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.
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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External links
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/nm0044762
Wikipedia: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q687234
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Filmography (Movies)
The Christmas Showdown
Character:Jesse
Release Date:06/12/2025
Run
Character:President
Release Date:29/08/2025
Wrong Place, Wrong Time
Character:Captain Green
Release Date:28/02/2025
Noble Intentions
Character:Pastor Stevens
Release Date:03/01/2023
The Millennial
Character:Mr. Burke
Release Date:27/01/2022
Kiss Me for Christmas
Character:Mr. Porter
Release Date:10/12/2020
Trigger
Character:Chief Keaton
Release Date:22/10/2020
Revival!
Character:Nicodemus
Release Date:07/12/2018
Jingle Belle
Character:Charles Williams
Release Date:25/11/2018
Kinky
Character:Mr. Bernard
Release Date:12/10/2018
City of Lies
Character:Chief of Police
Release Date:06/09/2018
'Til Death Do Us Part
Character:John Harris
Release Date:29/09/2017
Pup Star: Better 2Gether
Character:Big Ears (voice)
Release Date:29/08/2017
The Watcher
Character:Stark
Release Date:01/10/2016
Pup Star
Character:Big Ears (voice)
Release Date:30/08/2016
If I Tell You I Have to Kill You
Character:Jonathan Black
Release Date:20/10/2015
Death's Door
Character:Mesmer
Release Date:29/09/2015
American Bad Boy
Character:Pastor Lovely
Release Date:02/06/2015
Lap Dance
Character:Roscoe
Release Date:05/12/2014
Dolls of Voodoo
Character:Iklif
Release Date:13/08/2013
Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups
Character:Mayor Denny
Release Date:20/11/2012
The Last Fall
Character:Larry Armstrong
Release Date:09/03/2012
Scooby-Doo! Music of the Vampire
Character:Vampire Actor #4 (voice)
Release Date:07/03/2012
Joy Road
Character:Dr. Howard Perkins
Release Date:21/10/2011
The Trap Door
Character:Mesmer
Release Date:11/10/2011
Trapped: Haitian Nights
Character:Ikliff
Release Date:08/02/2011
All Star Superman
Character:Judge / Bibliobot (voice)
Release Date:01/01/2011
Black Dynamite
Character:Osiris
Release Date:16/10/2009
Why Am I Doing This?
Character:Cliff
Release Date:09/03/2009
I Do... I Did!
Character:Mr. Johnson
Release Date:01/01/2009
Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History
Character:Self
Release Date:14/10/2008
The Eye
Character:Dr. Haskins
Release Date:01/02/2008
April Fools
Character:Detective Combs
Release Date:11/09/2007
Cover
Character:Attorney Miller
Release Date:08/05/2007
King: Man of Peace in a Time of War
Character:Narrator
Release Date:16/01/2007
Material Girls
Character:Craig
Release Date:18/08/2006
The Celestine Prophecy
Character:Miguel
Release Date:01/06/2006
Kangaroo Jack: G'Day, U.S.A.!
Character:Chief Ankamuti (voice)
Release Date:16/11/2004
After the Sunset
Character:Zacharias
Release Date:12/11/2004
The Manchurian Candidate
Character:Senator Wells
Release Date:30/07/2004
The Notebook
Character:Band Leader
Release Date:25/06/2004
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
Character:Self
Release Date:01/01/2004
Dorothy Dandridge: An American Beauty
Character:Host
Release Date:24/06/2003
John Q
Character:Sgt. Moody
Release Date:15/02/2002
Redeemer
Character:Charles Henderson
Release Date:31/01/2002
How High
Character:Dean Carl Cain
Release Date:21/12/2001
One Special Moment
Character:
Release Date:01/06/2001
The Visit
Character:Tony
Release Date:20/04/2001
The Apartment Complex
Character:Chett
Release Date:31/10/1999
Introducing Dorothy Dandridge
Character:Harold Nicholas
Release Date:21/08/1999
Life
Character:Willie Long
Release Date:16/04/1999
Miss Evers' Boys
Character:Willie Johnson
Release Date:22/02/1997
The Cherokee Kid
Character:Isom Dart
Release Date:14/12/1996
That Thing You Do!
Character:Lamarr
Release Date:04/10/1996
The Tomorrow Man
Character:Brian Parish
Release Date:01/09/1996
Carpool
Character:Jeffery
Release Date:23/08/1996
Multiplicity
Character:Paul
Release Date:19/07/1996
Soul of the Game
Character:Cum Posey
Release Date:20/04/1996
The Net
Character:FBI Agent
Release Date:28/07/1995
Born to Be Wild
Character:Interpreter
Release Date:31/03/1995
Fatal Pursuit
Character:Trinidad
Release Date:01/02/1995
M.A.N.T.I.S.
Character:Cornell
Release Date:24/01/1994
Philadelphia
Character:Jerome Green
Release Date:22/12/1993
Necronomicon
Character:Paul
Release Date:01/11/1993
Undercover Blues
Character:Sawyer
Release Date:10/09/1993
The Importance of Being Earnest
Character:Lane
Release Date:14/05/1992
The Silence of the Lambs
Character:TV Anchor Man
Release Date:14/02/1991
Miami Blues
Character:Blink Willie
Release Date:20/04/1990
Married to the Mob
Character:The Face of Justice
Release Date:19/08/1988
God Bless the Child
Character:Raymond Watkins
Release Date:21/03/1988
Leonard Part 6
Character:Bongo Drummer
Release Date:18/12/1987
Treemonisha
Character:Zodzetrick
Release Date:01/01/1982
Baryshnikov on Broadway
Character:Dancer
Release Date:24/04/1980
An Evening with Liza Minnelli
Character:Self - Dancer
Release Date:09/03/1980
Television Appearances
Little Fires Everywhere
Character:George Wright
Forever
Character:Gregory
For the People
Character:Philip Kaws
S.W.A.T.
Character:Daniel Harrelson, Sr.
Dear White People
Character:Dean Fairbanks
The Good Fight
Character:Danny Quinn
Goliath
Character:Ivan Tillinger
Chicago Med
Character:Dr. James Coleman
Ballers
Character:J.D. Pritchard
Kingdom
Character:Detective Gaines
Madam Secretary
Character:President Silvanus Fabre
Enlisted
Character:General Murray
Private Practice
Character:Dr. Larry Cannon
Saving Grace
Character:Doc
Psych
Character:David Gaffney
Grey's Anatomy
Character:Dan Gates
Boston Legal
Character:Dr. Victor Rivers
NCIS
Character:
Everwood
Character:Jason
Static Shock
Character:Watch Store Salesman (voice)
Static Shock
Character:Singer (voice)
Girlfriends
Character:Attendant
Max Steel
Character:(voice)
Family Law
Character:Philip Hamilton
The Temptations
Character:Berry Gordy
Dawson's Creek
Character:Principal Howard Green
Spy Game
Character:Lieutenant Wardell
The Outer Limits
Character:Dr. Joseph Lennox
Sliders
Character:Cezanne Brown
Friends
Character:Director
Touched by an Angel
Character:Carter Evans
Chicago Hope
Character:Charles Ellis
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
Character:Mongoose
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper
Character:Jameson Walker
The Human Factor
Character:
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Character:Gordy Berry
Tales from the Crypt
Character:Lieutenant Jamison
A Different World
Character:Frank Benning
Matlock
Character:Backstage Man
Images
