Obba Babatundé
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.
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Acted in
Noble Intentions
2023
as Pastor Stevens
The Millennial
2022
as Mr. Burke
Trigger
2020
as Chief Keaton
Little Fires Everywhere
2020
as George Wright
Revival!
2019
as Nicodemus
Jingle Belle
2018
as Charles Williams
Kinky
2018
as Mr. Bernard
Forever
2018
as Gregory
City of Lies
2018
as Chief of Police
For The People
2018
as Philip Kaws
S.W.A.T.
2017
as Daniel Harrelson, Sr.
'Til Death Do Us Part
2017
as John Harris
Pup Star: Better 2Gether
2017
as Big Ears (voice)
Dear White People
2017
as Dean Fairbanks
The Good Fight
2017
as Danny Quinn
Goliath
2016
as Ivan Tillinger
The Watcher
2016
as Stark
Pup Star
2016
as Big Ears (voice)
Chicago Med
2015
as Dr. James Coleman
If I Tell You I Have to Kill You
2015
as Jonathan Black
Death's Door
2015
as Mesmer
Ballers
2015
as J.D. Pritchard
American Bad Boy
2015
as Pastor Lovely
Lap Dance
2014
as Roscoe
Kingdom
2014
as Detective Gaines
Enlisted
2014
as General Murray
Dolls of Voodoo
2013
as Iklif
Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups
2012
as Mayor Denny
The Last Fall
2012
Scooby-Doo! Music of the Vampire
2012
as Vampire Actor #4 (voice)
Joy Road
2011
as Dr. Howard Perkins
The Trap Door
2011
as Mesmer
Trapped: Haitian Nights
2011
as Ikliff
All Star Superman
2011
as Judge / Bibliobot (voice)
Black Dynamite
2009
as Osiris
I Do... I Did!
2009
as Mr. Johnson
Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History
2008
as Self
The Eye
2008
as Dr. Haskins
Private Practice
2007
as Dr. Larry Cannon
April Fools
2007
as Detective Combs
Cover
2007
as Attorney Miller
King: Man of Peace in a Time of War
2007
as Narrator
Material Girls
2006
as Craig
Psych
2006
as David Gaffney
The Celestine Prophecy
2006
as Miguel
Grey's Anatomy
2005
as Dan Gates
Kangaroo Jack: G'Day, U.S.A.!
2004
as Chief Ankamuti (voice)
After the Sunset
2004
as Zacharias
The Manchurian Candidate
2004
as Senator Wells
The Notebook
2004
as Band Leader
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
2004
as Self
Dorothy Dandridge: An American Beauty
2003
as Host
Everwood
2002
as Jason
John Q
2002
as Sgt. Moody
Redeemer
2002
as Charles Henderson
How High
2001
as Dean Carl Cain
One Special Moment
2001
The Visit
2001
as Tony
Static Shock
2000
as Singer (voice)
Static Shock
2000
as Watch Store Salesman (voice)
Max Steel
2000
as (voice)
The Apartment Complex
1999
as Chett
Family Law
1999
as Philip Hamilton
Introducing Dorothy Dandridge
1999
as Harold Nicholas
Life
1999
as Willie Long
The Temptations
1998
as Berry Gordy
Dawson's Creek
1998
as Principal Howard Green
Miss Evers' Boys
1997
as Willie Johnson
The Cherokee Kid
1996
as Isom Dart
That Thing You Do!
1996
as Lamarr
The Tomorrow Man
1996
as Brian Parish
Carpool
1996
as Jeffery
Multiplicity
1996
as Paul
Soul of the Game
1996
as Cum Posey
The Net
1995
as FBI Agent
Born to Be Wild
1995
as Interpreter
The Outer Limits
1995
as Dr. Joseph Lennox
Sliders
1995
as Cezanne Brown
Fatal Pursuit
1995
as Trinidad
Friends
1994
as Director
Touched by an Angel
1994
as Carter Evans
Chicago Hope
1994
M.A.N.T.I.S.
1994
M.A.N.T.I.S.
1994
as Cornell
Philadelphia
1993
as Jerome Green
Necronomicon
1993
as Paul
Undercover Blues
1993
as Sawyer
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
1993
as Mongoose
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper
1992
as Jameson Walker
The Importance of Being Earnest
1992
as Lane
The Human Factor
1992
The Silence of the Lambs
1991
as TV Anchor Man
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
1990
as Gordy Berry
Miami Blues
1990
as Blink Willie
Tales from the Crypt
1989
as Lieutenant Jamison
Married to the Mob
1988
as The Face of Justice
God Bless the Child
1988
as Raymond Watkins
Leonard Part 6
1987
as Bongo Drummer
A Different World
1987
as Frank Benning
Treemonisha
1982
as Zodzetrick
Baryshnikov on Broadway
1980
as Dancer
An Evening with Liza Minnelli
1980
as Himself
Start Without Me
as Leo
The Temptations Le film de leur ascension vers la gloire
as Berry Gordy
People Not Places
