Biography
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).
Awards & recognition
- Spingarn Medal · 2008
- Humanitarian of the Year · 2007
- Marian Anderson Award · 2005
- Crystal Award · 1991
- honorary degree from Spelman College · 1991
Show all 15 awards →
- Primetime Emmy Award — Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie · 1991
- Ohio Women's Hall of Fame · 1986
- Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame · 1975
- Paul Robeson Award · 1975
- Audie Award — Best Female Narrator
- Kennedy Center Honors
- NAACP Image Award – Chairman's Award
- National Medal of Arts
- Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award
- Academy Award — Best Supporting Actress · 2008 · nominated
Filmography50+ titles
Long Distance Revolutionary: A Journey with Mumia Abu-Jamal
Hollywood Black
Reading Rainbow
Do the Right Thing
A Raisin in the Sun
St. Louis Blues
American Gangster
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
The Golden Girls
China Beach
Lincoln
Iconoclasts
Roots: The Next Generations
Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years
It's Good to Be Alive
King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis
The Fugitive
Betty and Coretta
Touched by an Angel
Edge of the City
Finding Buck McHenry
Decoration Day
Spenser: For Hire
No Way Out
The Wall
The Stand
Black Girl
Uptight
The Dick Cavett Show
The Way Back Home
American Experience
In the Shadow of Hollywood: Race Movies and the Birth of Black Cinema
Jungle Fever
Police Woman
Just Cause
Go Tell It on the Mountain
Buck and the Preacher
The Jackie Robinson Story
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
Video Girl
A Thousand Words
Great Performances
Passing Glory
Mr. and Mrs. Loving
Cat People
A Simple Wish
Go Man Go
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
The Balcony
Take a Giant Step