

FR·01

The numbers

Computed from the record
23age in their first credit on record (1946)
80years on screen and counting
5credits in 1999, their busiest year
93dated credits on record
FR·02

Movie credits

Newest first
No poster
Age: 103

Love in Exile

2026
A Thousand Words poster Age: 89

A Thousand Words

2012
as Annie McCall
Video Girl poster Age: 88

Video Girl

2011
as Valerie
Politics of Love poster Age: 88

Politics of Love

2011
The Perfect Age of Rock 'n' Roll poster Age: 88

The Perfect Age of Rock 'n' Roll

2011
as Miss Candy
A Place Out of Time: The Bordentown School poster Age: 86

A Place Out of Time: The Bordentown School

2009
as Narrator (voice)
America poster Age: 86

America

2009
as Mrs. Harper
Steam poster Age: 85

Steam

2007
as Doris
American Gangster poster Age: 85

American Gangster

2007
as Mama Lucas
All About Us poster Age: 84

All About Us

2007
as Ms. Ella
The Way Back Home poster Age: 83

The Way Back Home

2006
as Maude
No. 2 poster Age: 83

No. 2

2006
as Nanna Maria
Their Eyes Were Watching God poster Age: 82

Their Eyes Were Watching God

2005
as Nanny
Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives poster Age: 80

Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives

2003
Taking Back Our Town poster Age: 79

Taking Back Our Town

2001
as Emelda West
Feast of All Saints poster Age: 79

Feast of All Saints

2001
as Elsie Claviere
Finding Buck McHenry poster Age: 77

Finding Buck McHenry

2000
as Mrs. Henry
A Storm in Summer poster Age: 77

A Storm in Summer

2000
as Grandmother
The Unfinished Journey poster Age: 77

The Unfinished Journey

1999
as Narrator (voice)
Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years poster Age: 76

Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years

1999
as Annie Elizabeth 'Bessie' Delany
Baby Geniuses poster Age: 76

Baby Geniuses

1999
as Margo
Passing Glory poster Age: 76

Passing Glory

1999
as Mommit Porter
The Wall poster Age: 75

The Wall

1998
as Mrs. Mitchell (segment "The Badge")
A Simple Wish poster Age: 74

A Simple Wish

1997
as Hortence
Captive Heart: The James Mink Story poster Age: 73

Captive Heart: The James Mink Story

1996
as Indigo
Mr. and Mrs. Loving poster Age: 73

Mr. and Mrs. Loving

1996
as Sophia
Just Cause poster Age: 72

Just Cause

1995
as Evangeline Ferguson
Tuesday Morning Ride poster Age: 72

Tuesday Morning Ride

1995
as Jennie
Whitewash poster Age: 71

Whitewash

1994
as Grandmother (voice)
Cop & ½ poster Age: 70

Cop & ½

1993
as Rachel
The Ernest Green Story poster Age: 70

The Ernest Green Story

1993
as Lydia Wilson
Jazztime Tale poster Age: 69

Jazztime Tale

1991
as Narrator (voice)
Jungle Fever poster Age: 68

Jungle Fever

1991
as Lucinda Purify
Decoration Day poster Age: 68

Decoration Day

1990
as Rowena
The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson poster Age: 67

The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson

1990
as Jackie's Mother
Love at Large poster Age: 67

Love at Large

1990
as Corrine Dart
Zora is My Name! poster Age: 67

Zora is My Name!

1990
as Zora Neale Hurston
Do the Right Thing poster Age: 66

Do the Right Thing

1989
as Mother Sister
Go Tell It on the Mountain poster Age: 61

Go Tell It on the Mountain

1984
as Mrs. Grimes
Long Day's Journey Into Night poster Age: 60

Long Day's Journey Into Night

1982
as Mary Tyrone
Cat People poster Age: 59

Cat People

1982
as Female
All God's Children poster Age: 57

All God's Children

1980
as Irene Whitfield
The Torture of Mothers: The Case of the Harlem Six poster Age: 57

The Torture of Mothers: The Case of the Harlem Six

1980
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings poster Age: 56

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

1979
as Grandmother Baxter
Countdown at Kusini poster Age: 53

Countdown at Kusini

1976
as Leah Matanzima
Wedding Band poster Age: 51

Wedding Band

1974
as Julia Augustine
It's Good to Be Alive poster Age: 51

It's Good to Be Alive

1974
as Ruth Campanella
No poster
Age: 50

Chelsea D.H.O.

1973
as Dr. Bianca Pearson
Black Girl poster Age: 50

Black Girl

1972
as Netta's mother
Buck and the Preacher poster Age: 49

Buck and the Preacher

1972
as Ruth
To Be Young, Gifted and Black poster Age: 49

To Be Young, Gifted and Black

1972
as Lorraine Hansberry and other assorted characters
No poster
Age: 49

On Merit

1972
as Narrator (voice)
The Sheriff poster Age: 48

The Sheriff

1971
as Sue Ann Lucas
Deadlock poster Age: 46

Deadlock

1969
as Lucinda
Uptight poster Age: 46

Uptight

1968
as Laurie
The Incident poster Age: 45

The Incident

1967
as Joan Robinson
No poster
Age: 43

Neighbours

1966
as Vicky Kingsbury
Gone Are the Days! poster Age: 40

Gone Are the Days!

1963
as Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins
The Balcony poster Age: 40

The Balcony

1963
as Thief
A Raisin in the Sun poster Age: 38

A Raisin in the Sun

1961
as Ruth Younger
Take a Giant Step poster Age: 37

Take a Giant Step

1959
as Christine
Virgin Island poster Age: 36

Virgin Island

1959
as Ruth
St. Louis Blues poster Age: 35

St. Louis Blues

1958
as Elizabeth
Edge of the City poster Age: 34

Edge of the City

1957
as Lucy Tyler
Go Man Go poster Age: 31

Go Man Go

1954
as Irma Jackson
The Tall Target poster Age: 28

The Tall Target

1951
as Rachel
No Way Out poster Age: 27

No Way Out

1950
as Connie Brooks (uncredited)
The Jackie Robinson Story poster Age: 27

The Jackie Robinson Story

1950
as Rae Robinson
The Fight Never Ends poster Age: 25

The Fight Never Ends

1948
What a Guy poster Age: 25

What a Guy

1948
Easy to Get poster Age: 24

Easy to Get

1947
as Drugstore Girl
Love in Syncopation poster Age: 23

Love in Syncopation

1946
That Man of Mine poster Age: 23

That Man of Mine

1946
as Joan
FR·03

TV credits

Newest first
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation poster Age: 77

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

2000
as Mary Wilson
Little Bill poster Age: 77

Little Bill

1999
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child poster Age: 72

Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child

1995
as Grandma (voice)
Touched by an Angel poster Age: 71

Touched by an Angel

1994
as LaBelle Springbelt
The Stand poster Age: 71

The Stand

1994
as Mother Abagail Freemantle
Middle Ages poster Age: 69

Middle Ages

1992
as Estelle Williams
American Experience poster Age: 65

American Experience

1988
as Narrator (voice)
China Beach poster Age: 65

China Beach

1988
Lincoln poster Age: 65

Lincoln

1988
as Elizabeth Keckley
Spenser: For Hire poster Age: 62

Spenser: For Hire

1985
The Golden Girls poster Age: 62

The Golden Girls

1985
as Mammy Watkins
The Atlanta Child Murders poster Age: 62

The Atlanta Child Murders

1985
as Faye Williams
American Playhouse poster Age: 59

American Playhouse

1982
as Mrs. Grimes
Roots: The Next Generations poster Age: 56

Roots: The Next Generations

1979
as Queen Haley
Police Woman poster Age: 51

Police Woman

1974
The Great Adventure poster Age: 40

The Great Adventure

1963
as Harriet Tubman
The Fugitive poster Age: 40

The Fugitive

1963
as Laura Smith
The Defenders poster Age: 38

The Defenders

1961
as Catherine Collins
Armchair Theatre poster Age: 33

Armchair Theatre

1956
as Vicky Kingsbury
Hallmark Hall of Fame poster Age: 29

Hallmark Hall of Fame

1951
as Rowena Finch
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