Filmography
-
Known For
American Gangster Mama Lucas (2007) -
Do the Right Thing Mother Sister (1989) -
A Raisin in the Sun Ruth Younger (1961) -
Known For
Jungle Fever Lucinda Purify (1991) -
Actress
1982 Rose Brown (2013) -
Betty and Coretta Narrator (2013) -
A Thousand Words Annie McCall (2012) -
Red & Blue Marbles Professor Wright (2011) -
Politics of Love (2011) -
Video Girl Valerie (2011) -
Dream Street (2010)
-
The Perfect Age of Rock 'n' Roll Miss Candy (2009) -
America Mrs. Harper (2009) -
Steam Doris (2007) -
![American Gangster]( "American Gangster")
American Gangster Mama Lucas (2007) -
![All About Us]( "All About Us")
All About Us Ms. Ella (2007) -
![CSI: Crime Scene Investigation]( "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation")
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Mary Wilson (2007) -
![The Way Back Home]( "The Way Back Home")
The Way Back Home Maude (2006) -
![Naming Number Two]( "Naming Number Two")
Naming Number Two Nanna Maria (2006) -
![Their Eyes Were Watching God]( "Their Eyes Were Watching God")
Their Eyes Were Watching God Nanny (2005) -
Baby of the Family (2002)
-
![Little Bill]( "Little Bill")
Little Bill Alice the Great (1999-2002) -
![Taking Back Our Town]( "Taking Back Our Town")
Taking Back Our Town Emelda West (2001) -
![The Feast of All Saints]( "The Feast of All Saints")
The Feast of All Saints Elsie Claviere (2001) -
![Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child]( "Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child")
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child Grandma (2000) -
![Finding Buck McHenry]( "Finding Buck McHenry")
Finding Buck McHenry Mrs. Henry (2000) -
![A Storm in Summer]( "A Storm in Summer")
A Storm in Summer Grandmother (2000) -
![Touched by an Angel]( "Touched by an Angel")
Touched by an Angel LaBelle Springbelt (1999) -
Shelly Fisher Mrs. Greenspan (1999)
-
![Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years]( "Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years")
Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years Annie Elizabeth 'Bessie' Delany (1999) -
![Baby Geniuses]( "Baby Geniuses")
Baby Geniuses Margo (1999) -
![Passing Glory]( "Passing Glory")
Passing Glory Mommit Porter (1999) -
![Cosby]( "Cosby")
Cosby Mattie (1999) -
![Promised Land]( "Promised Land")
Promised Land Alicia (1998) -
![The Wall]( "The Wall")
The Wall Mrs. Mitchell (segment "The Badge") (1998) -
![A Simple Wish]( "A Simple Wish")
A Simple Wish Hortense (1997) -
Stories from the Edge (segment "Tuesday Morning Ride") (1996)
-
![Captive Heart: The James Mink Story]( "Captive Heart: The James Mink Story")
Captive Heart: The James Mink Story Indigo (1996) -
![Mr. and Mrs. Loving]( "Mr. and Mrs. Loving")
Mr. and Mrs. Loving Sophia (1996) -
Tuesday Morning Ride Jennie (1995)
-
Street Gear Mosley Davis (1995)
-
![American Masters]( "American Masters")
American Masters Narrator (1995) -
![Just Cause]( "Just Cause")
Just Cause Evangeline (1995) -
![Whitewash]( "Whitewash")
Whitewash Grandmother (1994) -
![The Stand]( "The Stand")
The Stand Mother Abagail Freemantle (1994) -
The Poetry Hall of Fame (1993)
-
![Cop & ½]( "Cop & ½")
Cop & ½ Rachel (1993) -
![Evening Shade]( "Evening Shade")
Evening Shade Aurelia Danforth (1993) -
![The Ernest Green Story]( "The Ernest Green Story")
The Ernest Green Story Mrs. Lydia Wilson (1993) -
Middle Ages Estelle (1992)
-
![Jazztime Tale]( "Jazztime Tale")
Jazztime Tale Narrator (1991) -
![Jungle Fever]( "Jungle Fever")
Jungle Fever Lucinda Purify (1991) -
![Decoration Day]( "Decoration Day")
Decoration Day Rowena, Finch's Housekeeper (1990) -
![The Golden Girls]( "The Golden Girls")
The Golden Girls Mammy Watkins (1990) -
![The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson]( "The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson")
The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson Jackie's mother (1990) -
![China Beach]( "China Beach")
China Beach Ruby (1990) -
![American Playhouse]( "American Playhouse")
American Playhouse Zora Neale Hurston (1985-1990) -
![Love at Large]( "Love at Large")
Love at Large Corrine Dart (1990) -
![American Experience]( "American Experience")
American Experience Narrator (1990) -
![Do the Right Thing]( "Do the Right Thing")
Do the Right Thing Mother Sister (1989) -
![Lincoln]( "Lincoln")
Lincoln Elizabeth Keckley (1988) -
![Windmills of the Gods]( "Windmills of the Gods")
Windmills of the Gods Dorothy - Secretary to Mary Ashley (1988) -
Crown Dick Johnson's Mother (1987)
-
![Spenser: For Hire]( "Spenser: For Hire")
Spenser: For Hire Eleanor Simpson (1987) -
![The Atlanta Child Murders]( "The Atlanta Child Murders")
The Atlanta Child Murders Faye Williams (1985) -
![Go Tell It on the Mountain]( "Go Tell It on the Mountain")
Go Tell It on the Mountain Mrs. Grimes (1984) -
Long Day's Journey Into Night Mary Tyrone (1982)
-
![Cat People]( "Cat People")
Cat People Female (1982) -
The Torture of Mothers (1980)
-
Ossie and Ruby! Co-host (1980-81) (1980)
-
![All God's Children]( "All God's Children")
All God's Children Irene Whitfield (1980) -
![I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings]( "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings")
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Grandmother Baxter (1979) -
![Roots: The Next Generations]( "Roots: The Next Generations")
Roots: The Next Generations Queen Haley (1979) -
Watch Your Mouth Mrs. Fullo (1978)
-
![Cool Red]( "Cool Red")
Cool Red Leah Matanzima (1976) -
![Police Woman]( "Police Woman")
Police Woman Cora Sanders (1975) -
Wedding Band Julia Augustine (1974)
-
![The CBS Festival of Lively Arts for Young People]( "The CBS Festival of Lively Arts for Young People")
-
![It's Good to Be Alive]( "It's Good to Be Alive")
It's Good to Be Alive Ruth Campanella (1974) -
![Tenafly]( "Tenafly")
Tenafly Jan Lennox (1973) -
Chelsea D.H.O. Dr. Bianca Pearson (1973)
-
-
![Black Girl]( "Black Girl")
Black Girl Netta's mother (1972) -
![Buck and the Preacher]( "Buck and the Preacher")
Buck and the Preacher Ruth (1972) -
![The Sheriff]( "The Sheriff")
The Sheriff Sue Ann Lucas (1971) -
![Peyton Place]( "Peyton Place")
Peyton Place Alma Miles (1968-1969) -
![The Bold Ones: The Protectors]( "The Bold Ones: The Protectors")
The Bold Ones: The Protectors Lucinda (1969) -
![Uptight]( "Uptight")
Uptight Laurie (1968) -
![The Incident]( "The Incident")
The Incident Joan Robinson (1967) -
![Armchair Theatre]( "Armchair Theatre")
Armchair Theatre Vicky Kingsbury (1966) -
![The Defenders]( "The Defenders")
The Defenders Catherine Collins (1965) -
![East Side/West Side]( "East Side/West Side")
East Side/West Side Marilyn Marsden (1963) -
![The Great Adventure]( "The Great Adventure")
The Great Adventure Harriet Tubman (1963) -
![The Fugitive]( "The Fugitive")
The Fugitive Laura Smith (1963) -
![Gone Are the Days!]( "Gone Are the Days!")
Gone Are the Days! Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins (1963) -
![The Doctors and the Nurses]( "The Doctors and the Nurses")
The Doctors and the Nurses Jenny Bishop (1963) -
![The Balcony]( "The Balcony")
The Balcony Thief (1963) -
![Alcoa Premiere]( "Alcoa Premiere")
Alcoa Premiere Irene Clayton (1963) -
Seven Times Monday Lila (1962)
-
![A Raisin in the Sun]( "A Raisin in the Sun")
A Raisin in the Sun Ruth Younger (1961) -
![Play of the Week]( "Play of the Week")
Play of the Week Jane (1960-1961) -
![Take a Giant Step]( "Take a Giant Step")
Take a Giant Step Christine (1959) -
![Our Virgin Island]( "Our Virgin Island")
Our Virgin Island Ruth (1958) -
![St. Louis Blues]( "St. Louis Blues")
St. Louis Blues Elizabeth (1958) -
![Edge of the City]( "Edge of the City")
Edge of the City Lucy Tyler (1957) -
![The Great American Pastime]( "The Great American Pastime")
The Great American Pastime Mrs. Ashlow (1956) -
![Go Man Go]( "Go Man Go")
Go Man Go Irma Jackson (1954) -
![Guiding Light]( "Guiding Light")
Guiding Light Martha Frazier (1967) (1952) -
![The Tall Target]( "The Tall Target")
The Tall Target Rachel - Slave Maid (1951) -
![No Way Out]( "No Way Out")
No Way Out Connie Brooks (1950) -
![The Jackie Robinson Story]( "The Jackie Robinson Story")
The Jackie Robinson Story Rae Robinson (1950) -
![The Fight Never Ends]( "The Fight Never Ends")
The Fight Never Ends Janie (1948) -
![What a Guy]( "What a Guy")
What a Guy (1948) -
That Man of Mine (1946)
-
The First Year (1946)
-
Actress
![Frontiers of Faith]( "Frontiers of Faith")
Frontiers of Faith Grace Gilmore (1951) -
Soundtrack
![The Landlord]( "The Landlord")
The Landlord (2009) -
Soundtrack
![The Stand]( "The Stand")
The Stand (1994) -
Producer
![Uptight]( "Uptight")
Uptight (1968) -
Writer
![Uptight]( "Uptight")
Uptight (1968) -
Archive footage
![A Certain Magical Pimpdex: Extended Edition]( "A Certain Magical Pimpdex: Extended Edition")
-
![Dooley's Not Dooby]( "Dooley's Not Dooby")
Dooley's Not Dooby (2018) -
![Sighted Eyes/Feeling Heart]( "Sighted Eyes/Feeling Heart")
Sighted Eyes/Feeling Heart (2017) -
An Ecstatic Experience (2015)
-
![The Oscars]( "The Oscars")
The Oscars (2015) -
![The 21st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards]( "The 21st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards")
-
![Entertainment Tonight]( "Entertainment Tonight")
Entertainment Tonight (2014) -
![The 66th Primetime Emmy Awards]( "The 66th Primetime Emmy Awards")
-
![P.O.V.]( "P.O.V.")
P.O.V. (2014) -
![Theater Talk]( "Theater Talk")
Theater Talk (2014) -
![The Insider]( "The Insider")
The Insider (2014) -
![American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs]( "American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs")
-
![Biography]( "Biography")
Biography (2005) -
Archive footage
![TV in Black: The First Fifty Years]( "TV in Black: The First Fifty Years")
-
![America at the Movies]( "America at the Movies")
America at the Movies (1976)
All Filmography
Did You Know
Trivia
She never appeared in a film nominated for the Best Picture Oscar.
Quotes
I didn't have the kind of talent or personality that kept me dreaming about Hollywood. They don't hire little colored girls to do this or that.
Star Sign
Scorpio
Personal Details
Born
Ruby Ann Wallace
Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Died
(age 91)
New Rochelle, New York, USA
Height:
5' 2¼" (1.58 m)User Polls
Folks we lost in 2014.
SAG Lifetime Achievement Awards, since 2000
IMDb Poll Board Favorite Live Poll - Part 2
Your Favorite Blacklisted Hollywood Star
Remember when they had hair?
Best Portrayal of a Drug Addict
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