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