
Ruby Dee
Known for Acting · 119 credits
- Born
- 1922-10-27
- Died
- 2014-06-11
- Place of birth
- Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Also known as
- Ruby Ann Wallace
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).
Known For
TV Shows (28)

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
2000
as Mary Wilson

The Fugitive
1963
as Laura Smith

Great Performances
1971
as Self

American Experience
1988
as Narrator (voice)

Touched by an Angel
1994
as LaBelle Springbelt

The Golden Girls
1985
as Mammy Watkins

The Dick Cavett Show
1968
as Self - Guest

Police Woman
1974

The Defenders
1961
as Catherine Collins

The Oscars
1953
as Self

Reading Rainbow
1983
as Self - Narrator (voice)

China Beach
1988

Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
1995
as Grandma (voice)

Spenser: For Hire
1985

The Stand
1994
as Mother Abagail Freemantle

The Kennedy Center Honors
1978
as Self

The Great Adventure
1963
as Harriet Tubman

Iconoclasts
2005
as Self

Roots: The Next Generations
1979
as Queen Haley

Little Bill
1999

Hallmark Hall of Fame
1951
as Rowena Finch

Hollywood Black
2024
as Self (archive footage)

The Atlanta Child Murders
1985
as Faye Williams

Armchair Theatre
1956
as Vicky Kingsbury

Lincoln
1988
as Elizabeth Keckley

Middle Ages
1992
as Estelle Williams

Christianity: The First Two Thousand Years
2002
as Narrator
Christianity: The First 1000 Years
1998
as Herself - Narrator
Movies (91)

American Gangster
2007
as Mama Lucas

Cat People
1982
as Female

Do the Right Thing
1989
as Mother Sister

A Thousand Words
2012
as Annie McCall

Just Cause
1995
as Evangeline Ferguson

A Simple Wish
1997
as Hortence

Jungle Fever
1991
as Lucinda Purify

Baby Geniuses
1999
as Margo

Cop & ½
1993
as Rachel

The Incident
1967
as Joan Robinson

Feast of All Saints
2001
as Elsie Claviere

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

Steam
2007
as Doris

Their Eyes Were Watching God
2005
as Nanny

A Raisin in the Sun
1961
as Ruth Younger

Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives
2003

King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis
1970
as Self (archive footage)

No Way Out
1950
as Connie Brooks (uncredited)

Love at Large
1990
as Corrine Dart

Buck and the Preacher
1972
as Ruth

Video Girl
2011
as Valerie

TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
2004
as (archive footage)

The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson
1990
as Jackie's Mother

The Tall Target
1951
as Rachel

Life's Essentials with Ruby Dee
2014
as Self

Decoration Day
1990
as Rowena

Taking Back Our Town
2001
as Emelda West

Beah: A Black Woman Speaks
2004
as Self

The Unfinished Journey
1999
as Narrator (voice)

Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years
1999
as Annie Elizabeth 'Bessie' Delany

No. 2
2006
as Nanna Maria

All About Us
2007
as Ms. Ella

Color Adjustment
1992
as Narrator

America
2009
as Mrs. Harper

The Perfect Age of Rock 'n' Roll
2011
as Miss Candy

Edge of the City
1957
as Lucy Tyler

All God's Children
1980
as Irene Whitfield

Easy to Get
1947
as Drugstore Girl

Politics of Love
2011

The Ernest Green Story
1993
as Lydia Wilson

Take a Giant Step
1959
as Christine

Go Tell It on the Mountain
1984
as Mrs. Grimes

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
1979
as Grandmother Baxter

The Jackie Robinson Story
1950
as Rae Robinson

Passing Glory
1999
as Mommit Porter
Making 'Do the Right Thing'
1989
as Self

Captive Heart: The James Mink Story
1996
as Indigo

Sports on the Silver Screen
1997
as Self (archive footage)

Uptight
1968
as Laurie

Long Distance Revolutionary: A Journey with Mumia Abu-Jamal
2013
as Self

Black Girl
1972
as Netta's mother

Mr. and Mrs. Loving
1996
as Sophia

A Storm in Summer
2000
as Grandmother

Betty and Coretta
2013
as Narrator

Gone Are the Days!
1963
as Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins

Whitewash
1994
as Grandmother (voice)

St. Louis Blues
1958
as Elizabeth

The Sheriff
1971
as Sue Ann Lucas

The Torture of Mothers: The Case of the Harlem Six
1980

Virgin Island
1959
as Ruth

The Way Back Home
2006
as Maude

It's Good to Be Alive
1974
as Ruth Campanella

The Balcony
1963
as Thief

Deadlock
1969
as Lucinda

Paul Robeson: Here I Stand
1999
as Self

Tuesday Morning Ride
1995
as Jennie

Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood
1998
as Self

To Be Young, Gifted and Black
1972
as Lorraine Hansberry and other assorted characters

That Man of Mine
1946
as Joan

Finding Buck McHenry
2000
as Mrs. Henry

In the Shadow of Hollywood: Race Movies and the Birth of Black Cinema
2007
as Herself

Zora is My Name!
1990
as Zora Neale Hurston

Long Day's Journey Into Night
1982
as Mary Tyrone
A Time To Dance: The Life and Work of Norma Canner
1998
as Narrator

The Fight Never Ends
1948
Neighbours
1966
as Vicky Kingsbury

Countdown at Kusini
1976
as Leah Matanzima

Go Man Go
1954
as Irma Jackson
Chelsea D.H.O.
1973
as Dr. Bianca Pearson

Wedding Band
1974
as Julia Augustine

Theater Talk: 'A Raisin in the Sun'
2002
as Self
Now is the Time
1967
as Self

Jazztime Tale
1991
as Narrator (voice)

After Goodbye
1993
as Narrator

A Place Out of Time: The Bordentown School
2009
as Narrator (voice)

Discovering William Greaves
2006
as Self

Love in Syncopation
1946
Our Paul: Remembering Paul Robeson
2007
as Self

Poitier's Walter Lee
2018
as Self (archive footage)
On Merit
1972
as Narrator (voice)

What a Guy
1948
About Ruby Dee
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). With 119 credits spanning from 1946 to 2024, Ruby Dee has appeared in 91 films and 28 TV shows.
Fans searching for Ruby Dee movies, Ruby Dee filmography, or the latest projects starring Ruby Dee can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Ruby Dee Movies
- American Gangster (2007) — as Mama Lucas
- Cat People (1982) — as Female
- Do the Right Thing (1989) — as Mother Sister
- A Thousand Words (2012) — as Annie McCall
- Just Cause (1995) — as Evangeline Ferguson
Where to Watch Ruby Dee Films
Most Ruby Dee movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Ruby Dee, check our movies catalogue and browse page.