Ruby Dee
Known for Acting · 121 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 (29)
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
2000
as Mary Wilson
The Fugitive
1963
as Laura Smith
American Experience
1988
as Narrator (voice)
Great Performances
1971
as Self
The Dick Cavett Show
1968
as Self - Guest
Touched by an Angel
1994
as LaBelle Springbelt
American Playhouse
1982
as Mrs. Grimes / Zora Neale Hurston
The Golden Girls
1985
as Mammy Watkins
Police Woman
1974
The Defenders
1961
as Catherine Collins
The Oscars
1953
as Self
Reading Rainbow
1983
as Self - Narrator (voice)
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
1995
as Grandma (voice)
China Beach
1988
The Stand
1994
as Mother Abagail Freemantle
Spenser: For Hire
1985
The Kennedy Center Honors
1978
as Self
The Great Adventure
1963
as Harriet Tubman
Little Bill
1999
Roots: The Next Generations
1979
as Queen Haley
Hallmark Hall of Fame
1951
as Rowena Finch
Iconoclasts
2005
as Self
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 (92)
American Gangster
2007
as Mama Lucas
A Thousand Words
2012
as Annie McCall
Do the Right Thing
1989
as Mother Sister
Jungle Fever
1991
as Lucinda Purify
Neighbours
1966
as Vicky Kingsbury
No. 2
2006
as Nanna Maria
Cat People
1982
as Female
Baby Geniuses
1999
as Margo
Just Cause
1995
as Evangeline Ferguson
Uptight
1968
as Laurie
Feast of All Saints
2001
as Elsie Claviere
A Simple Wish
1997
as Hortence
America
2009
as Mrs. Harper
A Raisin in the Sun
1961
as Ruth Younger
Decoration Day
1990
as Rowena
The Incident
1967
as Joan Robinson
The Tall Target
1951
as Rachel
Cop & ½
1993
as Rachel
Steam
2007
as Doris
The Unfinished Journey
1999
as Narrator (voice)
Video Girl
2011
as Valerie
No Way Out
1950
as Connie Brooks (uncredited)
Gone Are the Days!
1963
as Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins
Buck and the Preacher
1972
as Ruth
The Ernest Green Story
1993
as Lydia Wilson
Go Tell It on the Mountain
1984
as Mrs. Grimes
Love at Large
1990
as Corrine Dart
Captive Heart: The James Mink Story
1996
as Indigo
Zora is My Name!
1990
as Zora Neale Hurston
Mr. and Mrs. Loving
1996
as Sophia
Making 'Do the Right Thing'
1989
as Self
After Goodbye
1993
as Narrator
Chelsea D.H.O.
1973
as Dr. Bianca Pearson
Love in Exile
2026
The Fight Never Ends
1948
The Way Back Home
2006
as Maude
On Merit
1972
as Narrator (voice)
Color Adjustment
1992
as Narrator
It's Good to Be Alive
1974
as Ruth Campanella
Politics of Love
2011
Virgin Island
1959
as Ruth
Tuesday Morning Ride
1995
as Jennie
The Balcony
1963
as Thief
St. Louis Blues
1958
as Elizabeth
A Storm in Summer
2000
as Grandmother
What a Guy
1948
Betty and Coretta
2013
as Narrator
King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis
1970
as Self (archive footage)
Taking Back Our Town
2001
as Emelda West
Edge of the City
1957
as Lucy Tyler
Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives
2003
Whitewash
1994
as Grandmother (voice)
The Sheriff
1971
as Sue Ann Lucas
Their Eyes Were Watching God
2005
as Nanny
Finding Buck McHenry
2000
as Mrs. Henry
Beah: A Black Woman Speaks
2004
as Self
The Jackie Robinson Story
1950
as Rae Robinson
Sports on the Silver Screen
1997
as Self (archive footage)
The Perfect Age of Rock 'n' Roll
2011
as Miss Candy
The Wall
1998
as Mrs. Mitchell (segment "The Badge")
Poitier's Walter Lee
2018
as Self (archive footage)
All About Us
2007
as Ms. Ella
All God's Children
1980
as Irene Whitfield
Passing Glory
1999
as Mommit Porter
The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson
1990
as Jackie's Mother
Love in Syncopation
1946
Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years
1999
as Annie Elizabeth 'Bessie' Delany
A Place Out of Time: The Bordentown School
2009
as Narrator (voice)
Take a Giant Step
1959
as Christine
Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood
1998
as Self
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
1979
as Grandmother Baxter
Life's Essentials with Ruby Dee
2014
as Self
Black Girl
1972
as Netta's mother
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
2004
as (archive footage)
Paul Robeson: Here I Stand
1999
as Self
Deadlock
1969
as Lucinda
Easy to Get
1947
as Drugstore Girl
That Man of Mine
1946
as Joan
Go Man Go
1954
as Irma Jackson
To Be Young, Gifted and Black
1972
as Lorraine Hansberry and other assorted characters
Now is the Time
1967
as Self
Our Paul: Remembering Paul Robeson
2007
as Self
Theater Talk: 'A Raisin in the Sun'
2002
as Self
A Time To Dance: The Life and Work of Norma Canner
1998
as Narrator
Wedding Band
1974
as Julia Augustine
Long Distance Revolutionary: A Journey with Mumia Abu-Jamal
2013
as Self
Countdown at Kusini
1976
as Leah Matanzima
Long Day's Journey Into Night
1982
as Mary Tyrone
Discovering William Greaves
2006
as Self
In the Shadow of Hollywood: Race Movies and the Birth of Black Cinema
2007
as Herself
Jazztime Tale
1991
as Narrator (voice)
The Torture of Mothers: The Case of the Harlem Six
1980
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 121 credits spanning from 1946 to 2026, Ruby Dee has appeared in 92 films and 29 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
- A Thousand Words (2012) — as Annie McCall
- Do the Right Thing (1989) — as Mother Sister
- Jungle Fever (1991) — as Lucinda Purify
- Neighbours (1966) — as Vicky Kingsbury
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.