Ruby Dee

Career timeline

1. 1922 · Born

   Born in Cleveland, Ohio, USA

2. 1950 · Screen debut

   The Jackie Robinson Story (Movie)

3. 1968 · Writing debut

   Uptight (Movie)

4. 1989 · Breakthrough

   Do the Right Thing (Movie)

5. 2013 · Latest release

   Betty and Coretta (Movie)

6. 2014 · Died

   June 11, 2014

Career in numbers

9 1950s

8 1960s

7 1970s

10 1980s

23 1990s

15 2000s

4 2010s

• Drama58
• Tv Movie15
• Comedy10
• Romance10
• Crime8
• Family7

Highest-rated title Do the Right Thing 1989 7.8 Most popular title CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 2000 7.6

Frequent collaborators

People who appear most often alongside Ruby Dee in our catalogue.

Reginald Rose

2 titles together

Nastassja Kinski

2 titles together

Ted Levine

2 titles together

1. — Baby of the Family Upcoming Movie
2. 2013 Betty and Coretta as Narrator Movie
3. 2012 A Thousand Words as Annie McCall 6.1 Movie
4. 2011 Video Girl as Valerie 6.1 Movie
5. 2011 The Perfect Age of Rock 'n' Roll as Miss Candy Movie
6. 2009 America as Mrs. Harper Movie
7. 2007 Steam as Doris Movie
8. 2007 American Gangster as Mama Lucas 7.6 Movie
9. 2007 All About Us as Ms. Ella Movie
10. 2006 The Way Back Home as Maude Movie
11. 2006 No. 2 as Nanna Maria Movie
12. 2005 Their Eyes Were Watching God as Nanny 5.7 Movie
13. 2004 TV in Black: The First Fifty Years as (archive footage) Movie
14. 2003 Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives Movie
15. 2002 Christianity: The First Two Thousand Years as Narrator TV
16. 2001 Taking Back Our Town as Emelda West Movie
17. 2001 Feast of All Saints as Elsie Claviere Movie
18. 2000 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as Mary Wilson 7.6 TV
19. 2000 Finding Buck McHenry as Mrs. Henry Movie
20. 2000 A Storm in Summer as Grandmother Movie
21. 1999 The Unfinished Journey as Narrator (voice) Movie
22. 1999 Little Bill 6.8 TV
23. 1999 Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years as Annie Elizabeth 'Bessie' Delany Movie
24. 1999 Baby Geniuses as Margo 4.1 Movie
25. 1999 Passing Glory as Mommit Porter Movie
26. 1997 A Simple Wish as Hortence 5.5 Movie
27. 1996 Captive Heart: The James Mink Story as Indigo Movie
28. 1996 Mr. and Mrs. Loving as Sophia Movie
29. 1995 Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child as Grandma (voice) TV
30. 1995 Just Cause as Evangeline Ferguson 6.3 Movie
31. 1994 Touched by an Angel as LaBelle Springbelt 7.2 TV
32. 1994 Whitewash as Grandmother (voice) Movie
33. 1994 The Stand as Mother Abagail Freemantle 6.8 TV
34. 1994 The Stand Movie
35. 1993 Cop & ½ as Rachel 4.6 Movie
36. 1993 The Ernest Green Story as Lydia Wilson Movie
37. 1992 Middle Ages as Estelle Williams TV
38. 1992 Color Adjustment as Narrator Movie
39. 1991 Jungle Fever as Lucinda Purify 6.4 Movie
40. 1990 Decoration Day as Rowena Movie
41. 1990 The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson as Jackie's Mother Movie
42. 1990 Love at Large as Corrine Dart 4.9 Movie
43. 1990 Zora is My Name! as Zora Neale Hurston Movie
44. 1989 Do the Right Thing as Mother Sister 7.8 Movie
45. 1988 American Experience as Narrator (voice) 6.5 TV
46. 1988 China Beach 7.4 TV
47. 1988 Lincoln as Elizabeth Keckley TV
48. 1985 Spenser: For Hire 6.9 TV
49. 1985 The Golden Girls as Mammy Watkins 7.6 TV
50. 1985 The Atlanta Child Murders as Faye Williams TV
51. 1984 Go Tell It on the Mountain as Mrs. Grimes Movie
52. 1982 Cat People as Female 6.1 Movie
53. 1982 American Playhouse as Mrs. Grimes TV
54. 1979 Roots: The Next Generations as Queen Haley 7.5 TV
55. 1974 Police Woman 6.5 TV
56. 1973 Chelsea D.H.O. as Dr. Bianca Pearson Movie
57. 1972 Black Girl as Netta's mother Movie
58. 1972 Buck and the Preacher as Ruth 6.3 Movie
59. 1972 To Be Young, Gifted and Black as Lorraine Hansberry and other assorted characters Movie
60. 1971 The Sheriff as Sue Ann Lucas Movie
61. 1969 Deadlock as Lucinda Movie
62. 1968 Uptight as Laurie Movie
63. 1967 The Incident as Joan Robinson 7.4 Movie
64. 1963 The Great Adventure as Harriet Tubman TV
65. 1963 The Fugitive as Laura Smith 7.3 TV
66. 1963 Gone Are the Days! as Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins Movie
67. 1961 The Defenders as Catherine Collins TV
68. 1961 A Raisin in the Sun as Ruth Younger 7.7 Movie
69. 1959 Take a Giant Step as Christine Movie
70. 1959 Virgin Island as Ruth Movie
71. 1958 St. Louis Blues as Elizabeth Movie
72. 1957 Edge of the City as Lucy Tyler 7.1 Movie
73. 1956 Armchair Theatre as Vicky Kingsbury TV
74. 1951 Hallmark Hall of Fame as Rowena Finch TV
75. 1951 The Tall Target as Rachel 6.8 Movie
76. 1950 No Way Out as Connie Brooks (uncredited) 7.0 Movie
77. 1950 The Jackie Robinson Story as Rae Robinson 6.3 Movie

1. 1982 American Playhouse TV
2. 1968 Uptight Movie

Photos

Quick facts