Obba Babatundé
Acting
Born: December 1, 1951 (age 74) · Queens, New York City, New York, USA
Highest Rated
Biography
Obba Babatundé (born December 1, 1951) is an American actor of stage and screen, known for his Emmy-nominated performance in the television movie Miss Evers' Boys, a NAACP Image Award-nominated performance in the TV movie Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, and a Tony Award-nominated role for his performance as C.C. White in the original cast of the 1981 Broadway musical Dreamgirls. Babatundé was a protege of Sammy Davis, Jr., who said of him, "This is the only cat who can do everything I can do." Babatundé does dance, sing, play instruments, execute impersonations, including his portrayal of Davis, aided by their similarity in energy, size and talent, tap dancing and performing on multiple instruments. In fall 2009, Babatundé played Davis in the title role of "Sammy: Once in a Lifetime," a world premiere musical at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego. Early in 2000, Babatundé partnered with writer/producer Ruth Adkins Robinson for a series of TV projects including "TV in Black: The First 50 Years," "Oscar's Black Odyssey: From Hattie to Hallie" and "Dorthy Dandridge: An American Beauty". The pair have projects that will take them through 2011. His TV roles have often portrayed authority figures, such as a recurring guest-starring role as a high school principal on Dawson's Creek, an appearance as a judge in a two-part episode of Any Day Now, and as the father of the main characters on Half & Half. He also played Harvard college Dean Cain in the movie How High, as well as the role of Willie Long in the movie Life, and co-starred as an attorney in Philadelphia and as a senator in the 2004 reprise of The Manchurian Candidate. He also played the director in season 3 of Friends in an episode titled "The One with All the Jealousy". Other TV shows he has had recurring roles on include The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Chicago Hope, Rocket Power, Static Shock, and Karen Sisco. He played a small but pivotal role as a doorman/bellhop in the film That Thing You Do! and also appeared in The Wild Thornberrys Movie as the voice of Boko. He played a famous producer known as Gordy Berry on two episodes of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. In the 1998 miniseries, The Temptations, he played the founder of Motown Records Berry Gordy. Babatundé is adept at American sign language and had used this talent in many roles including on one NYPD Blue. His recorded work includes a performance with the New York pianist Onaje Allan Gumbs on the 2007 album Sack Full of Dreams. The actor/producer is also an avid horseman and is a highly regarded rider and trainer in the Rodeo Circuit, including the annual Bill Pickett Rodeol. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Known for
The Silence of the Lambs
1991
The Notebook
2004
Grey's Anatomy
2005
Friends
1994
Philadelphia
1993
John Q
2002
NCIS
2003
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
1990
The Manchurian Candidate
2004
S.W.A.T.
2017
The Net
1995
Chicago Med
2015
Photos (1)
Movies (77)
The Notebook
Band Leader
John Q
Sgt. Moody
Philadelphia
Jerome Green
The Silence of the Lambs
TV Anchor Man
How High
Dean Carl Cain
The Net
FBI Agent (uncredited)
The Manchurian Candidate
Senator Wells
After the Sunset
Zacharias
Life
Willie Long
The Wild Thornberrys Movie
Boko (voice)
The Eye
Dr. Haskins
That Thing You Do!
Lamarr
City of Lies
Chief of Police
Dead Again
Syd
Multiplicity
Paul
All Star Superman
Judge / Bibliobot (voice)
Black Dynamite
Osiris
Married to the Mob
The Face of Justice
The Celestine Prophecy
Miguel
Scooby-Doo! Music of the Vampire
Vampire Actor #4 (voice)
Undercover Blues
Sawyer
Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups
Mayor Denny
Material Girls
Craig
Jingle Belle
Charles Williams
Lap Dance
Roscoe
Born to Be Wild
Interpreter
Necronomicon
Paul
Redeemer
Charles Henderson
Introducing Dorothy Dandridge
Harold Nicholas
Pup Star: Better 2Gether
Big Ears (voice)
Kangaroo Jack: G'Day, U.S.A.!
Chief Ankamuti (voice)
Miami Blues
Blink Willie
Miss Evers' Boys
Willie Johnson
'Til Death Do Us Part
John Harris
Run
President
The Cherokee Kid
Isom Dart
M.A.N.T.I.S.
Cornell
Revival!
Nicodemus
Carpool
Jeffery
Treemonisha
Zodzetrick
Soul of the Game
Cum Posey
Leonard Part 6
Bongo Drummer
Kinky
Mr. Bernard
Love the Skin You're In
Arnold
Fatal Pursuit
Trinidad
Pup Star
Big Ears (voice)
Cover
Attorney Miller
The Watcher
Stark
The Apartment Complex
Chett
The Millennial
Mr. Burke
All The Men In My Life
Simon Helms
Why Am I Doing This?
Cliff
The Christmas Showdown
Jesse
American Bad Boy
Pastor Lovely
The Visit
Tony
A Reason to Believe
Prof. Thurman
Trapped: Haitian Nights
Ikliff
The Last Fall
Larry Armstrong
The Trap Door
Mesmer
Dorothy Dandridge: An American Beauty
Host
I Do... I Did!
Mr. Johnson
Death's Door
Mesmer
King: Man of Peace in a Time of War
Narrator
April Fools
Detective Combs
The Tomorrow Man
Brian Parish
If I Tell You I Have to Kill You
Jonathan Black
Baryshnikov on Broadway
Dancer
Wrong Place, Wrong Time
Captain Green
Dolls of Voodoo
Iklif
Noble Intentions
Pastor Stevens
Kiss Me for Christmas
Mr. Porter
Joy Road
Dr. Howard Perkins
God Bless the Child
Raymond Watkins
Trigger
Chief Keaton
One Special Moment
2001
Mississippi Scholar
Reginald
The Importance of Being Earnest
Lane
TV Shows (39)
NCIS
Joe Banks · 1 eps
Grey's Anatomy
Dan Gates · 1 eps
Friends
Director · 1 eps
S.W.A.T.
Daniel Harrelson, Sr. · 26 eps
Chicago Med
Dr. James Coleman · 1 eps
Psych
David Gaffney · 1 eps
Boston Legal
Dr. Victor Rivers · 2 eps
Chicago Hope
Charles Ellis · 2 eps
Everwood
Jason · 1 eps
Dawson's Creek
Howard Green · 8 eps
Madam Secretary
President Silvanus Fabre · 1 eps
Touched by an Angel
Carter Evans · 1 eps
Goliath
Ivan Tillinger · 3 eps
Private Practice
Dr. Larry Cannon · 1 eps
Matlock
Backstage Man · 1 eps
The Good Fight
Danny Quinn · 1 eps
The Outer Limits
Dr. Joseph Lennox · 1 eps
A Different World
Frank Benning · 1 eps
Tales from the Crypt
Lieutenant Jamison · 1 eps
Sliders
Cezanne Brown · 1 eps
Girlfriends
Attendant · 1 eps
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Gordy Berry · 2 eps
Family Law
Philip Hamilton · 1 eps
Saving Grace
Doc · 1 eps
Ballers
J.D. Pritchard · 1 eps
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
Mongoose · 1 eps
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper
Jameson Walker · 1 eps
Static Shock
Singer (voice) · 1 eps
Static Shock
Watch Store Salesman (voice) · 1 eps
Kingdom
Detective Gaines · 3 eps
Dear White People
Dean Fairbanks · 4 eps
Little Fires Everywhere
George Wright · 2 eps
For the People
Philip Kaws · 1 eps
Detroiters
Mr. Duvet · 2 eps
Forever
Gregory · 2 eps
Enlisted
General Murray · 1 eps
Max Steel
(voice) · 1 eps
Spy Game
Lieutenant Wardell · 1 eps
The Temptations
Berry Gordy · 2 eps
