Site Revisions Underway Some Features May Not Work
Photo of Obba Babatundé

Obba Babatundé

Acting 74 years old Queens, New York City, New York, USA ★ 1.5
Born: December 1, 1951

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

External Links

🎬 IMDb

Known For

Friends
Friends Director 1994
S.W.A.T.
S.W.A.T. Daniel Harrelson, Sr. 2017
Psych
Psych David Gaffney 2006
Dawson's Creek
Dawson's Creek Howard Green 1998
Boston Legal
Boston Legal Dr. Victor Rivers 2004

Jimmy's Seen (2)

The Net
The Net FBI Agent 1995
The Net
The Net FBI Agent 1995

Filmography

Acting Credits (119)

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

Directing Credits (2)

Writing Credits (2)

Powered by

TMDB
× Person photo
❮ Back to Person Search