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Photo of Obba Babatundé

Obba Babatundé

Actor, Producer, Director, Writer, Additional CreditsBorn December 1, 1951 (73 years)
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

Movies & Shows on Plex

  • The Eye
  • City of Lies
  • The Temptations
  • Sisters
  • Are We There Yet?
  • Til Death Do Us Part
  • Pup Star
  • Pup Star: Better 2Gether
  • Death's Door
  • Noble Intentions
  • TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
  • Angels Around Me
  • If I Tell You I Have to Kill You
  • Kiss Me for Christmas

Known For

  • How High
  • Life
  • That Thing You Do!
  • The Eye
  • After the Sunset
  • Material Girls
  • Black Dynamite
  • Undercover Blues
  • Miami Blues
  • All-Star Superman
  • Introducing Dorothy Dandridge
  • Forever (2018)
  • Detroiters
  • Scooby-Doo! Music of the Vampire
  • The Watcher
  • The Temptations
  • The Celestine Prophecy
  • Miss Evers' Boys
  • Half & Half
  • The Visit
  • Til Death Do Us Part
  • Death's Door
  • Jingle Belle
  • The Cherokee Kid

Filmography

2025
Master of Dreams · as Dr. Rameses Farrow, Phd
2025
Wrong Place, Wrong Time · as Capt. Green
2022
Noble Intentions · as Pastor Stevens
2022
The Millennial · as Mr. Burke
2022
A Polished Soul · as Solomon
2021
The Men in My Life · as Simon Helms
2020
2020
Trigger · as Chief Keaton
2020
Little Fires Everywhere (TV Series) · as George Wright
2018
City of Lies · as Chief Of Police
2018
Revival · as Nicodemus
2018
Jingle Belle · as Charles Williams
2018
Kinky · as Mr. Bernard
2018
Forever (2018) (TV Series) · as Gregory
2018
For the People (2018) (TV Series) · as Philip Kaws
2018
Corporate (TV Series) · as Cronker Wilson
2018
2017
S.W.A.T. (2017) (TV Series) · as Daniel Harrelson, Sr.
2017
2017
Pup Star: Better 2Gether · as Big Ears (voice)
2017
I'm Dying Up Here (TV Series) · as Barton Royce
2017
Dear White People (TV Series) · as Dean Fairbanks
2017
The Good Fight (TV Series) · as Danny Quinn
2017
Detroiters (TV Series) · as Mr. Duvet
2016
The Watcher · as Stark
2016
Goliath (TV Series) · as Ivan Tillinger
2016
Pup Star · as Big Ears (voice)
2016
The Last Tycoon (TV Series) · as Les Turpin
2015
Chicago Med (TV Series) · as Dr. James Coleman
2015
2015
2015
Ballers (TV Series) · as J.d. Pritchard
2015
American Bad Boy · as Pastor Lovely
2014
Lap Dance · as Roscoe
2014
Kingdom (2014) (TV Series) · as Detective Gaines
2014
Madam Secretary (TV Series) · as President Silvanus Fabre
2014
Hand of God (TV Series) · as Bishop Bruce Congdon
2014
The Dead Sea · as Mayor
2014
Enlisted (TV Series) · as General Murray
2013
Dolls of Voodoo · as Iklif
2013
Cult (TV Series) · as Quentin Yarrow
2012
2012
Scooby-Doo! Music of the Vampire · as Vampire Actor #4 (voice)
2012
2011
The Trap Door · as Mesmer
2011
All-Star Superman · as Judge / Bibliobot (voice)
2010
Are We There Yet? (TV Series) · as Grandpa
2010
2010
Love That Girl! (TV Series) · as Jim
2009
Black Dynamite · as Osiris
2009
I Do... I Did! · as Mr. Johnson
2009
2008
The Eye · as Dr. Haskins
2007
Private Practice (TV Series) · as Dr. Larry Cannon
2007
April Fools · as Detective Combs
2007
Saving Grace (2007) (TV Series) · as Doc
2007
Cover · as Attorney Miller
2007
2006
Material Girls · as Craig
2006
2006
Psych (TV Series) · as David Gaffney
2005
Criminal Minds (TV Series) · as Sheriff Frank Sanders
2005
Flip the Script · as Mr. Jones
2005
Grey's Anatomy (TV Series) · as Dan Gates
2004
Joy Road · as Dr. Howard Perkins
2004
Kangaroo Jack: G'Day, U.S.A.! · as Chief Ankamuti (voice)
2004
After the Sunset · as Zacharias
2004
Boston Legal (TV Series) · as Dr. Stanley Rivers
2004
The Manchurian Candidate · as Senator Wells
2004
The Notebook · as Band Leader
2004
Winx Club (TV Series) · as King Teredor
2003
Karen Sisco (TV Series) · as Daniel Burden
2003
Cold Case (TV Series) · as Dr. Octavius Leroy
2003
NCIS (TV Series) · as Joe Banks
2003
2002
2002
Half & Half (TV Series) · as Charles Thorne
2002
Everwood (TV Series) · as Jason
2002
Redeemer · as Charles Henderson
2002
John Q · as Sgt. Moody
2001
How High · as Dean Carl Cain
2001
The Beast (2001) (TV Series) · as Mr. Lowry
2000
The Visit · as Tony
2000
Static Shock (TV Series) · as Watch Store Salesman (voice)
2000
Girlfriends (TV Series) · as Attendant
2000
Soul Food (TV Series) · as Benjamin Chadway
2000
The Invisible Man (TV Series) · as Allardyce
2000
Cover Me: Based on the True Life of an FBI Family (TV Series) · as Sergeant Bonner
2000
Max Steel (TV Series) · as (voice)
1999
1999
Xyber 9: New Dawn (TV Series) · as Cast
1999
Family Law (TV Series) · as Philip Hamilton
1999
Introducing Dorothy Dandridge · as Harold Nicholas
1999
Rocket Power (TV Series) · as Conroy
1999
Life · as Willie Long
1998
The Temptations (TV Series) · as Berry Gordy
1998
Any Day Now (TV Series) · as Judge Richards
1998
Linc's (TV Series) · as Army Vet
1998
Dawson's Creek (TV Series) · as Principal Howard Green
1997
Spy Game (TV Series) · as Lieutenant Wardell
1997
Miss Evers' Boys · as Willie Johnson
1996
The Cherokee Kid · as Isom Dart
1996
The Burning Zone (TV Series) · as Vince, Police Lieutenant
1996
The Tomorrow Man · as Brian Parish
1996
Sparks (TV Series) · as Mr. Kirby
1996
Carpool · as Jeffery
1996
Multiplicity · as Paul
1996
Soul of the Game · as Cum Posey
1996
That Thing You Do! · as Lamarr
1995
A Reason to Believe · as Prof. Thurman
1995
The Net · as Fbi Agent
1995
Born to Be Wild · as Interpreter
1995
The Outer Limits (1995) (TV Series) · as Dr. Joseph Lennox
1995
Sliders (TV Series) · as Cezanne Brown
1995
Under One Roof (TV Series) · as Ben
1995
Fatal Pursuit · as Trinidad
1994
Friends (TV Series) · as Director
1994
Touched by an Angel (TV Series) · as Carter Evans
1994
Chicago Hope (TV Series)
1994
Thunder in Paradise (TV Series) · as Carl
1994
Tom (TV Series) · as Tanner
1994
M.A.N.T.I.S. · as Cornell
1993
Philadelphia · as Jerome Green
1993
1993
NYPD Blue (TV Series) · as Kevin Dupree
1993
Undercover Blues · as Sawyer
1993
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. (TV Series) · as Mongoose
1993
Getting By (TV Series) · as Cast
1992
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper (TV Series) · as Jameson Walker
1992
1991
Dead Again · as Syd
1991
Sisters (TV Series) · as Ben
1991
The Silence of the Lambs · as Tv Anchor Man
1990
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (TV Series) · as Gordy Berry
1990
Miami Blues · as Blink Willie
1989
Tales from the Crypt (TV Series) · as Lieutenant Jamison
1988
Married to the Mob · as The Face Of Justice
1988
God Bless the Child · as Raymond Watkins
1987
Leonard Part 6 · as Bongo Drummer
1987
A Different World (TV Series) · as Frank Benning
1987
CBS Summer Playhouse (TV Series) · as Terrence Quimby
1987
The Bold and the Beautiful (TV Series) · as Julius Avant
1986
Matlock (TV Series) · as Backstage Man
1980
1973
The Young and the Restless (TV Series) · as Carter Campbell
1970
All My Children (TV Series) · as Rusty Bennett
1968
One Life to Live (TV Series) · as Clay (2005)

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