Keith David (born June 4, 1956) is an American film, television, and voice actor, and singer. He is perhaps most known for his live-action roles in such films as Crash, There's Something About Mary, Barbershop and Men at Work. He has also had memorable roles in numerous cult favorites, including John Carpenter's films The Thing (as Childs) and They Live (as Armitage), the Riddick films Pitch Black and The Chronicles of Riddick (as the Imam), the General in Armageddon, King in Oliver Stone's Platoon, and Big Tim in Darren Aronofsky's Requiem for a Dream. David is also well known for his voice over career, primarily his Emmy winning work as the narrator of numerous Ken Burns films. Characters that he has voiced include Goliath on the Disney series Gargoyles, the Arbiter in Halo 2 and Halo 3, David Anderson in Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2, the Decepticon Barricade in Transformers: The Game, Julius Little in Saints Row and Saints Row 2, Sgt. Foley in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Dr. Facilier in The Princess and the Frog, and Chaos in Dissidia: Final Fantasy and Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Known For
Platoon
(1986)
King
Coraline
(2009)
Cat (voice)
American Fiction
(2023)
Willy the Wonker
The Thing
(1982)
Childs
Hercules
(1997)
Apollo the Sun God (voice)
The Nice Guys
(2016)
Older Guy
Nope
(2022)
Otis Haywood Sr.
The Princess and the Frog
(2009)
Dr. Facilier (voice)
21 Bridges
(2019)
Deputy Chief Spencer
Armageddon
(1998)
General Kimsey
Transporter 2
(2005)
Stappleton
Mufasa: The Lion King
(2024)
Masego (voice)
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
(2005)
Father
DC League of Super-Pets
(2022)
Dog-El (voice)
Free Birds
(2013)
Chief Broadbeak (Voice)
Cloud Atlas
(2012)
Kupaka / Joe Napier / An-kor Apis / Prescient
Full Filmography
Acting
Coriolanus
(1979)
Aedile / Roman Citizen / Volscian Citizen
The Pirates of Penzance
(1980)
Pirates and Police
The Thing
(1982)
Childs
Terror in the Aisles
(1984)
Childs (archive footage) (uncredited)
Platoon
(1986)
King
The Whoopee Boys
(1986)
Washington Square Peddler
Hot Pursuit
(1987)
Alphonso
Ladykillers
(1988)
Abe
Christmas in Tattertown
(1988)
Saxophone (voice)
Stars & Bars
(1988)
Eugene Teagarden
Braddock: Missing in Action III
(1988)
Embassy Gate Captain
Bird
(1988)
Buster Franklin
The Making of 'They Live'
(1988)
Self
They Live
(1988)
Frank Armitage
Off Limits
(1988)
Maurice
Always
(1989)
Powerhouse
Road House
(1989)
Ernie Bass
Murder in Black and White
(1990)
Martin
Marked for Death
(1990)
Max
Men at Work
(1990)
Louis Fedders
Hallelujah Anyhow
(1991)
Will
Nails
(1992)
Noah Owens
Final Analysis
(1992)
Detective Huggins
Article 99
(1992)
Luther Jermoe
The Last Outlaw
(1993)
Lovecraft
Bluesland: A Portrait in American Music
(1993)
Self - Host
Hallelujah
(1993)
Big Willie
There Are No Children Here
(1993)
John Paul Rivers
Jewels of the Caribbean Sea
(1994)
(Self) Narrator
Reality Bites
(1994)
Roger
The Puppet Masters
(1994)
Alex Holland
Blue in the Face
(1995)
Jackie Robinson
Dead Presidents
(1995)
Kirby
Clockers
(1995)
André the Giant
The Quick and the Dead
(1995)
Sgt. Clay Cantrell
Gargoyles: The Heroes Awaken
(1996)
Goliath (voice)
Never Met Picasso
(1996)
Larry
Eye for an Eye
(1996)
Martin
Johns
(1996)
Homeless John
Larger Than Life
(1996)
Hurst
The Grave
(1996)
The Priest
Don King: Only in America
(1997)
Herbert Muhammad
Todd McFarlane's Spawn
(1997)
Al Simmons / Spawn (voice)
Murder, She Wrote: South by Southwest
(1997)
Algric Bartles
Volcano
(1997)
Lt. Ed Fox
Executive Target
(1997)
Lamar
Flipping
(1997)
Leo Richards, Gang Leader
Hercules
(1997)
Apollo the Sun God (voice)
There's Something About Mary
(1998)
Charlie Jensen
Armageddon
(1998)
General Kimsey
Todd McFarlane's Spawn 2
(1998)
Al Simmons/Spawn
The Tiger Woods Story
(1998)
Earl Woods
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Mystery of the Blues
(1999)
King Oliver
The Grizzlies of Siberia
(1999)
Narrator
Todd McFarlane's Spawn 3: The Ultimate Battle
(1999)
Al Simmons/Spawn
ATF
(1999)
F.B.I. Director Richard Long
Pitch Black
(2000)
Abu 'Imam' al-Walid
Innocents
(2000)
Detective Davis
Requiem for a Dream
(2000)
Big Tim
The Replacements
(2000)
Lindell
Where the Heart Is
(2000)
Moses Whitecotten
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
(2001)
Council Member (voice)
Egypt's Golden Empire
(2001)
Narrator
Boxing: In and Out of the Ring
(2001)
Narrator
Seduced: Pretty When You Cry
(2001)
Detective Charles Desett
Home Invaders
(2001)
Matador
Semper Fi
(2001)
Gunnery Sgt. Brinkloff
Novocaine
(2001)
Detective Lunt
29 Palms
(2002)
The Sheriff
Ultimate Fights from the Movies
(2002)
Frank (They Live) (archive footage)
Stalking Leopards
(2002)
Narrator
Barbershop
(2002)
Lester Wallace
Mark Twain
(2002)
Narrator (voice)
Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip
(2003)
Narrator (voice)
Head of State
(2003)
Bernard Cooper
Inside Mecca
(2003)
Narrator
Hollywood Homicide
(2003)
Leon
Agent Cody Banks
(2003)
CIA Director
Comic Book Superheroes Unmasked
(2003)
Narrator (voice)
Nubia: The Forgotten Kingdom
(2003)
Narrator (voice)
The Shakespeare Sessions
(2003)
Kaena: The Prophecy
(2003)
Voxem (english voice)
Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London
(2004)
CIA Director
Beef II
(2004)
Narrator (voice)
Last Stand of the Great Bear
(2004)
Narrator
Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson
(2004)
Narrator (voice)
The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury
(2004)
Abu 'Imam' al-Walid (voice)
The Chronicles of Riddick
(2004)
Imam
Creature Feature: 60 Years of the Gill-Man
(2004)
Narrator
Transporter 2
(2005)
Stappleton
Dirty
(2005)
Captain Spain
Crash
(2005)
Lt. Dixon
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
(2005)
Father
The Proud Family Movie
(2005)
Bebe Clone (voice)
Working with a Master: John Carpenter
(2006)
Self
The Oh in Ohio
(2006)
Coach Popovitch
Forbidden Fruits
(2006)
Rev. Walters
ATL
(2006)
John Garnett
Behind Enemy Lines II: Axis of Evil
(2006)
MCPO Scott Boytano
If I Had Known I Was a Genius
(2007)
Dad
Delta Farce
(2007)
Sgt. Kilgore
The Last Sentinel
(2007)
Colonel Norton
The Color Purple: The Color of Success
(2007)
Narrator
S.I.S.
(2008)
Joseph Armstrong
The Candlelight Murders
(2008)
Pastor Bob
First Sunday
(2008)
Judge B. Bennet Galloway
The Fifth Commandment
(2008)
Max "Coolbreeze" Templeton
My Mom's New Boyfriend
(2008)
FBI Chief Conrad
The Sensei
(2008)
Minister
Justice League: The New Frontier
(2008)
The Centre (voice)
No Bad Days
(2008)
Terrence
Superhero Movie
(2008)
The Chief of Police
The Princess and the Frog
(2009)
Dr. Facilier (voice)
Blue
(2009)
Terry Venable
Charlie Valentine
(2009)
Sal
The Butcher
(2009)
Larry Cobb
Beautiful Loser
(2009)
Morgan - Adult
Pastor Brown
(2009)
Pastor Brown
Coraline
(2009)
Cat (voice)
Against the Dark
(2009)
Lt. Waters
Behind Enemy Lines III: Colombia
(2009)
Commander Scott Boytano
Don McKay
(2009)
Otis Kent
All About Steve
(2009)
Corbitt
Gamer
(2009)
Agent Keith
Africa's Lost Eden
(2010)
Narrator
Meet Monica Velour
(2010)
Claude
Something Like A Business
(2010)
Sebastian
Chain Letter
(2010)
Det. Jim Crenshaw
Lottery Ticket
(2010)
Sweet Tee
Death at a Funeral
(2010)
Reverend Davis
Stomp the Yard 2: Homecoming
(2010)
Terry
Chasing 3000
(2010)
Officer L.
Baseball: The Tenth Inning
(2010)
Narrator
Samuel Bleak
(2011)
The Greening of Whitney Brown
(2011)
Clerk
Hopelessly in June
(2011)
Dalbert Myers
The Inheritance
(2011)
Uncle Melvin
No Saints for Sinners
(2011)
Double or Nothing
(2012)
Homeless Dude
The Undershepherd
(2012)
Brother Wilks
Highway
(2012)
Mustafa
AniMen: The Galactic Battle
(2012)
Sergeant Brass
The Last Fall
(2012)
Smiley
(2012)
Diamond
Christmas in Compton
(2012)
Big Earl
Cloud Atlas
(2012)
Kupaka / Joe Napier / An-kor Apis / Prescient
Frog Kingdom
(2013)
Frog King
Sons of Liberty
(2013)
Nathan Reynolds
Assault on Wall Street
(2013)
Freddy
Don't Pass Me By
(2013)
David Knox
Black Asylum
(2013)
Agent Davis
Free Birds
(2013)
Chief Broadbeak (Voice)
Remaking the Legend: Halo 2 Anniversary
(2014)
Field of Lost Shoes
(2015)
Old Judge
Secrets of the Magic City
(2015)
Mr. Daniels
Boiling Pot
(2015)
Agent Long
Union Furnace
(2015)
Pin Stripe
The Gettysburg Address
(2015)
Frederick Douglass (voice)
Dutch Book
(2015)
If I Tell You I Have to Kill You
(2015)
Detective Harris
Kids vs Monsters
(2015)
Barry
Dirty Lies
(2016)
Doc
The Nice Guys
(2016)
Older Guy
Range 15
(2016)
Colonel Holloway
Service to Man
(2016)
Dean Holmes
The North Star
(2016)
Frederick Douglas
Nina
(2016)
Clifton's Father
Blue: The American Dream
(2016)
Terry Venable
School of Rickey
(2016)
The '91 Falcons
(2017)
Narrator
Not a War Story
(2017)
Savage Dog
(2017)
Valentine
F. You All: The Uwe Boll Story
(2018)
Himself
American Dresser
(2018)
Charlie
Tales from the Hood 2
(2018)
Portifoy Simms
Love Jacked
(2018)
Ed
Night School
(2018)
Gerald
Ray Meets Helen
(2018)
Harve
Brothers in Arms
(2018)
Self
You Might Be the Killer
(2019)
Sheriff James
Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror
(2019)
Self
21 Bridges
(2019)
Deputy Chief Spencer
In Search of Darkness
(2019)
Self
The Wedding Year
(2019)
Preston
Cuba's Cancer Hope
(2020)
Narrator
In Search of Darkness: Part II
(2020)
Self
The 420 Movie
(2020)
Chief Ironweed
Most Guys Are Losers
(2020)
Al
Horizon Line
(2020)
Freddy Wyman
Good
(2020)
Gregory Devereaux
Insight
(2021)
Captain Duke
Black as Night
(2021)
Babineaux
Pups Alone
(2021)
The Wise Bartender
The Seventh Day
(2021)
Father Louis
The Gateway
(2021)
Terry
Mr. Nelson on the North Side
(2021)
Self
In Search of Tomorrow
(2022)
Self - Interviewee
Entergalactic
(2022)
Mr. Rager (voice)
DC League of Super-Pets
(2022)
Dog-El (voice)
A Miracle Before Christmas
(2022)
David
The Hardest Thing
(2022)
King Andrias
Nope
(2022)
Otis Haywood Sr.
Unplugging
(2022)
Gil
The Wonderful Spring of Mickey Mouse
(2022)
Narrator (voice)
Remember Me: The Mahalia Jackson Story
(2022)
Ink Williams
Catwoman: Hunted
(2022)
Tobias Whale / Morax (voice)
A Snowy Day in Oakland
(2023)
Mr. Monroe
Heist 88
(2023)
Buddha Ray
From the Shadows
(2023)
Dr. Leonard Bertram
American Fiction
(2023)
Willy the Wonker
Parallel Worlds: A Psychedelic Love Story
(2023)
Jerry
Betty & Blue
(2023)
Willie "Blue" Watson
Sneaks
(2024)
(voice)
Shelby Oaks
(2024)
Morton
Mufasa: The Lion King
(2024)
Masego (voice)
Cine Docs: Community
(2024)
Elroy Patashnik (archive footage)
Tim Travers & the Time Travelers Paradox
(2024)
The Simulator
The Prank
(2024)
Principal Henderson
Production