Obba Babatundé
Acting • Born 1951-12-01
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. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Filmography
119 credits
The Silence of the Lambs
Movie • 1991
TV Anchor Man
After the Sunset
Movie • 2004
Zacharias
Material Girls
Movie • 2006
Craig
Life
Movie • 1999
Willie Long
How High
Movie • 2001
Dean Carl Cain
The Eye
Movie • 2008
Dr. Haskins
Multiplicity
Movie • 1996
Paul
Undercover Blues
Movie • 1993
Sawyer
City of Lies
Movie • 2018
Chief of Police
The Manchurian Candidate
Movie • 2004
Senator Wells
Miami Blues
Movie • 1990
Blink Willie
I Do... I Did!
Movie • 2009
Mr. Johnson
Start Without Me
Movie
Leo
The Millennial
Movie • 2022
Mr. Burke
Soul of the Game
Movie • 1996
Cum Posey
Introducing Dorothy Dandridge
Movie • 1999
Harold Nicholas
Trapped: Haitian Nights
Movie • 2011
Ikliff
One Special Moment
Movie • 2001
God Bless the Child
Movie • 1988
Raymond Watkins
Joy Road
Movie • 2011
Dr. Howard Perkins
Miss Evers' Boys
Movie • 1997
Willie Johnson
King: Man of Peace in a Time of War
Movie • 2007
Narrator
Dolls of Voodoo
Movie • 2013
Iklif
Leonard Part 6
Movie • 1987
Bongo Drummer
Philadelphia
Movie • 1993
Jerome Green
Fatal Pursuit
Movie • 1995
Trinidad
Black Dynamite
Movie • 2009
Osiris
That Thing You Do!
Movie • 1996
Lamarr
Pup Star: Better 2Gether
Movie • 2017
Big Ears (voice)
Pup Star
Movie • 2016
Big Ears (voice)
Noble Intentions
Movie • 2023
Pastor Stevens
The Notebook
Movie • 2004
Band Leader
American Bad Boy
Movie • 2015
Pastor Lovely
Born to Be Wild
Movie • 1995
Interpreter
The Last Fall
Movie • 2012
Larry Armstrong
The Cherokee Kid
Movie • 1996
Isom Dart
The Trap Door
Movie • 2011
Mesmer
Death's Door
Movie • 2015
Mesmer
Scooby-Doo! Music of the Vampire
Movie • 2012
Vampire Actor #4 (voice)
People Not Places
Movie
Necronomicon
Movie • 1993
Paul
Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups
Movie • 2012
Mayor Denny
The Importance of Being Earnest
Movie • 1992
Lane
Redeemer
Movie • 2002
Charles Henderson
The Watcher
Movie • 2016
Stark
The Tomorrow Man
Movie • 1996
Brian Parish
The Visit
Movie • 2001
Tony
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
Movie • 2004
Self
Cover
Movie • 2007
Attorney Miller
Kangaroo Jack: G'Day, U.S.A.!
Movie • 2004
Chief Ankamuti (voice)
Children of the Dead (Concept Trailer)
Movie
If I Tell You I Have to Kill You
Movie • 2015
Jonathan Black
Baryshnikov on Broadway
Movie • 1980
Dancer
Kinky
Movie • 2018
Mr. Bernard
Married to the Mob
Movie • 1988
The Face of Justice
Jingle Belle
Movie • 2018
Charles Williams
Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History
Movie • 2008
Self
Revival!
Movie • 2018
Nicodemus
Lap Dance
Movie • 2014
Roscoe
Dorothy Dandridge: An American Beauty
Movie • 2003
Host
The Apartment Complex
Movie • 1999
Chett
All Star Superman
Movie • 2011
Judge / Bibliobot (voice)
'Til Death Do Us Part
Movie • 2017
John Harris
Treemonisha
Movie • 1982
Zodzetrick
The Celestine Prophecy
Movie • 2006
Miguel
M.A.N.T.I.S.
Movie • 1994
Cornell
Trigger
Movie • 2020
Chief Keaton
April Fools
Movie • 2007
Detective Combs
John Q
Movie • 2002
Sgt. Moody
Carpool
Movie • 1996
Jeffery
An Evening with Liza Minnelli
Movie • 1980
Self - Dancer
The Net
Movie • 1995
FBI Agent
Run
Movie • 2025
President
Mississippi Scholar
Movie
Reginald
Wrong Place, Wrong Time
Movie • 2025
Captain Green
Why Am I Doing This?
Movie • 2009
Cliff
Kiss Me for Christmas
Movie • 2020
Mr. Porter
The Christmas Showdown
Movie • 2025
Jesse
All The Men In My Life
Movie
Love the Skin You're In
Movie • 2025
Arnold
Friends
TV • 1994
Director
Chicago Med
TV • 2015
Dr. James Coleman
Chicago Hope
TV • 1994
Charles Ellis
Family Law
TV • 1999
Philip Hamilton
Static Shock
TV • 2000
Watch Store Salesman (voice)
Static Shock
TV • 2000
Singer (voice)
Forever
TV • 2018
Gregory
Goliath
TV • 2016
Ivan Tillinger
Tales from the Crypt
TV • 1989
Lieutenant Jamison
Grey's Anatomy
TV • 2005
Dan Gates
Psych
TV • 2006
David Gaffney
Kingdom
TV • 2014
Detective Gaines
Dawson's Creek
TV • 1998
Principal Howard Green
The Outer Limits
TV • 1995
Dr. Joseph Lennox
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
TV • 1990
Gordy Berry
Max Steel
TV • 2000
(voice)
The Temptations
TV • 1998
Berry Gordy
S.W.A.T.
TV • 2017
Daniel Harrelson, Sr.
The Good Fight
TV • 2017
Danny Quinn
A Different World
TV • 1987
Frank Benning
Ballers
TV • 2015
J.D. Pritchard
Sliders
TV • 1995
Cezanne Brown
For the People
TV • 2018
Philip Kaws
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
TV • 1993
Mongoose
Dear White People
TV • 2017
Dean Fairbanks
The Human Factor
TV • 1992
Everwood
TV • 2002
Jason
Enlisted
TV • 2014
General Murray
Little Fires Everywhere
TV • 2020
George Wright
Touched by an Angel
TV • 1994
Carter Evans
Private Practice
TV • 2007
Dr. Larry Cannon
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper
TV • 1992
Jameson Walker
Spy Game
TV • 1997
Lieutenant Wardell
NCIS
TV • 2003
Joe Banks
Madam Secretary
TV • 2014
President Silvanus Fabre
Girlfriends
TV • 2000
Attendant
Boston Legal
TV • 2004
Dr. Victor Rivers
Saving Grace
TV • 2007
Doc
Matlock
TV • 1986
Backstage Man