Run
2025 · Movie
as President
Obba Babatundé
1951-12-01
•
Queens, New York City, New York, USA
Writers:
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
Wrong Place, Wrong Time
2025 · Movie
as Captain Green
The Christmas Showdown
2025 · Movie
as Jesse
Love the Skin You're In
2025 · Movie
as Arnold
Mississippi Scholar
2024 · Movie
as Reginald
Noble Intentions
2023 · Movie
as Pastor Stevens
The Millennial
2022 · Movie
as Mr. Burke
All The Men In My Life
2022 · Movie
as Simon Helms
Trigger
2020 · Movie
as Chief Keaton
Kiss Me for Christmas
2020 · Movie
as Mr. Porter
Little Fires Everywhere
2020 · TV Show
as George Wright
City of Lies
2018 · Movie
as Chief of Police
Kinky
2018 · Movie
as Mr. Bernard
Jingle Belle
2018 · Movie
as Charles Williams
Revival!
2018 · Movie
as Nicodemus
Forever
2018 · TV Show
as Gregory
For the People
2018 · TV Show
as Philip Kaws
Pup Star: Better 2Gether
2017 · Movie
as Big Ears (voice)
'Til Death Do Us Part
2017 · Movie
as John Harris
S.W.A.T.
2017 · TV Show
as Daniel Harrelson, Sr.
The Good Fight
2017 · TV Show
as Danny Quinn
Dear White People
2017 · TV Show
as Dean Fairbanks
Detroiters
2017 · TV Show
as Mr. Duvet
Pup Star
2016 · Movie
as Big Ears (voice)
The Watcher
2016 · Movie
as Stark
Goliath
2016 · TV Show
as Ivan Tillinger
American Bad Boy
2015 · Movie
as Pastor Lovely
Death's Door
2015 · Movie
as Mesmer
If I Tell You I Have to Kill You
2015 · Movie
as Jonathan Black
Chicago Med
2015 · TV Show
as Dr. James Coleman
Ballers
2015 · TV Show
as J.D. Pritchard
Lap Dance
2014 · Movie
as Roscoe
Kingdom
2014 · TV Show
as Detective Gaines
Enlisted
2014 · TV Show
as General Murray
Madam Secretary
2014 · TV Show
as President Silvanus Fabre
Dolls of Voodoo
2013 · Movie
as Iklif
The Last Fall
2012 · Movie
as Larry Armstrong
Scooby-Doo! Music of the Vampire
2012 · Movie
as Vampire Actor #4 (voice)
Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups
2012 · Movie
as Mayor Denny
Trapped: Haitian Nights
2011 · Movie
as Ikliff
Joy Road
2011 · Movie
as Dr. Howard Perkins
The Trap Door
2011 · Movie
as Mesmer
All Star Superman
2011 · Movie
as Judge / Bibliobot (voice)
I Do... I Did!
2009 · Movie
as Mr. Johnson
Black Dynamite
2009 · Movie
as Osiris
Why Am I Doing This?
2009 · Movie
as Cliff
The Eye
2008 · Movie
as Dr. Haskins
Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History
2008 · Movie
as Self
King: Man of Peace in a Time of War
2007 · Movie
as Narrator
Cover
2007 · Movie
as Attorney Miller
April Fools
2007 · Movie
as Detective Combs
Private Practice
2007 · TV Show
as Dr. Larry Cannon
Saving Grace
2007 · TV Show
as Doc
Material Girls
2006 · Movie
as Craig
The Celestine Prophecy
2006 · Movie
as Miguel
Psych
2006 · TV Show
as David Gaffney
Grey's Anatomy
2005 · TV Show
as Dan Gates
After the Sunset
2004 · Movie
as Zacharias
The Manchurian Candidate
2004 · Movie
as Senator Wells
The Notebook
2004 · Movie
as Band Leader
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
2004 · Movie
as Self
Kangaroo Jack: G'Day, U.S.A.!
2004 · Movie
as Chief Ankamuti (voice)
Boston Legal
2004 · TV Show
as Dr. Victor Rivers
Dorothy Dandridge: An American Beauty
2003 · Movie
as Host
NCIS
2003 · TV Show
as Joe Banks
Redeemer
2002 · Movie
as Charles Henderson
John Q
2002 · Movie
as Sgt. Moody
The Wild Thornberrys Movie
2002 · Movie
as Boko (voice)
Everwood
2002 · TV Show
as Jason
How High
2001 · Movie
as Dean Carl Cain
One Special Moment
2001 · Movie
The Visit
2001 · Movie
as Tony
Static Shock
2000 · TV Show
as Watch Store Salesman (voice), Singer (voice)
Max Steel
2000 · TV Show
as (voice)
Girlfriends
2000 · TV Show
as Attendant
Life
1999 · Movie
as Willie Long
Introducing Dorothy Dandridge
1999 · Movie
as Harold Nicholas
The Apartment Complex
1999 · Movie
as Chett
Family Law
1999 · TV Show
as Philip Hamilton
Dawson's Creek
1998 · TV Show
as Howard Green
The Temptations
1998 · TV Show
as Berry Gordy
Miss Evers' Boys
1997 · Movie
as Willie Johnson
Spy Game
1997 · TV Show
as Lieutenant Wardell
Multiplicity
1996 · Movie
as Paul
Soul of the Game
1996 · Movie
as Cum Posey
That Thing You Do!
1996 · Movie
as Lamarr
The Cherokee Kid
1996 · Movie
as Isom Dart
The Tomorrow Man
1996 · Movie
as Brian Parish
Carpool
1996 · Movie
as Jeffery
Fatal Pursuit
1995 · Movie
as Trinidad
Born to Be Wild
1995 · Movie
as Interpreter
The Net
1995 · Movie
as FBI Agent
A Reason to Believe
1995 · Movie
as Prof. Thurman
The Outer Limits
1995 · TV Show
as Dr. Joseph Lennox
Sliders
1995 · TV Show
as Cezanne Brown
M.A.N.T.I.S.
1994 · Movie
as Cornell
Friends
1994 · TV Show
as Director
Chicago Hope
1994 · TV Show
as Charles Ellis
Touched by an Angel
1994 · TV Show
as Carter Evans
Undercover Blues
1993 · Movie
as Sawyer
Philadelphia
1993 · Movie
as Jerome Green
Necronomicon
1993 · Movie
as Paul
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
1993 · TV Show
as Mongoose
The Importance of Being Earnest
1992 · Movie
as Lane
No image
The Human Factor
1992 · TV Show
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper
1992 · TV Show
as Jameson Walker
The Silence of the Lambs
1991 · Movie
as TV Anchor Man
Miami Blues
1990 · Movie
as Blink Willie
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
1990 · TV Show
as Gordy Berry
Tales from the Crypt
1989 · TV Show
as Lieutenant Jamison
God Bless the Child
1988 · Movie
as Raymond Watkins
Married to the Mob
1988 · Movie
as The Face of Justice
Leonard Part 6
1987 · Movie
as Bongo Drummer
A Different World
1987 · TV Show
as Frank Benning
Matlock
1986 · TV Show
as Backstage Man
Treemonisha
1982 · Movie
as Zodzetrick
Baryshnikov on Broadway
1980 · Movie
as Dancer
An Evening with Liza Minnelli
1980 · Movie
as Self - Dancer
No image
Start Without Me
· Movie
as Leo
No image
People Not Places
· Movie
Crew Credits
Mississippi Scholar
2024 · Movie
Writer
Noble Intentions
2023 · Movie
Writers' Assistant
American Bad Boy
2015 · Movie
Director
If I Tell You I Have to Kill You
2015 · Movie
Executive Producer
Angels Around Me
2013 · Movie
Additional Writing
Oscar's Black Odyssey: From Hattie to Halle
2003 · Movie
Director
