# Ossie Davis is no more **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 4, 2005, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ossie-davis-is-no-more/288383 "2005-02-04T16:31:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ossie-davis-is-no-more/288383/1 "2005-02-04T16:31:32Z")
[Ossie Davis](http://imdb.com/name/nm0001115/) was [found dead](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=493&ncid=762&e=1&u=/ap/20050204/ap_en_mo/obit_ossie_davis) in his hotel room today of apparently natural causes. (He was 87.) I always liked him- he even gave the abysmal and cloying _Evening Shade_ some dignity and he’s one of those actors whose work seemed to get better and more frequent with age. Some trivia about him: probably his most lucrative career highlight was when the musical _Purlie_ (based on his _Purlie Victorious_ [which gave early work to both Sorrell “Boss Hogg” Booke and Alan Alda]) was a hit on Broadway, but he _hated_ that musical with a passion. His agent sold the rights to produce the musical and he received a portion of the royalties, but he felt it castrated his original piece. (Still, I love a couple of the songs- “New Kind of Preacher Man” and “First thing Monday Morning” especially.) He is survived by Ruby Dee (his wife of 56 years) and their children and grandchildren. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ossie-davis-is-no-more/288383/2 "2005-02-04T16:34:51Z")
Ossie Davis was a one of a kind performer, with the kind of performance longeveity others can only dare dream about. He’ll be missed. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ossie-davis-is-no-more/288383/3 "2005-02-04T16:39:02Z")
One of the few black actors to have gotten the chance to [play a U.S. President](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0281686/). ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ossie-davis-is-no-more/288383/4 "2005-02-04T16:39:14Z")
This is sad news. Ossie Davis was one of my favourite actors. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ossie-davis-is-no-more/288383/5 "2005-02-04T16:40:02Z")
Some more trivia about him: he was a father figure to the daughters of Malcolm X after their real father’s murder. (Of course his eulogy for Malcolm is one of the classics of AfricanAmerican speeches.) ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ossie-davis-is-no-more/288383/6 "2005-02-04T16:42:31Z")
You beat me to it, **Sampiro** – I was going to mention his eulogy for Malcolm. A man of tremendous dignity and integrity – he’ll be missed. ---
**Author:** ![rockle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/73ab20/32.png) [@rockle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rockle)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ossie-davis-is-no-more/288383/7 "2005-02-04T16:43:54Z")
Major bummer! He was one of the few truly good guys left. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ossie-davis-is-no-more/288383/8 "2005-02-04T16:46:34Z")
A [link to his eulogy for Malcolm X](http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/45a/071.html) for those who haven’t read it (though it will miss something not being read in that mellow stately voice). ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ossie-davis-is-no-more/288383/9 "2005-02-04T16:59:59Z")
Wow, this is a real downer. ☹ He and Ruby Dee were recently being honored by the Kennedy Center, which was a real treat. (I had to wonder whether W even knew who they were; he seemed bored at the ceremony) My favorite performance of his remains his brilliant Da Mayor in **Do the Right Thing** , but he could always be relied on to really deliver the goods. A terrific performer and a terrific role model (sustaining a relationship for so long, giving back to his community in a variety of ways, etc.) when both seem in short supply among movie stars now. Thoughts and prayers to his family and friends. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ossie-davis-is-no-more/288383/10 "2005-02-04T18:28:32Z")
Spike Lee thought the world of him, and cast him in a bunch of his movies. It was Ossie reading the eulogy he gave for Malcom in Spike’s movie. Ossie Davis once remarked that every time he and Ruby were onstage, or in a movie, or on TV, people were looking at them and making a judgement about black folks, so he always tried to be a good role model. It didn’t matter whether or not they had chosen to be role models, he understood that due to their position in the public eye, they WERE. Lots of people in the public eye today would do well to think about that. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ossie-davis-is-no-more/288383/11 "2005-02-04T18:38:30Z")
A great actor. He will be much missed. Reckon he will get to meet JFK face to face? ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ossie-davis-is-no-more/288383/12 "2005-02-04T20:34:32Z")
First Lloyd Bridges, then Robert Stack, and now Ossie Davis. Soon, Carol Kane will be the only minor character from _Joe Versus the Volcano_ still with us. ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ossie-davis-is-no-more/288383/13 "2005-02-04T20:53:07Z")
I had no idea he was that old! He looked great for 87. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ossie-davis-is-no-more/288383/14 "2005-02-04T21:14:51Z")
Now Malcolm can thank him for the eulogy in person. He was our other black shining prince. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ossie-davis-is-no-more/288383/15 "2005-02-04T21:19:11Z")
Truly one of the giants has left us. I don’t usually feel sad about celebrity deaths, but Mr. Davis was something different. ---
**Author:** ![Rodd\_Hill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3ab097/32.png) [@Rodd\_Hill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodd_Hill)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ossie-davis-is-no-more/288383/16 "2005-02-04T21:41:07Z")
Met him once, briefly, when he was filming a (very bad) movie here. He was gracious and charming, and had a real “presence” about him. Wonderful voice, as well. Sad to see him go. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ossie-davis-is-no-more/288383/17 "2005-02-04T22:51:45Z")
I used to love to listen to Ossie read the “Semple Stories” by Langston Hughes. That voice was so special. I hurt for Ruby. What a team.