Dee, Ruby
Rosie Tanabe (talk | contribs) |
|||
(58 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown) | |||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
+ | {{Images OK}}{{Submitted}}{{Approved}}{{Copyedited}} | ||
{{epname|Dee, Ruby}} | {{epname|Dee, Ruby}} | ||
{{Infobox person | {{Infobox person | ||
Line 17: | Line 18: | ||
'''Ruby Dee''' (née '''Wallace'''; October 27, 1922 – June 11, 2014) was an American actress, poet, playwright, [[screenwriter]], [[journalism|journalist]] and [[activism|activist]]. She was married to actor [[Ossie Davis]] until his death in 2005. | '''Ruby Dee''' (née '''Wallace'''; October 27, 1922 – June 11, 2014) was an American actress, poet, playwright, [[screenwriter]], [[journalism|journalist]] and [[activism|activist]]. She was married to actor [[Ossie Davis]] until his death in 2005. | ||
− | + | Dee began her acting career on the [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] stage before appearing in films and television. Roles for which she is best known include ''[[A Raisin in the Sun (1961 film)|A Raisin in the Sun]]'' (1961), ''[[Do the Right Thing]]'' (1989), and ''[[American Gangster (film)|American Gangster]]'' (2007) for which she was nominated for an [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress]]. She was the recipient of [[Grammy]], [[Emmy]], [[Obie]], [[Drama Desk]], [[Screen Actors Guild Award]], and [[Screen Actors Guild]] Lifetime Achievement Awards as well as the [[National Medal of Arts]] and the [[Kennedy Center Honors]]. | |
+ | {{toc}} | ||
+ | Dee and her husband, Ossie Davis, stood in the forefront of changing the experience of black actors in the entertainment industry playing leading roles rather than being relegated to those of maids and butlers. They were also activists for [[civil rights]], personal friends of both [[Martin Luther King, Jr.]] and [[Malcolm X]]. Despite experimenting with an [[open marriage]] for a time, they showed deep love and commitment to each other and were an outstanding example of a successful black couple in America. | ||
==Life== | ==Life== | ||
− | [[Image:Ruby Dee.jpg|thumb| | + | [[Image:Ruby Dee.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Dee by [[Carl Van Vechten]]]] |
− | Born '''Ruby Ann Wallace''' in [[Cleveland, Ohio]] October 27, 1922, she was the third child born to Gladys Hightower and Marshall Edward Nathaniel Wallace. Her parents were two teenagers who married when Gladys became pregnant with the first child. | + | Born '''Ruby Ann Wallace''' in [[Cleveland, Ohio]] on October 27, 1922, she was the third child born to Gladys Hightower and Marshall Edward Nathaniel Wallace. Her parents were two teenagers who married when Gladys became pregnant with the first child. In three years Gladys left Ruby's father with three children. He remarried, to Emma Amelia Benson, a schoolteacher who had studied at Atlanta University under [[W.E.B. Du Bois]].<ref>Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, ''With Ossie and Ruby: In This Life Together'' (William Morrow, 1998, ISBN 978-0688153960).</ref> |
− | The family moved to New York, and the children were raised in [[Harlem, New York]].<ref name=cnn_obit/> She attended [[Hunter College High School]] and went on to graduate from [[Hunter College]] with a degree in [[romance language]]s in 1945.<ref name=wapo/ | + | The family moved to [[New York City]], and the children were raised in [[Harlem, New York|Harlem]].<ref name=cnn_obit/> She attended [[Hunter College High School]] and went on to graduate from [[Hunter College]] with a degree in [[romance language]]s in 1945.<ref name=wapo/> |
− | Ruby | + | Ruby married blues singer Frankie Dee Brown in 1941, and began using his middle name as her stage name.<ref>Ronald Bergan, [http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/jun/13/ruby-dee "Ruby Dee obituary"], ''The Guardian'', June 13, 2014. Retrieved July 13, 2022.</ref> The couple divorced in 1945.<ref name=wapo/> |
− | Dee died on June 11, 2014, at her home in [[New Rochelle, New York]], from [[natural causes]] at the age of 91.<ref> | + | Three years later she married actor [[Ossie Davis]], who she met while costarring in the 1946 Broadway play ''Jeb''.<ref name=nyt>Felicia R. Lee, [http://www.nytimes.com/1995/04/20/garden/at-home-with-ossie-davis-and-ruby-dee-art-and-politics-keeping-it-all-fresh.html At home with: Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee; Art and Politics: Keeping It All Fresh] ''New York Times'', April 20, 1995. Retrieved July 13, 2022. </ref> Together, Dee and Davis wrote an autobiography in which they discussed their political activism and their decision to have an [[open marriage]] (later changing their minds).<ref>[https://www.ebony.com/love-relationships/about-ruby-and-ossies-unique-marriage-777/ About Ruby and Ossie’s Unique Marriage…] ''Ebony'', June 13, 2014. Retrieved July 13, 2022.</ref> Together they had three children: son, blues musician [[Guy Davis (Blues musician)|Guy Davis]], and two daughters, Nora Day and Hasna Muhammad. |
+ | |||
+ | {{readout||right|250px|Ruby Dee and [[Ossie Davis]] had an [[open marriage]], although they found that they preferred [[monogamy]]}} | ||
+ | |||
+ | She was a [[breast cancer]] survivor of more than three decades.<ref name=abc>Lesley Messer and Mark Crudele, [http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/oscar-nominee-ruby-dee-died-91/story?id=24107963 Oscar Nominee Ruby Dee Dead at 91] ''ABC News'', June 12, 2014. Retrieved July 13, 2022.</ref> | ||
+ | |||
+ | Dee died on June 11, 2014, at her home in [[New Rochelle, New York]], from [[natural causes]] at the age of 91.<ref name=dailynews> Denis Slattery, Joe Dziemianowicz, and Larry Mcshane, [http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/movies/ruby-dee-dead-91-article-1.1827040 Ruby Dee dead at 91] ''New York Daily News'', June 12, 2014. Retrieved July 13, 2022.</ref> Her wish was to be [[cremation|cremated]], and her ashes held in the same urn as that of Davis, with the inscription "In this thing together."<ref name=wapo/> A public memorial service was held Saturday, September 20, 2014 at the [[Riverside Church]] in [[New York City]].<ref> [https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/memorial-honoring-ruby-dee-held-at-manhattan-church/ Memorial Honoring Ruby Dee Held At Riverside Church] ''CBS'', September 20, 2014. Retrieved July 13, 2022.</ref> | ||
==Acting Career== | ==Acting Career== | ||
− | [[File: | + | [[File:The Jackie Robinson Story (1950) still 1.jpg|thumb|400px|Ruby Dee & Joel Fluellen (center) in ''The Jackie Robinson Story'']] |
− | Dee joined the [[American Negro Theater]] as an apprentice, working with [[Sidney Poitier]], [[Harry Belafonte]], and [[Hilda Simms]].<ref name=wapo/> She made several appearances on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]]. Her first onscreen role was in ''That Man of Mine'' in 1946. She received national recognition for her role in the 1950 film ''[[The Jackie Robinson Story]]''.<ref name=cnn_obit/> In 1965, Dee performed in lead roles at the [[American Shakespeare Festival]] as | + | Dee joined the [[American Negro Theater]] as an apprentice, working with [[Sidney Poitier]], [[Harry Belafonte]], and [[Hilda Simms]].<ref name=wapo/> She made several appearances on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]]. Her first onscreen role was in ''That Man of Mine'' in 1946. She received national recognition for her role in the 1950 film ''[[The Jackie Robinson Story]]''.<ref name=cnn_obit/> In 1965, Dee performed in lead roles at the [[American Shakespeare Festival]] as Katherina in ''[[The Taming of the Shrew]]'' and Cordelia in ''[[King Lear]]'', becoming the first black actress to portray a lead role in the festival. Her career in acting crossed all major forms of media over a span of eight decades, including the films ''[[A Raisin in the Sun]]'', in which she recreated her stage role as a suffering housewife in the projects, and ''[[Edge of the City]]''. She played both roles opposite Poitier.<ref name=wapo/> |
− | During the 1960s, Dee appeared in such politically charged films as ''Gone Are the Days'' and ''[[The Incident (1967 film)|The Incident]]'', which is recognized as helping pave the way for young [[African-American]] actors and [[filmmakers]]. In 1969, Dee appeared in 20 episodes of ''[[Peyton Place (TV series)|Peyton Place]]''.<ref name=cnn_obit/> She appeared in the role of | + | During the 1960s, Dee appeared in such politically charged films as ''Gone Are the Days'' and ''[[The Incident (1967 film)|The Incident]]'', which is recognized as helping pave the way for young [[African-American]] actors and [[filmmakers]]. In 1969, Dee appeared in 20 episodes of ''[[Peyton Place (TV series)|Peyton Place]]''.<ref name=cnn_obit/> She appeared in the role of Cora Sanders, a Marxist college professor loosely influenced by the real-life [[Angela Y. Davis]], in the Season 1/Episode 14 of ''[[Police Woman (TV series)|Police Woman]]'' in 1975. The. She appeared in one episode of ''[[The Golden Girls]]''' sixth season. She played Queen Haley in ''[[Roots: The Next Generations]]'', a 1979 [[miniseries]].<ref name=cnn_obit/> |
− | Dee was nominated for eight [[Emmy Awards]], winning once for her role in the 1990 [[Television movie|TV film]] ''[[Decoration Day (film)|Decoration Day]]''.<ref> | + | Dee was nominated for eight [[Emmy Awards]], winning once for her role in the 1990 [[Television movie|TV film]] ''[[Decoration Day (film)|Decoration Day]]''.<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002039/awards Ruby Dee Awards] ''IMDb''. Retrieved July 13, 2022.</ref> She was nominated for her television guest appearance in the ''[[China Beach]]'' episode, "Skylark." Her husband [[Ossie Davis]] (1917–2005) also appeared in the episode. She appeared in [[Spike Lee]]'s 1989 film ''[[Do the Right Thing]]'', and his 1991 film ''[[Jungle Fever]]''.<ref name=cnn_obit/> |
− | In 1995, | + | In 1995, Dee and Davis were awarded the [[National Medal of Arts]].<ref>[https://www.arts.gov/honors/medals/ossie-davis-and-ruby-dee Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee] ''National Endowment for the Arts''. Retrieved July 13, 2022.</ref> They were also recipients of the [[Kennedy Center Honors]] in 2004. In 2003, she and Davis narrated a series of Works Progress Administration (WPA) slave narratives in the [[HBO]] film ''Unchained Memories''.<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0343129/ Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives] ''IMDb''. Retrieved July 13, 2022.</ref> In 2007 the winner of the [[Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album]] was shared by Dee and Davis, for ''With Ossie And Ruby: In This Life Together'', and former President [[Jimmy Carter]].<ref name=wapo/><ref name=usatoday6/> |
− | Dee was nominated for an [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress]] in 2007 for her portrayal of Mama Lucas in ''[[American Gangster (film)|American Gangster]]''. She won the Screen Actors Guild award for the same performance. At 83 years of age, Dee | + | Dee was nominated for an [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress]] in 2007 for her portrayal of Mama Lucas in ''[[American Gangster (film)|American Gangster]]''. She won the Screen Actors Guild award for the same performance. At 83 years of age, Dee was the second oldest nominee for Best Supporting Actress, behind [[Gloria Stuart]] who was 87 when nominated for her role in ''[[Titanic (1997 film)|Titanic]]''. This was Dee's only Oscar nomination.<ref> Caryn Robbins, [https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Broadway-Hollywood-Star-RUBY-DEE-Dies-at-89-20140612 Broadway & Hollywood Legend Ruby Dee Dies at 91] ''Broadway World'', June 12, 2014. Retrieved July 13, 2022.</ref> |
− | On February 12, 2009, Dee joined the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College orchestra and chorus, along with the Riverside Inspirational Choir and NYC Labor Choir, in honoring Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday at the Riverside Church in [[New York City]]. Under the direction of [[Maurice Peress]], they performed [[Earl Robinson]]'s ''The Lonesome Train: A Music Legend for Actors, Folk Singers, Choirs, and Orchestra'', in which Dee was the Narrator.<ref> | + | On February 12, 2009, Dee joined the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College orchestra and chorus, along with the Riverside Inspirational Choir and NYC Labor Choir, in honoring Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday at the [[Riverside Church]] in [[New York City]]. Under the direction of [[Maurice Peress]], they performed [[Earl Robinson]]'s ''The Lonesome Train: A Music Legend for Actors, Folk Singers, Choirs, and Orchestra'', in which Dee was the Narrator.<ref>Henry Epps, ''Great Achievements by African-American women vol I'' (Lulu, 2012, ISBN 978-1300138495).</ref> |
==Activism== | ==Activism== | ||
− | [[File:Ruby Dee speaking.jpg|thumb| | + | [[File:Ruby Dee speaking.jpg|thumb|400px|Dee speaking in 2006]] |
− | Dee and Davis were well-known [[American Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968)|civil rights]] activists. | + | Dee and Davis were well-known [[American Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968)|civil rights]] activists. Dee was a member of the [[Congress of Racial Equality]] (CORE), the [[NAACP]], the [[Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee]], [[Delta Sigma Theta]] sorority and the [[Southern Christian Leadership Conference]]. Dee and Davis were both personal friends of both [[Martin Luther King, Jr.]] and [[Malcolm X]], with Davis giving the [[eulogy]] at Malcolm X's funeral in 1965.<ref>Ossie Davis, [https://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/blackspeech/odavis.html Eulogy for Malcolm X, February 27, 1965] ''American RadioWorks''. Retrieved July 13, 2022.</ref> In 1970, she won the [[Frederick Douglass Award]] from the New York [[Urban League]].<ref name=cnn_obit/> |
− | In 1999, Dee and Davis were arrested at [[1 Police Plaza]], the headquarters of the [[New York Police Department]], protesting the police shooting of [[Amadou Diallo]].<ref> | + | In 1999, Dee and Davis were arrested at [[1 Police Plaza]], the headquarters of the [[New York Police Department]], protesting the police shooting of [[Amadou Diallo]].<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/News/9903/24/showbuzz/index.html Veteran actors Ruby Dee, Ossie Davis arrested at protest] ''CNN'', March 24, 1999. Retrieved July 13, 2022.</ref> |
− | In early 2003, ''[[The Nation]]'' published "Not In My Name," an open proclamation vowing opposition to the impending US [[Iraq War|invasion]] of [[Iraq]]. Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis were among the signatories, along with [[Robert Altman]], [[Noam Chomsky]], [[Susan Sarandon]] and [[Howard Zinn]], among others. | + | In early 2003, ''[[The Nation]]'' published "Not In My Name," an open proclamation vowing opposition to the impending US [[Iraq War|invasion]] of [[Iraq]]. Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis were among the signatories, along with [[Robert Altman]], [[Noam Chomsky]], [[Susan Sarandon]], and [[Howard Zinn]], among others. |
− | In November 2005 Dee was | + | In November 2005 Dee was awarded—along with her late husband—the Lifetime Achievement Freedom Award, presented by the National Civil Rights Museum located in [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]]. In 2009 she received an Honorary Degree from [[Princeton University]].<ref name=usatoday6>Andrea Mandell, [https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/entertainthis/2014/06/12/6-great-moments-from-ruby-dees-legendary-career/77296484/ 6 great moments from Ruby Dee’s legendary career] ''USA Today'', June 12, 2014. Retrieved July 13, 2022.</ref> |
==Legacy== | ==Legacy== | ||
− | + | Ruby Dee and her husband Ossie Davis were known as the "'First Couple' of black America" and together they changed the way the entertainment industry viewed black actors forever.<ref name="90th"> Douglas Feiden, [https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ruby-gem-90-article-1.1201556 Ruby Dee marks 90th birthday with new documentary about her illustrious life with late husband Ossie Davis], ''New York Daily News'', November 13, 2012. Retrieved July 13, 2022.</ref> When she began her career, black stage actresses were cast as maids but Ruby took on [[Shakespeare]]an roles, such as Katherina in ''The Taming of the Shrew'' (American Shakespeare Festival, 1965), Cordelia in ''King Lear'' (American Shakespeare Festival, 1965), and Gertrude in ''Hamlet'' (New York Shakespeare Festival, 1975).<ref>[https://ossieandruby.com/ruby-dee-stage-credits/ Ruby Dee Stage Credits] ''Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee''. Retrieved July 13, 2022.</ref> | |
− | + | In a statement on hearing of her death, [[Gil Robertson IV]] of the [[African American Film Critics Association]] said, "the members of the African American Film Critics Association are deeply saddened at the loss of actress and humanitarian Ruby Dee. Throughout her seven-decade career, Ms Dee embraced different creative platforms with her various interpretations of black womanhood and also used her gifts to champion for Human Rights. Her strength, courage and beauty will be greatly missed."<ref name=cnn_obit>Alan Duke and Todd Leopold, [https://www.cnn.com/2014/06/12/showbiz/obit-ruby-dee/ Ruby Dee was a formidable force on screen, in civil rights movement] ''CNN'', June 12, 2014. Retrieved July 13, 2022.</ref> | |
− | Following her death the marquee on the Apollo theater read “A TRUE APOLLO LEGEND RUBY DEE 1922- | + | Following her death the marquee on the Apollo theater read “A TRUE APOLLO LEGEND RUBY DEE 1922-2014.”<ref name=dailynews/> |
− | + | ==Awards and nominations== | |
'''Awards''' | '''Awards''' | ||
− | * 1961: National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress – ''[[A Raisin in the Sun (1961 film)|A Raisin in the Sun]]''<ref> | + | * 1961: National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress – ''[[A Raisin in the Sun (1961 film)|A Raisin in the Sun]]''<ref>[https://deadline.com/2014/06/ruby-dee-dead-91-raisin-in-the-sun-787598/ R.I.P. Ruby Dee] ''Deadline'', June 12, 2014. Retrieved July 13, 2022. </ref> |
− | * 1971: Drama Desk Award Outstanding Performance – ''[[Boesman and Lena]]'' | + | * 1971: Drama Desk Award Outstanding Performance – ''[[Boesman and Lena]]'' |
− | * 1971: Obie Award for Best Performance by an Actress – ''[[Boesman and Lena]]''<ref name=nyt | + | * 1971: Obie Award for Best Performance by an Actress – ''[[Boesman and Lena]]''<ref name=nyt/> |
* 1973: Drama Desk Award Outstanding Performance – ''[[Wedding Band (play)|Wedding Band]]''<ref name=nyt/> | * 1973: Drama Desk Award Outstanding Performance – ''[[Wedding Band (play)|Wedding Band]]''<ref name=nyt/> | ||
− | * 1988: Induction into the [[American Theater Hall of Fame]]<ref> | + | * 1988: Induction into the [[American Theater Hall of Fame]]<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1988/11/22/theater/theater-hall-of-fame-adds-nine-new-names.html Theater Hall of Fame Adds Nine New Names] ''New York Times'', November 22, 1988. Retrieved July 13, 2022.</ref> |
− | * | + | * 1991: [[Primetime Emmy Award|Emmy Award]] for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie|Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie]] – ''[[Decoration Day (film)|Decoration Day]]''<ref name=wapo>Sarah Halzack, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/celebrities/ruby-dee-actress-and-civil-rights-activist-dies-at-89/2014/06/12/d4c3e4d2-f250-11e3-9ebc-2ee6f81ed217_story.html Ruby Dee, actress and civil rights activist, dies at 91] ''The Washington Post'', October 27, 1922. Retrieved July 13, 2022.</ref> |
− | * 1991: [[Women in Film Los Angeles|Women in Film]] [[Women in Film Crystal + Lucy Awards#THE CRYSTAL AWARD|Crystal Award]]<ref | + | * 1991: [[Women in Film Los Angeles|Women in Film]] [[Women in Film Crystal + Lucy Awards#THE CRYSTAL AWARD|Crystal Award]]<ref>[https://womeninfilm.org/updates/wif-awards-retrospective/ Crystal Award Retrospective] ''Women In Film''. Retrieved July 13, 2022.</ref> |
− | * 1995: [[National Medal of Arts]] | + | * 1995: [[National Medal of Arts]] |
− | * 2000: Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award<ref> | + | * 2000: Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award<ref> [https://www.sagawards.org/nominees/life-achievement-award-recipient/37th 37th Life Achievement Recipient, 2000] ''Screen Actors Guild Awards''. Retrieved July 13, 2022.</ref> |
− | * | + | * 2007: [[Grammy Award]] for [[Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album|Best Spoken Word Album]] – ''With Ossie And Ruby: In This Life Together''<ref name=wapo/> |
− | * 2008: African–American Film Critics Best Supporting Actress – ''[[American Gangster (film)|American Gangster]]''<ref> | + | * 2008: African–American Film Critics Best Supporting Actress – ''[[American Gangster (film)|American Gangster]]''<ref>Taylor Gordon, [https://atlantablackstar.com/2014/06/12/iconic-actress-activist-ruby-dee-dead-89/ Iconic Actress and Activist Ruby Dee Dead at 91] ''Atlanta Black Star'', June 12, 2014. Retrieved July 13, 2022.</ref> |
− | * 2008: Screen Actors Guild Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role – ''[[American Gangster (film)|American Gangster]]'' | + | * 2008: Screen Actors Guild Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role – ''[[American Gangster (film)|American Gangster]]''<ref name=nyt2>Roberta Hershenson, [https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/03/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/03rubywe.html?_r=0 For Ruby Dee at 83, Acclaim and Performances] ''The New York Times'', February 3, 2008. Retrieved July 13, 2022.</ref> |
− | * 2008: The Eleanor Roosevelt Val-Kill Medal Award<ref> | + | * 2008: The Eleanor Roosevelt Val-Kill Medal Award<ref>The Associated Press, [https://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/story/news/nation/2014/06/12/actress-ruby-dee-dies/10377299/ Daughter: Ruby Dee, Val-Kill medal winner, dead at 91] ''Poughkeepsie Journal'', June 12, 2014. Retrieved July 13, 2022.</ref> |
− | * 2008: She was awarded the [[Spingarn Medal]] from the [[NAACP]].<ref> | + | * 2008: She was awarded the [[Spingarn Medal]] from the [[NAACP]].<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/list/ls557826094/ Spingarn Medal Recipients] ''IMDb''. Retrieved July 13, 2022.</ref> |
'''Nominations''' | '''Nominations''' | ||
− | * | + | * 1964: [[Primetime Emmy Award|Emmy Award]] for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie|Outstanding Single Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role]] – ''[[The Nurses (CBS TV series)|The Doctors and the Nurses]]: Express Stop from Lenox Avenue'' |
− | * | + | * 1979: [[Primetime Emmy Award|Emmy Award]] for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie|Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or a Special]] – ''[[Roots: The Next Generations]]'' |
− | * | + | * 1988: [[Primetime Emmy Award|Emmy Award]] for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie|Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Special]] – ''[[Lincoln (1988 film)|Lincoln]]'' |
− | * | + | * 1990: [[Primetime Emmy Award|Emmy Award]] for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series|Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series]] – ''[[China Beach]]: Skylark'' |
− | * | + | * 1993: [[Primetime Emmy Award|Emmy Award]] for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series|Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series]] – ''[[Evening Shade]]: They Can't Take That Away from Me'' |
− | * | + | * 1995: [[Daytime Emmy Award|Emmy Award]] for [[Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer In An Animated Program|Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program]] – ''[[Whitewash (TV special)|Whitewash]]'' |
− | * | + | * 2001: [[Daytime Emmy Award|Emmy Award]] for [[Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer In An Animated Program|Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program]] – ''[[Little Bill (TV series)|Little Bill]]<ref> Rick DeMott, [https://www.awn.com/news/clifford-leads-all-toon-nods-daytime-emmy Clifford Leads All Toon Nods At Daytime Emmy] ''Animation World Network'', March 16, 2001. Retrieved July 13, 2022.</ref> |
− | * 2002: Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Actress – ''[[Saint Lucy's Eyes]]'' | + | * 2002: Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Actress – ''[[Saint Lucy's Eyes]]'' |
− | * | + | * 2003: [[Daytime Emmy Award|Emmy Award]] for [[Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer In An Animated Program|Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program]] – ''[[Little Bill (TV series)|Little Bill]]<ref>[https://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k3/mar/mar113.htm 10 nominations for Nick in the daytime Emmy] ''Indian television'', March 22, 2003. Retrieved July 13, 2022.</ref> |
− | * | + | * 2008: [[Academy Award]] for [[Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role|Best Actress in a Supporting Role]] – ''[[American Gangster (film)|American Gangster]]'' |
* 2008: Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture – ''[[American Gangster (film)|American Gangster]]''<ref name=nyt2/> | * 2008: Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture – ''[[American Gangster (film)|American Gangster]]''<ref name=nyt2/> | ||
* 2008: Screen Actors Guild Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture – ''[[American Gangster (film)|American Gangster]]''<ref name=wapo/> | * 2008: Screen Actors Guild Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture – ''[[American Gangster (film)|American Gangster]]''<ref name=wapo/> | ||
− | * 2009: Screen Actors Guild Outstanding Performance by a Female Actress in a Television Movie or Miniseries – ''[[America (2009 film)|America]]''<ref> | + | * 2009: Screen Actors Guild Outstanding Performance by a Female Actress in a Television Movie or Miniseries – ''[[America (2009 film)|America]]''<ref>[https://ossieandruby.com/ruby-dee-tv-credits/ Ruby Dee Television Credits] ''Ossie Davis & Ruby Dee''. Retrieved July 13, 2022.</ref> |
− | * 2010: Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Event – ''[[America (2009 film)|America]]''<ref> | + | * 2010: Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Event – ''[[America (2009 film)|America]]''<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000345/2010/1/ Image Awards (NAACP) 2010] ''IMDb''. Retrieved July 13, 2022.</ref> |
==Major Works== | ==Major Works== | ||
Line 97: | Line 106: | ||
Features: | Features: | ||
{{div col|cols=2}} | {{div col|cols=2}} | ||
− | * ''That Man of Mine'' (1946) | + | * ''That Man of Mine'' (1946) |
− | * ''The Fight Never Ends'' (1947) | + | * ''The Fight Never Ends'' (1947) |
− | * ''What a Guy'' (1948) | + | * ''What a Guy'' (1948) |
* ''[[The Jackie Robinson Story]]'' (1950) | * ''[[The Jackie Robinson Story]]'' (1950) | ||
* ''[[No Way Out (1950 film)|No Way Out]]'' (1950) | * ''[[No Way Out (1950 film)|No Way Out]]'' (1950) | ||
Line 117: | Line 126: | ||
* ''[[Black Girl (play)|Black Girl]]'' (1972) | * ''[[Black Girl (play)|Black Girl]]'' (1972) | ||
* ''[[Wattstax]]'' (1973) | * ''[[Wattstax]]'' (1973) | ||
− | * ''Countdown at Kusini'' (1976) | + | * ''Countdown at Kusini'' (1976) |
* ''[[Cat People (1982 film)|Cat People]]'' (1982) | * ''[[Cat People (1982 film)|Cat People]]'' (1982) | ||
* ''[[Do the Right Thing]]'' (1989) | * ''[[Do the Right Thing]]'' (1989) | ||
Line 127: | Line 136: | ||
* ''[[A Simple Wish]]'' (1997) | * ''[[A Simple Wish]]'' (1997) | ||
* ''[[Just Cause (film)|Just Cause]]'' (1995) | * ''[[Just Cause (film)|Just Cause]]'' (1995) | ||
− | * ''Mr. & Mrs. Loving'' (1996) | + | * ''Mr. & Mrs. Loving'' (1996) |
− | * ''A Time to Dance: The Life and Work of Norma Canner'' (1998) (documentary) (narrator) | + | * ''A Time to Dance: The Life and Work of Norma Canner'' (1998) (documentary) (narrator) |
− | * ''[[Baby Geniuses]]'' (1999) | + | * ''[[Baby Geniuses]]'' (1999) |
* ''[[Beah Richards|Beah: A Black Woman Speaks]]'' (2003) (documentary) | * ''[[Beah Richards|Beah: A Black Woman Speaks]]'' (2003) (documentary) | ||
* ''[[No. 2 (film)|No. 2]]'' (2006) | * ''[[No. 2 (film)|No. 2]]'' (2006) | ||
− | * ''The Way Back Home'' (2006) | + | * ''The Way Back Home'' (2006) |
− | * ''[[All About Us (film)|All About Us]]'' (2007) | + | * ''[[All About Us (film)|All About Us]]'' (2007) |
* ''[[American Gangster (film)|American Gangster]]'' (2007) | * ''[[American Gangster (film)|American Gangster]]'' (2007) | ||
* ''[[Steam (film)|Steam]]'' (2007) | * ''[[Steam (film)|Steam]]'' (2007) | ||
− | * ''[[The Perfect Age of Rock 'n' Roll]]'' (2009) | + | * ''[[The Perfect Age of Rock 'n' Roll]]'' (2009) |
− | * ''Dream Street'' (2010) | + | * ''Dream Street'' (2010) |
− | * ''Video Girl'' (2011) | + | * ''Video Girl'' (2011) |
− | * ''[[Politics of Love]]'' (2011) | + | * ''[[Politics of Love]]'' (2011) |
− | * ''Red & Blue Marbles'' (2011) | + | * ''Red & Blue Marbles'' (2011) |
− | * ''Long Distance Revolutionary: A Journey With Mumia Abu-Jamal'' (2012) | + | * ''Long Distance Revolutionary: A Journey With Mumia Abu-Jamal'' (2012) |
− | * ''[[A Thousand Words (film)|A Thousand Words]]'' (2012) | + | * ''[[A Thousand Words (film)|A Thousand Words]]'' (2012) |
− | * ''[[Betty and Coretta (film)|Betty and Coretta]]'' (2013) | + | * ''[[Betty and Coretta (film)|Betty and Coretta]]'' (2013) |
{{div col end}} | {{div col end}} | ||
Short subjects: | Short subjects: | ||
− | * ''Lorraine Hansberry: The Black Experience in the Creation of Drama'' (1975) | + | * ''Lorraine Hansberry: The Black Experience in the Creation of Drama'' (1975) |
− | * ''The Torture of Mothers'' (1980) | + | * ''The Torture of Mothers'' (1980) |
− | * ''Tuesday Morning Ride'' (1995) | + | * ''Tuesday Morning Ride'' (1995) |
− | * ''The Unfinished Journey'' (1999) (narrator) | + | * ''The Unfinished Journey'' (1999) (narrator) |
− | * ''The New Neighbors'' (2009) (narrator | + | * ''The New Neighbors'' (2009) (narrator |
===Television=== | ===Television=== | ||
{{div col|cols=2}} | {{div col|cols=2}} | ||
− | * ''The Bitter Cup'' (1961) | + | * ''The Bitter Cup'' (1961) |
− | * ''Seven Times Monday'' (1962) | + | * ''Seven Times Monday'' (1962) |
− | * ''[[The Fugitive (TV series)|The Fugitive]]'' (1963) | + | * ''[[The Fugitive (TV series)|The Fugitive]]'' (1963) |
− | * ''Of Courtship and Marriage'' (1964) | + | * ''Of Courtship and Marriage'' (1964) |
− | * ''[[Guiding Light]]'' (cast member in 1967) | + | * ''[[Guiding Light]]'' (cast member in 1967) |
* ''[[Peyton Place (TV series)|Peyton Place]]'' (cast member from 1968–1969) | * ''[[Peyton Place (TV series)|Peyton Place]]'' (cast member from 1968–1969) | ||
− | * ''Deadlock'' (1969) | + | * ''Deadlock'' (1969) |
− | * ''The Sheriff'' (1971) | + | * ''The Sheriff'' (1971) |
− | * ''[[Roy Campanella|It's Good to Be Alive]]'' (1974) | + | * ''[[Roy Campanella|It's Good to Be Alive]]'' (1974) |
* ''[[Police Woman (TV series)|Police Woman]]'' Season 1 / Episode 14 "Target Black" (1975) | * ''[[Police Woman (TV series)|Police Woman]]'' Season 1 / Episode 14 "Target Black" (1975) | ||
− | * ''[[Roots: The Next Generations]]'' (1979) (miniseries) | + | * ''[[Roots: The Next Generations]]'' (1979) (miniseries) |
− | * ''[[I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings]]'' (1979) | + | * ''[[I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings]]'' (1979) |
− | * ''All God's Children'' (1980) | + | * ''All God's Children'' (1980) |
− | * ''With Ossie and Ruby!'' (1980–1982) | + | * ''With Ossie and Ruby!'' (1980–1982) |
* ''[[Long Day's Journey into Night]]'' (1982) | * ''[[Long Day's Journey into Night]]'' (1982) | ||
* ''[[Go Tell It on the Mountain (novel)|Go Tell It on the Mountain]]'' (1985) | * ''[[Go Tell It on the Mountain (novel)|Go Tell It on the Mountain]]'' (1985) | ||
* ''[[The Atlanta Child Murders (TV miniseries)|The Atlanta Child Murders]]'' (1985) (miniseries) | * ''[[The Atlanta Child Murders (TV miniseries)|The Atlanta Child Murders]]'' (1985) (miniseries) | ||
− | * ''[[Windmills of the Gods]]'' (1988) | + | * ''[[Windmills of the Gods]]'' (1988) |
− | * ''[[Gore Vidal's Lincoln]]'' (1988) | + | * ''[[Gore Vidal's Lincoln]]'' (1988) |
− | * ''The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson'' (1990) | + | * ''[[The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson]]'' (1990) |
− | * ''[[Decoration Day (film)|Decoration Day]]'' (1990) | + | * ''[[Decoration Day (film)|Decoration Day]]'' (1990) |
− | * ''[[Golden Girls]]'' (1990) | + | * ''[[Golden Girls]]'' (1990) |
− | * ''Jazztime Tale'' (1991) (voice) | + | * ''Jazztime Tale'' (1991) (voice) |
* ''[[Middle Ages (TV series)|Middle Ages]]'' (1992–1993) | * ''[[Middle Ages (TV series)|Middle Ages]]'' (1992–1993) | ||
* ''[[The Ernest Green Story]]'' (1993) | * ''[[The Ernest Green Story]]'' (1993) | ||
* ''[[The Stand (TV miniseries)|The Stand]]'' (1994) (miniseries) | * ''[[The Stand (TV miniseries)|The Stand]]'' (1994) (miniseries) | ||
− | * ''Whitewash'' (1994) (voice) | + | * ''Whitewash'' (1994) (voice) |
− | * ''[[Loving v. Virginia|Mr. and Mrs. Loving]]'' (1996) | + | * ''[[Loving v. Virginia|Mr. and Mrs. Loving]]'' (1996) |
* ''[[James Mink|Captive Heart: The James Mink Story]]'' (1996) | * ''[[James Mink|Captive Heart: The James Mink Story]]'' (1996) | ||
− | * ''The Wall'' (1998) | + | * ''The Wall'' (1998) |
* ''[[Little Bill (TV series)|Little Bill]]'' (1999 – on hiatus) (voice) | * ''[[Little Bill (TV series)|Little Bill]]'' (1999 – on hiatus) (voice) | ||
* ''[[Passing Glory]]'' (1999) | * ''[[Passing Glory]]'' (1999) | ||
* ''[[Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years (film)|Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years]]'' (1999) | * ''[[Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years (film)|Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years]]'' (1999) | ||
− | * ''A Storm in Summer'' (2000) | + | * ''A Storm in Summer'' (2000) |
− | * ''Finding Buck McHenry'' (2000) | + | * ''Finding Buck McHenry'' (2000) |
* ''[[The Feast of All Saints (novel)|The Feast of All Saints]]'' (2001) (miniseries) | * ''[[The Feast of All Saints (novel)|The Feast of All Saints]]'' (2001) (miniseries) | ||
− | * ''Taking Back Our Town'' (2001) | + | * ''Taking Back Our Town'' (2001) |
* ''[[Their Eyes Were Watching God (film)|Their Eyes Were Watching God]]'' (2005) | * ''[[Their Eyes Were Watching God (film)|Their Eyes Were Watching God]]'' (2005) | ||
* ''[[Mary Ellen Pleasant|Meet Mary Pleasant]]'' (2008) | * ''[[Mary Ellen Pleasant|Meet Mary Pleasant]]'' (2008) | ||
Line 199: | Line 208: | ||
===Stage=== | ===Stage=== | ||
{{div col}} | {{div col}} | ||
− | * ''On Strivers Row'' (1940) | + | * ''On Strivers Row'' (1940) |
− | * ''Natural Man'' (1941) | + | * ''Natural Man'' (1941) |
− | * ''Starlight'' (1942) | + | * ''Starlight'' (1942) |
− | * ''Three's a Family'' (1943) | + | * ''Three's a Family'' (1943) |
− | * ''South Pacific'' (1943) | + | * ''South Pacific'' (1943) |
− | * ''Walk Hard'' (1944) | + | * ''Walk Hard'' (1944) |
− | * ''Jeb'' (1946) | + | * ''Jeb'' (1946) |
− | * ''Anna Lucasta'' (1946) (replacement for [[Hilda Simms]]) | + | * ''Anna Lucasta'' (1946) (replacement for [[Hilda Simms]]) |
− | * ''[[Arsenic and Old Lace (play)|Arsenic and Old Lace]]'' (1946) | + | * ''[[Arsenic and Old Lace (play)|Arsenic and Old Lace]]'' (1946) |
* ''[[John Loves Mary]]'' (1946) | * ''[[John Loves Mary]]'' (1946) | ||
− | * ''A Long Way From Home'' (1948) | + | * ''A Long Way From Home'' (1948) |
− | * ''The Smile of the World'' (1949) | + | * ''The Smile of the World'' (1949) |
− | * ''The World of [[Sholom Aleichem]]'' (1953) | + | * ''The World of [[Sholom Aleichem]]'' (1953) |
* ''[[A Raisin in the Sun]]'' (1959) | * ''[[A Raisin in the Sun]]'' (1959) | ||
− | * ''Purlie Victorious'' (1961) | + | * ''Purlie Victorious'' (1961) |
− | * ''[[King Lear]]'' (1965) | + | * ''[[King Lear]]'' (1965) |
− | * ''[[The Taming of the Shrew]]'' (1965) | + | * ''[[The Taming of the Shrew]]'' (1965) |
− | * ''[[The Birds (play)|The Birds]]'' (1966) | + | * ''[[The Birds (play)|The Birds]]'' (1966) |
− | * ''[[Oresteia]]'' (1966) | + | * ''[[Oresteia]]'' (1966) |
− | * ''[[Boesman and Lena]]'' (1970) | + | * ''[[Boesman and Lena]]'' (1970) |
− | * ''[[The Imaginary Invalid]]'' (1971) | + | * ''[[The Imaginary Invalid]]'' (1971) |
− | * ''The Wedding Band'' (1972) | + | * ''The Wedding Band'' (1972) |
− | * ''[[Hamlet]]'' (1975) | + | * ''[[Hamlet]]'' (1975) |
* ''[[Bus Stop (play)|Bus Stop]]'' (1979) | * ''[[Bus Stop (play)|Bus Stop]]'' (1979) | ||
− | * ''Twin-Bit Gardens'' (1979) | + | * ''Twin-Bit Gardens'' (1979) |
− | * ''Zora is My Name!'' (1983) | + | * ''Zora is My Name!'' (1983) |
− | * ''Checkmates'' (1988) | + | * ''Checkmates'' (1988) |
− | * ''[[The Glass Menagerie]]'' (1989) | + | * ''[[The Glass Menagerie]]'' (1989) |
− | * ''The Disappearance'' (1993) | + | * ''The Disappearance'' (1993) |
− | * ''Flying West'' (1994) | + | * ''Flying West'' (1994) |
− | * ''Two Hahs-Hahs and a Homeboy'' (1995) | + | * ''Two Hahs-Hahs and a Homeboy'' (1995) |
− | * ''My One Good Nerve: A Visit with Ruby Dee'' (1996) | + | * ''My One Good Nerve: A Visit with Ruby Dee'' (1996) |
− | * ''A Last Dance for Sybil'' (2002) | + | * ''A Last Dance for Sybil'' (2002) |
− | * ''Saint Lucy's Eyes'' (2003) | + | * ''Saint Lucy's Eyes'' (2003) |
{{div col end}} | {{div col end}} | ||
===Discography=== | ===Discography=== | ||
− | * ''The Original Read-In for Peace in Vietnam'' ( | + | * ''The Original Read-In for Peace in Vietnam'' (Folkways Records, 1967) |
− | * ''The Poetry of Langston Hughes'' (with [[Ossie Davis]]. | + | * ''The Poetry of Langston Hughes'' (with [[Ossie Davis]]. Caedmon Records, no date, TC 1272) |
− | * ''What if I am a Woman?, Vol. 1: Black Women's Speeches'' (Folkways, 1977) | + | * ''What if I am a Woman?, Vol. 1: Black Women's Speeches'' (Folkways, 1977) |
− | * ''What if I am a Woman?, Vol. 2: Black Women's Speeches'' (Folkways, 1977) | + | * ''What if I am a Woman?, Vol. 2: Black Women's Speeches'' (Folkways, 1977) |
− | * ''Every Tone a Testimony'' ( | + | * ''Every Tone a Testimony'' (Smithsonian Folkways, 2001) |
− | |||
==Notes== | ==Notes== | ||
Line 249: | Line 257: | ||
* Appiah, Kwame Anthony, and Henry Louis Gates Jr. ''Arts and Letters: An A-to-Z Reference of Writers, Musicians, and Artists of the African American Experience''. Running Press, 2005. ISBN 978-0762420421 | * Appiah, Kwame Anthony, and Henry Louis Gates Jr. ''Arts and Letters: An A-to-Z Reference of Writers, Musicians, and Artists of the African American Experience''. Running Press, 2005. ISBN 978-0762420421 | ||
* Davis, Ossie. ''Life Lit by Some Large Vision: Selected Speeches and Writings''. Washington Square Press, 2010. ISBN 978-0743289894 | * Davis, Ossie. ''Life Lit by Some Large Vision: Selected Speeches and Writings''. Washington Square Press, 2010. ISBN 978-0743289894 | ||
− | * Davis, Ossie, and Ruby Dee. ''Why Mosquitos Buzz in People's Ears''. Caedmon Audio Cassette, 1984. ISBN | + | * Davis, Ossie, and Ruby Dee. ''Why Mosquitos Buzz in People's Ears''. Caedmon Audio Cassette, 1984. ISBN 0694511870 |
* Davis, Ossie, and Ruby Dee. ''With Ossie and Ruby: In This Life Together''. William Morrow, 1998. ISBN 978-0688153960 | * Davis, Ossie, and Ruby Dee. ''With Ossie and Ruby: In This Life Together''. William Morrow, 1998. ISBN 978-0688153960 | ||
* Dee, Ruby. ''My One Good Nerve: Rhythms, Rhymes, Reasons''. Third World Press, 1987. ISBN 978-0883781142 | * Dee, Ruby. ''My One Good Nerve: Rhythms, Rhymes, Reasons''. Third World Press, 1987. ISBN 978-0883781142 | ||
− | * Epps, Henry. ''Great African-American | + | * Epps, Henry. ''Great Achievements by African-American women vol I''. Lulu, 2012. ISBN 978-1300138495 |
* Lyman, Darryl. ''Great African-American Women''. Jonathan David Publishers, 2005. ISBN 978-0824604592 | * Lyman, Darryl. ''Great African-American Women''. Jonathan David Publishers, 2005. ISBN 978-0824604592 | ||
* Stovall, TaRessa, and Calvin Stovall. ''A Love Supreme: Real Life Stories of Black (African-American) Love''. Grand Central Publishing, 2000. ISBN 978-0446521710 | * Stovall, TaRessa, and Calvin Stovall. ''A Love Supreme: Real Life Stories of Black (African-American) Love''. Grand Central Publishing, 2000. ISBN 978-0446521710 | ||
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
− | All links retrieved | + | All links retrieved December 21, 2022. |
− | * [ | + | * [https://ossieandruby.com/ruby-dee-biography/ Ruby Dee Biography] ''Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee'' |
− | |||
* {{IBDB name|37722}} | * {{IBDB name|37722}} | ||
* {{IMDb name|0002039}} | * {{IMDb name|0002039}} | ||
− | * [ | + | * [https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/ruby-dee Ruy Dee Interview] ''Television Academy Foundation'' |
− | + | * [http://www.filmreference.com/film/85/Ruby-Dee.html Ruby Dee Biography] ''Film Reference'' | |
− | + | ||
− | + | [[Category:Biography]] | |
− | + | [[Category:Art, music, literature, sports and leisure]] | |
− | * [http://www.filmreference.com/film/85/Ruby-Dee.html Ruby Dee Biography] | + | [[Category:Performing arts]] |
+ | [[Category:Actors and playwrights]] | ||
+ | |||
{{Credits|Ruby_Dee|613888755}} | {{Credits|Ruby_Dee|613888755}} |
Latest revision as of 21:03, 21 December 2022
Ruby Dee | |
Ruby Dee in 1972
| |
Born | Ruby Ann Wallace October 27 1922 Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
---|---|
Died | June 11 2014 (aged 91) New Rochelle, New York, U.S. |
Cause of death | Natural causes |
Resting place | Cremation |
Occupation | Actress, poet, playwright, screenwriter, journalist, activist |
Spouse(s) | Frankie Dee Brown (approx 1941–1945; divorced) Ossie Davis (1948–2005; his death) |
Ruby Dee (née Wallace; October 27, 1922 – June 11, 2014) was an American actress, poet, playwright, screenwriter, journalist and activist. She was married to actor Ossie Davis until his death in 2005.
Dee began her acting career on the Broadway stage before appearing in films and television. Roles for which she is best known include A Raisin in the Sun (1961), Do the Right Thing (1989), and American Gangster (2007) for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She was the recipient of Grammy, Emmy, Obie, Drama Desk, Screen Actors Guild Award, and Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Awards as well as the National Medal of Arts and the Kennedy Center Honors.
Dee and her husband, Ossie Davis, stood in the forefront of changing the experience of black actors in the entertainment industry playing leading roles rather than being relegated to those of maids and butlers. They were also activists for civil rights, personal friends of both Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. Despite experimenting with an open marriage for a time, they showed deep love and commitment to each other and were an outstanding example of a successful black couple in America.
Life
Born Ruby Ann Wallace in Cleveland, Ohio on October 27, 1922, she was the third child born to Gladys Hightower and Marshall Edward Nathaniel Wallace. Her parents were two teenagers who married when Gladys became pregnant with the first child. In three years Gladys left Ruby's father with three children. He remarried, to Emma Amelia Benson, a schoolteacher who had studied at Atlanta University under W.E.B. Du Bois.[1]
The family moved to New York City, and the children were raised in Harlem.[2] She attended Hunter College High School and went on to graduate from Hunter College with a degree in romance languages in 1945.[3]
Ruby married blues singer Frankie Dee Brown in 1941, and began using his middle name as her stage name.[4] The couple divorced in 1945.[3]
Three years later she married actor Ossie Davis, who she met while costarring in the 1946 Broadway play Jeb.[5] Together, Dee and Davis wrote an autobiography in which they discussed their political activism and their decision to have an open marriage (later changing their minds).[6] Together they had three children: son, blues musician Guy Davis, and two daughters, Nora Day and Hasna Muhammad.
She was a breast cancer survivor of more than three decades.[7]
Dee died on June 11, 2014, at her home in New Rochelle, New York, from natural causes at the age of 91.[8] Her wish was to be cremated, and her ashes held in the same urn as that of Davis, with the inscription "In this thing together."[3] A public memorial service was held Saturday, September 20, 2014 at the Riverside Church in New York City.[9]
Acting Career
Dee joined the American Negro Theater as an apprentice, working with Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte, and Hilda Simms.[3] She made several appearances on Broadway. Her first onscreen role was in That Man of Mine in 1946. She received national recognition for her role in the 1950 film The Jackie Robinson Story.[2] In 1965, Dee performed in lead roles at the American Shakespeare Festival as Katherina in The Taming of the Shrew and Cordelia in King Lear, becoming the first black actress to portray a lead role in the festival. Her career in acting crossed all major forms of media over a span of eight decades, including the films A Raisin in the Sun, in which she recreated her stage role as a suffering housewife in the projects, and Edge of the City. She played both roles opposite Poitier.[3]
During the 1960s, Dee appeared in such politically charged films as Gone Are the Days and The Incident, which is recognized as helping pave the way for young African-American actors and filmmakers. In 1969, Dee appeared in 20 episodes of Peyton Place.[2] She appeared in the role of Cora Sanders, a Marxist college professor loosely influenced by the real-life Angela Y. Davis, in the Season 1/Episode 14 of Police Woman in 1975. The. She appeared in one episode of The Golden Girls' sixth season. She played Queen Haley in Roots: The Next Generations, a 1979 miniseries.[2]
Dee was nominated for eight Emmy Awards, winning once for her role in the 1990 TV film Decoration Day.[10] She was nominated for her television guest appearance in the China Beach episode, "Skylark." Her husband Ossie Davis (1917–2005) also appeared in the episode. She appeared in Spike Lee's 1989 film Do the Right Thing, and his 1991 film Jungle Fever.[2]
In 1995, Dee and Davis were awarded the National Medal of Arts.[11] They were also recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors in 2004. In 2003, she and Davis narrated a series of Works Progress Administration (WPA) slave narratives in the HBO film Unchained Memories.[12] In 2007 the winner of the Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album was shared by Dee and Davis, for With Ossie And Ruby: In This Life Together, and former President Jimmy Carter.[3][13]
Dee was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2007 for her portrayal of Mama Lucas in American Gangster. She won the Screen Actors Guild award for the same performance. At 83 years of age, Dee was the second oldest nominee for Best Supporting Actress, behind Gloria Stuart who was 87 when nominated for her role in Titanic. This was Dee's only Oscar nomination.[14]
On February 12, 2009, Dee joined the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College orchestra and chorus, along with the Riverside Inspirational Choir and NYC Labor Choir, in honoring Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday at the Riverside Church in New York City. Under the direction of Maurice Peress, they performed Earl Robinson's The Lonesome Train: A Music Legend for Actors, Folk Singers, Choirs, and Orchestra, in which Dee was the Narrator.[15]
Activism
Dee and Davis were well-known civil rights activists. Dee was a member of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), the NAACP, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Delta Sigma Theta sorority and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Dee and Davis were both personal friends of both Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X, with Davis giving the eulogy at Malcolm X's funeral in 1965.[16] In 1970, she won the Frederick Douglass Award from the New York Urban League.[2]
In 1999, Dee and Davis were arrested at 1 Police Plaza, the headquarters of the New York Police Department, protesting the police shooting of Amadou Diallo.[17]
In early 2003, The Nation published "Not In My Name," an open proclamation vowing opposition to the impending US invasion of Iraq. Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis were among the signatories, along with Robert Altman, Noam Chomsky, Susan Sarandon, and Howard Zinn, among others.
In November 2005 Dee was awarded—along with her late husband—the Lifetime Achievement Freedom Award, presented by the National Civil Rights Museum located in Memphis. In 2009 she received an Honorary Degree from Princeton University.[13]
Legacy
Ruby Dee and her husband Ossie Davis were known as the "'First Couple' of black America" and together they changed the way the entertainment industry viewed black actors forever.[18] When she began her career, black stage actresses were cast as maids but Ruby took on Shakespearean roles, such as Katherina in The Taming of the Shrew (American Shakespeare Festival, 1965), Cordelia in King Lear (American Shakespeare Festival, 1965), and Gertrude in Hamlet (New York Shakespeare Festival, 1975).[19]
In a statement on hearing of her death, Gil Robertson IV of the African American Film Critics Association said, "the members of the African American Film Critics Association are deeply saddened at the loss of actress and humanitarian Ruby Dee. Throughout her seven-decade career, Ms Dee embraced different creative platforms with her various interpretations of black womanhood and also used her gifts to champion for Human Rights. Her strength, courage and beauty will be greatly missed."[2]
Following her death the marquee on the Apollo theater read “A TRUE APOLLO LEGEND RUBY DEE 1922-2014.”[8]
Awards and nominations
Awards
- 1961: National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress – A Raisin in the Sun[20]
- 1971: Drama Desk Award Outstanding Performance – Boesman and Lena
- 1971: Obie Award for Best Performance by an Actress – Boesman and Lena[5]
- 1973: Drama Desk Award Outstanding Performance – Wedding Band[5]
- 1988: Induction into the American Theater Hall of Fame[21]
- 1991: Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie – Decoration Day[3]
- 1991: Women in Film Crystal Award[22]
- 1995: National Medal of Arts
- 2000: Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award[23]
- 2007: Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album – With Ossie And Ruby: In This Life Together[3]
- 2008: African–American Film Critics Best Supporting Actress – American Gangster[24]
- 2008: Screen Actors Guild Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role – American Gangster[25]
- 2008: The Eleanor Roosevelt Val-Kill Medal Award[26]
- 2008: She was awarded the Spingarn Medal from the NAACP.[27]
Nominations
- 1964: Emmy Award for Outstanding Single Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role – The Doctors and the Nurses: Express Stop from Lenox Avenue
- 1979: Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or a Special – Roots: The Next Generations
- 1988: Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Special – Lincoln
- 1990: Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series – China Beach: Skylark
- 1993: Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series – Evening Shade: They Can't Take That Away from Me
- 1995: Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program – Whitewash
- 2001: Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program – Little Bill[28]
- 2002: Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Actress – Saint Lucy's Eyes
- 2003: Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program – Little Bill[29]
- 2008: Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role – American Gangster
- 2008: Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture – American Gangster[25]
- 2008: Screen Actors Guild Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture – American Gangster[3]
- 2009: Screen Actors Guild Outstanding Performance by a Female Actress in a Television Movie or Miniseries – America[30]
- 2010: Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Event – America[31]
Major Works
Filmography
Features:
- That Man of Mine (1946)
- The Fight Never Ends (1947)
- What a Guy (1948)
- The Jackie Robinson Story (1950)
- No Way Out (1950)
- The Tall Target (1951)
- Go, Man, Go! (1954)
- Edge of the City (1957)
- Virgin Island (1958)
- St. Louis Blues (1958)
- Take a Giant Step (1959)
- A Raisin in the Sun (1961)
- The Balcony (1963)
- Gone Are the Days! (1963)
- The Incident (1967)
- Up Tight! (1968)
- King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis (1970) (documentary)
- Buck and the Preacher (1972)
- Black Girl (1972)
- Wattstax (1973)
- Countdown at Kusini (1976)
- Cat People (1982)
- Do the Right Thing (1989)
- Love at Large (1990)
- Jungle Fever (1991)
- Color Adjustment (1992) (documentary) (narrator)
- Cop and a Half (1993)
- The Stand (1994)
- A Simple Wish (1997)
- Just Cause (1995)
- Mr. & Mrs. Loving (1996)
- A Time to Dance: The Life and Work of Norma Canner (1998) (documentary) (narrator)
- Baby Geniuses (1999)
- Beah: A Black Woman Speaks (2003) (documentary)
- No. 2 (2006)
- The Way Back Home (2006)
- All About Us (2007)
- American Gangster (2007)
- Steam (2007)
- The Perfect Age of Rock 'n' Roll (2009)
- Dream Street (2010)
- Video Girl (2011)
- Politics of Love (2011)
- Red & Blue Marbles (2011)
- Long Distance Revolutionary: A Journey With Mumia Abu-Jamal (2012)
- A Thousand Words (2012)
- Betty and Coretta (2013)
Short subjects:
- Lorraine Hansberry: The Black Experience in the Creation of Drama (1975)
- The Torture of Mothers (1980)
- Tuesday Morning Ride (1995)
- The Unfinished Journey (1999) (narrator)
- The New Neighbors (2009) (narrator
Television
- The Bitter Cup (1961)
- Seven Times Monday (1962)
- The Fugitive (1963)
- Of Courtship and Marriage (1964)
- Guiding Light (cast member in 1967)
- Peyton Place (cast member from 1968–1969)
- Deadlock (1969)
- The Sheriff (1971)
- It's Good to Be Alive (1974)
- Police Woman Season 1 / Episode 14 "Target Black" (1975)
- Roots: The Next Generations (1979) (miniseries)
- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1979)
- All God's Children (1980)
- With Ossie and Ruby! (1980–1982)
- Long Day's Journey into Night (1982)
- Go Tell It on the Mountain (1985)
- The Atlanta Child Murders (1985) (miniseries)
- Windmills of the Gods (1988)
- Gore Vidal's Lincoln (1988)
- The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson (1990)
- Decoration Day (1990)
- Golden Girls (1990)
- Jazztime Tale (1991) (voice)
- Middle Ages (1992–1993)
- The Ernest Green Story (1993)
- The Stand (1994) (miniseries)
- Whitewash (1994) (voice)
- Mr. and Mrs. Loving (1996)
- Captive Heart: The James Mink Story (1996)
- The Wall (1998)
- Little Bill (1999 – on hiatus) (voice)
- Passing Glory (1999)
- Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years (1999)
- A Storm in Summer (2000)
- Finding Buck McHenry (2000)
- The Feast of All Saints (2001) (miniseries)
- Taking Back Our Town (2001)
- Their Eyes Were Watching God (2005)
- Meet Mary Pleasant (2008)
- America (2009)
Stage
- On Strivers Row (1940)
- Natural Man (1941)
- Starlight (1942)
- Three's a Family (1943)
- South Pacific (1943)
- Walk Hard (1944)
- Jeb (1946)
- Anna Lucasta (1946) (replacement for Hilda Simms)
- Arsenic and Old Lace (1946)
- John Loves Mary (1946)
- A Long Way From Home (1948)
- The Smile of the World (1949)
- The World of Sholom Aleichem (1953)
- A Raisin in the Sun (1959)
- Purlie Victorious (1961)
- King Lear (1965)
- The Taming of the Shrew (1965)
- The Birds (1966)
- Oresteia (1966)
- Boesman and Lena (1970)
- The Imaginary Invalid (1971)
- The Wedding Band (1972)
- Hamlet (1975)
- Bus Stop (1979)
- Twin-Bit Gardens (1979)
- Zora is My Name! (1983)
- Checkmates (1988)
- The Glass Menagerie (1989)
- The Disappearance (1993)
- Flying West (1994)
- Two Hahs-Hahs and a Homeboy (1995)
- My One Good Nerve: A Visit with Ruby Dee (1996)
- A Last Dance for Sybil (2002)
- Saint Lucy's Eyes (2003)
Discography
- The Original Read-In for Peace in Vietnam (Folkways Records, 1967)
- The Poetry of Langston Hughes (with Ossie Davis. Caedmon Records, no date, TC 1272)
- What if I am a Woman?, Vol. 1: Black Women's Speeches (Folkways, 1977)
- What if I am a Woman?, Vol. 2: Black Women's Speeches (Folkways, 1977)
- Every Tone a Testimony (Smithsonian Folkways, 2001)
Notes
- ↑ Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, With Ossie and Ruby: In This Life Together (William Morrow, 1998, ISBN 978-0688153960).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Alan Duke and Todd Leopold, Ruby Dee was a formidable force on screen, in civil rights movement CNN, June 12, 2014. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 Sarah Halzack, Ruby Dee, actress and civil rights activist, dies at 91 The Washington Post, October 27, 1922. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
- ↑ Ronald Bergan, "Ruby Dee obituary", The Guardian, June 13, 2014. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Felicia R. Lee, At home with: Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee; Art and Politics: Keeping It All Fresh New York Times, April 20, 1995. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
- ↑ About Ruby and Ossie’s Unique Marriage… Ebony, June 13, 2014. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
- ↑ Lesley Messer and Mark Crudele, Oscar Nominee Ruby Dee Dead at 91 ABC News, June 12, 2014. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Denis Slattery, Joe Dziemianowicz, and Larry Mcshane, Ruby Dee dead at 91 New York Daily News, June 12, 2014. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
- ↑ Memorial Honoring Ruby Dee Held At Riverside Church CBS, September 20, 2014. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
- ↑ Ruby Dee Awards IMDb. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
- ↑ Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee National Endowment for the Arts. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
- ↑ Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives IMDb. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Andrea Mandell, 6 great moments from Ruby Dee’s legendary career USA Today, June 12, 2014. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
- ↑ Caryn Robbins, Broadway & Hollywood Legend Ruby Dee Dies at 91 Broadway World, June 12, 2014. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
- ↑ Henry Epps, Great Achievements by African-American women vol I (Lulu, 2012, ISBN 978-1300138495).
- ↑ Ossie Davis, Eulogy for Malcolm X, February 27, 1965 American RadioWorks. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
- ↑ Veteran actors Ruby Dee, Ossie Davis arrested at protest CNN, March 24, 1999. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
- ↑ Douglas Feiden, Ruby Dee marks 90th birthday with new documentary about her illustrious life with late husband Ossie Davis, New York Daily News, November 13, 2012. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
- ↑ Ruby Dee Stage Credits Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
- ↑ R.I.P. Ruby Dee Deadline, June 12, 2014. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
- ↑ Theater Hall of Fame Adds Nine New Names New York Times, November 22, 1988. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
- ↑ Crystal Award Retrospective Women In Film. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
- ↑ 37th Life Achievement Recipient, 2000 Screen Actors Guild Awards. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
- ↑ Taylor Gordon, Iconic Actress and Activist Ruby Dee Dead at 91 Atlanta Black Star, June 12, 2014. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 Roberta Hershenson, For Ruby Dee at 83, Acclaim and Performances The New York Times, February 3, 2008. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
- ↑ The Associated Press, Daughter: Ruby Dee, Val-Kill medal winner, dead at 91 Poughkeepsie Journal, June 12, 2014. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
- ↑ Spingarn Medal Recipients IMDb. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
- ↑ Rick DeMott, Clifford Leads All Toon Nods At Daytime Emmy Animation World Network, March 16, 2001. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
- ↑ 10 nominations for Nick in the daytime Emmy Indian television, March 22, 2003. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
- ↑ Ruby Dee Television Credits Ossie Davis & Ruby Dee. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
- ↑ Image Awards (NAACP) 2010 IMDb. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- Appiah, Kwame Anthony, and Henry Louis Gates Jr. Arts and Letters: An A-to-Z Reference of Writers, Musicians, and Artists of the African American Experience. Running Press, 2005. ISBN 978-0762420421
- Davis, Ossie. Life Lit by Some Large Vision: Selected Speeches and Writings. Washington Square Press, 2010. ISBN 978-0743289894
- Davis, Ossie, and Ruby Dee. Why Mosquitos Buzz in People's Ears. Caedmon Audio Cassette, 1984. ISBN 0694511870
- Davis, Ossie, and Ruby Dee. With Ossie and Ruby: In This Life Together. William Morrow, 1998. ISBN 978-0688153960
- Dee, Ruby. My One Good Nerve: Rhythms, Rhymes, Reasons. Third World Press, 1987. ISBN 978-0883781142
- Epps, Henry. Great Achievements by African-American women vol I. Lulu, 2012. ISBN 978-1300138495
- Lyman, Darryl. Great African-American Women. Jonathan David Publishers, 2005. ISBN 978-0824604592
- Stovall, TaRessa, and Calvin Stovall. A Love Supreme: Real Life Stories of Black (African-American) Love. Grand Central Publishing, 2000. ISBN 978-0446521710
External links
All links retrieved December 21, 2022.
- Ruby Dee Biography Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee
- Ruby Dee at the Internet Broadway Database
- Ruby Dee at the Internet Movie Database
- Ruy Dee Interview Television Academy Foundation
- Ruby Dee Biography Film Reference
Credits
New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here:
The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia:
Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed.