Ossie Davis, an actor, writer and director whose dignified bearing and commanding voice made him a force both in the arts and within the civil-rights movement, was found dead Friday in his hotel room in Miami Beach, Fla. He was 87. Davis, who was feted in December with his wife Ruby Dee at the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, had been shooting a film titled Retirement when he was found, officials said. Spokesman Bobby Hernandez said Davis' grandson called Miami Beach police shortly before 7 a.m. after Davis would not open the door to his room at the Shore Club Hotel. There did not appear to be any foul play, Hernandez said. Davis received SAG's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001.
Ossie Davis, the arresting, charismatic actor who was one of the leading figures of the African-American acting community alongside his wife, Ruby Dee, was found dead Friday morning in Miami; he was 87. Davis was discovered in his hotel room in Miami Beach, where he was making a film called Retirement, which he had just started shooting on Monday; a cause of death has not yet been determined, but police have ruled out any foul play. A renaissance man when it came to performing, Davis acted, wrote, directed, and produced for the stage, screen, and television, making his presence known far and wide in a variety of different projects, from Broadway shows to television miniseries. Davis' career began in 1939, where he joined a theater group in Harlem and met a number of influential civil rights activists and writers, including W.E.B. DuBois and Langston Hughes. After serving in World War II, Davis made his Broadway debut in 1946 in the play Jeb opposite Ruby Dee; the two were married two years later, and became one of the classic acting duos of the 20th century. In addition to acting, both were important pioneers for civil rights, balancing both political and artistic agendas throughout their entire careers. Davis appeared in a number of movies and television shows throughout the 50s and 60s (among them The Cardinal, The Hill, and The Scalphunters, for which he received a Golden Globe nomination), and made his directorial debut with 1970's Cotton Comes to Harlem. Working almost non-stop in a variety of mediums, Davis became well-known to a new generation through his films with director Spike Lee (including Do the Right Thing) and his role on the sitcom Evening Shade, as well as innumerable TV miniseries and movies. In 2004, both Davis and Dee were both selected to receive the Kennedy Center Honors. Davis is survived by Dee, 80, and their three children. --Prepared by IMDb staff...
- 2/4/2005
- IMDb News
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