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
American Gangster
(2007)
Mama Lucas
Do the Right Thing
(1989)
Mother Sister
Jungle Fever
(1991)
Lucinda Purify
A Thousand Words
(2012)
Annie McCall
Cat People
(1982)
Female
Baby Geniuses
(1999)
Margo
Just Cause
(1995)
Evangeline Ferguson
A Simple Wish
(1997)
Hortence
A Raisin in the Sun
(1961)
Ruth Younger
Buck and the Preacher
(1972)
Ruth
Cop and ½
(1993)
Rachel
No Way Out
(1950)
Connie Brooks (uncredited)
Edge of the City
(1957)
Lucy Tyler
The Incident
(1967)
Joan Robinson
The Perfect Age of Rock 'n' Roll
(2011)
Miss Candy
Full Filmography
Acting
That Man of Mine
(1946)
Joan
Easy to Get
(1947)
Drugstore Girl
The Jackie Robinson Story
(1950)
Rae Robinson
No Way Out
(1950)
Connie Brooks (uncredited)
The Tall Target
(1951)
Rachel
Go Man Go
(1954)
Irma Jackson
Edge of the City
(1957)
Lucy Tyler
St. Louis Blues
(1958)
Elizabeth
Take a Giant Step
(1959)
Christine
Virgin Island
(1959)
Ruth
A Raisin in the Sun
(1961)
Ruth Younger
Gone Are the Days!
(1963)
Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins
The Balcony
(1963)
Thief
Neighbours
(1966)
Vicky Kingsbury
The Incident
(1967)
Joan Robinson
Uptight
(1968)
Laurie
Deadlock
(1969)
Lucinda
King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis
(1970)
Self (archive footage)
The Sheriff
(1971)
Sue Ann Lucas
Buck and the Preacher
(1972)
Ruth
Black Girl
(1972)
Netta's mother
To Be Young, Gifted and Black
(1972)
Lorraine Hansberry and other assorted characters
On Merit
(1972)
Narrator (voice)
It's Good to Be Alive
(1974)
Ruth Campanella
Wedding Band
(1974)
Julia Augustine
Countdown at Kusini
(1976)
Leah Matanzima
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
(1979)
Grandmother Baxter
All God's Children
(1980)
Irene Whitfield
The Torture of Mothers: The Case of the Harlem Six
(1980)
Cat People
(1982)
Female
Long Day's Journey Into Night
(1982)
Mary Tyrone
Go Tell It on the Mountain
(1985)
Mrs. Grimes
Do the Right Thing
(1989)
Mother Sister
Making 'Do the Right Thing'
(1989)
Self
Love at Large
(1990)
Corrine Dart
Decoration Day
(1990)
Rowena
The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson
(1990)
Jackie's Mother
Zora is My Name!
(1990)
Zora Neale Hurston
Jungle Fever
(1991)
Lucinda Purify
Jazztime Tale
(1991)
Narrator (voice)
Color Adjustment
(1992)
Narrator
Cop and ½
(1993)
Rachel
The Ernest Green Story
(1993)
Lydia Wilson
After Goodbye
(1993)
Narrator
Whitewash
(1994)
Grandmother (voice)
The Stand
(1994)
Mother Abagail Freemantle
Just Cause
(1995)
Evangeline Ferguson
Tuesday Morning Ride
(1995)
Jennie
Mr. and Mrs. Loving
(1996)
Sophia
Captive Heart: The James Mink Story
(1996)
Indigo
A Simple Wish
(1997)
Hortence
Sports on the Silver Screen
(1997)
Self (archive footage)
A Time To Dance: The Life and Work of Norma Canner
(1998)
Narrator
The Wall
(1998)
Mrs. Mitchell (segment "The Badge")
Passing Glory
(1999)
Mommit Porter
Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years
(1999)
Annie Elizabeth 'Bessie' Delany
Baby Geniuses
(1999)
Margo
The Unfinished Journey
(1999)
Narrator (voice)
Paul Robeson: Here I Stand
(1999)
Self
Finding Buck McHenry
(2000)
Mrs. Henry
A Storm in Summer
(2000)
Grandmother
Feast of All Saints
(2001)
Elsie Claviere
Taking Back Our Town
(2001)
Emelda West
Theater Talk: 'A Raisin in the Sun'
(2002)
Self
Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives
(2003)
Beah: A Black Woman Speaks
(2004)
Self
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
(2004)
(archive footage)
Their Eyes Were Watching God
(2005)
Nanny
No. 2
(2006)
Nanna Maria
Discovering William Greaves
(2006)
Self
American Gangster
(2007)
Mama Lucas
Steam
(2007)
Doris
In the Shadow of Hollywood: Race Movies and the Birth of Black Cinema
(2007)
Herself
Our Paul: Remembering Paul Robeson
(2007)
Self
All About Us
(2007)
Ms. Ella
America
(2009)
Mrs. Harper
A Place Out of Time: The Bordentown School
(2009)
Narrator (voice)
Politics of Love
(2011)
Video Girl
(2011)
Valerie
The Perfect Age of Rock 'n' Roll
(2011)
Miss Candy
A Thousand Words
(2012)
Annie McCall
Long Distance Revolutionary: A Journey with Mumia Abu-Jamal
(2013)
Self
Betty and Coretta
(2013)
Narrator
Life's Essentials with Ruby Dee
(2014)
Self
Poitier's Walter Lee
(2018)
Self (archive footage)
Writing
Sound