Obba Babatundé

Obba Babatundé

Birthdate
December 1, 1951 (72 years old)
Place of Birth
Queens, New York City, New York, USA
Known For
Acting

Details

Birthdate
December 1, 1951 (72 years old)
Place of Birth
Queens, New York City, New York, USA
Known For
Acting

Biography

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.

Obba Babatundé's LGBTQ+ Titles

Philadelphia
Philadelphia
Jerome Green

Acting (104)

Children of the Dead (Concept Trailer)
Start Without Me as Leo
The Temptations Le film de leur ascension vers la gloire as Berry Gordy
People Not Places
2023
Noble Intentions as Pastor Stevens
2022
The Millennial as Mr. Burke
2020
Trigger as Chief Keaton
2020
Little Fires Everywhere as George Wright (2 episodes)
2019
Revival! as Nicodemus
2018
Jingle Belle as Charles Williams
2018
Kinky as Mr. Bernard
2018
Forever as Gregory (2 episodes)
2018
City of Lies as Chief of Police
2018
For The People as Philip Kaws (1 episode)
2017
S.W.A.T. as Daniel Harrelson, Sr. (14 episodes)
2017
'Til Death Do Us Part as John Harris
2017
Pup Star: Better 2Gether as Big Ears (voice)
2017
Dear White People as Dean Fairbanks (4 episodes)
2017
The Good Fight as Danny Quinn (1 episode)
2016
Goliath as Ivan Tillinger (3 episodes)
2016
The Watcher as Stark
2016
Pup Star as Big Ears (voice)
2015
Chicago Med as Dr. James Coleman (1 episode)
2015
If I Tell You I Have to Kill You as Jonathan Black
2015
Death's Door as Mesmer
2015
Ballers as J.D. Pritchard (1 episode)
2015
American Bad Boy as Pastor Lovely
2014
Lap Dance as Roscoe
2014
Kingdom as Detective Gaines (3 episodes)
2014
Enlisted as General Murray (1 episode)
2013
Dolls of Voodoo as Iklif
2012
Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups as Mayor Denny
2012
The Last Fall
2012
Scooby-Doo! Music of the Vampire as Vampire Actor #4 (voice)
2011
Joy Road as Dr. Howard Perkins
2011
The Trap Door as Mesmer
2011
Trapped: Haitian Nights as Ikliff
2011
All Star Superman as Judge / Bibliobot (voice)
2009
Black Dynamite as Osiris
2009
I Do... I Did! as Mr. Johnson
2008
Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History as Self
2008
The Eye as Dr. Haskins
2007
April Fools as Detective Combs
2007
Cover as Attorney Miller
2007
King: Man of Peace in a Time of War as Narrator
2006
Material Girls as Craig
2006
Psych as David Gaffney (1 episode)
2006
The Celestine Prophecy as Miguel
2005
Grey's Anatomy as Dan Gates (1 episode)
2004
Kangaroo Jack: G'Day, U.S.A.! as Chief Ankamuti (voice)
2004
After the Sunset as Zacharias
2004
The Manchurian Candidate as Senator Wells
2004
The Notebook as Band Leader
2004
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years as Self
2003
Dorothy Dandridge: An American Beauty as Host
2002
Everwood as Jason (1 episode)
2002
John Q as Sgt. Moody
2002
Redeemer as Charles Henderson
2001
How High as Dean Carl Cain
2001
One Special Moment
2001
The Visit as Tony
2000
Static Shock as Singer (voice) (1 episode)
2000
Static Shock as Watch Store Salesman (voice) (1 episode)
2000
Max Steel as (voice) (1 episode)
1999
The Apartment Complex as Chett
1999
Family Law as Philip Hamilton (1 episode)
1999
Introducing Dorothy Dandridge as Harold Nicholas
1999
Life as Willie Long
1998
The Temptations as Berry Gordy (2 episodes)
1998
Dawson's Creek as Principal Howard Green (8 episodes)
1997
Miss Evers' Boys as Willie Johnson
1996
The Cherokee Kid as Isom Dart
1996
That Thing You Do! as Lamarr
1996
The Tomorrow Man as Brian Parish
1996
Carpool as Jeffery
1996
Multiplicity as Paul
1996
Soul of the Game as Cum Posey
1995
The Net as FBI Agent
1995
Born to Be Wild as Interpreter
1995
The Outer Limits as Dr. Joseph Lennox (1 episode)
1995
Sliders as Cezanne Brown (1 episode)
1995
Fatal Pursuit as Trinidad
1994
Friends as Director (1 episode)
1994
Touched by an Angel as Carter Evans (1 episode)
1994
Chicago Hope (2 episodes)
1994
M.A.N.T.I.S.
1994
M.A.N.T.I.S. as Cornell
1993
Philadelphia as Jerome Green
1993
Necronomicon as Paul
1993
Undercover Blues as Sawyer
1993
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. as Mongoose (1 episode)
1992
The Importance of Being Earnest as Lane
1992
The Human Factor (1 episode)
1991
The Silence of the Lambs as TV Anchor Man
1990
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air as Gordy Berry (2 episodes)
1990
Miami Blues as Blink Willie, Informant
1989
Tales from the Crypt as Lieutenant Jamison (1 episode)
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 as Frank Benning (1 episode)
1982
Treemonisha as Zodzetrick
1980
Baryshnikov on Broadway as Dancer
1980
An Evening with Liza Minnelli as Himself

Directing (2)

2015
American Bad Boy • Director
• Director
2003
Oscar's Black Odyssey: From Hattie to Halle • Director
• Director

Production (1)

2015
If I Tell You I Have to Kill You • Executive Producer
• Executive Producer

Writing (1)

2023
Noble Intentions • Writers' Assistant
• Writers' Assistant

Crew (1)

2013
Angels Around Me • Additional Writing
• Additional Writing