1951-12-01 ( 73 years old ) in Queens, New York City, New York, USA
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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Movies
Noble Intentions
2023-01-03
The Millennial
2022-01-27
Trigger
2020-10-22
Revival!
2019-04-19
Jingle Belle
2018-11-25
Kinky
2018-10-12
City of Lies
2018-09-06
'Til Death Do Us Part
2017-09-29
Pup Star: Better 2Gether
2017-08-29
The Watcher
2016-10-01
Pup Star
2016-08-30
If I Tell You I Have to Kill You
2015-10-20
Death's Door
2015-09-29
American Bad Boy
2015-06-02
Lap Dance
2014-12-05
Dolls of Voodoo
2013-08-13
Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups
2012-11-20
The Last Fall
2012-03-09
Scooby-Doo! Music of the Vampire
2012-03-07
Joy Road
2011-10-21
The Trap Door
2011-10-11
Trapped: Haitian Nights
2011-02-08
All Star Superman
2011-01-01
Black Dynamite
2009-10-16
I Do... I Did!
2009-01-01
The Eye
2008-02-01
April Fools
2007-09-11
Cover
2007-05-08
King: Man of Peace in a Time of War
2007-01-16
Material Girls
2006-08-18
The Celestine Prophecy
2006-06-01
Kangaroo Jack: G'Day, U.S.A.!
2004-11-16
After the Sunset
2004-11-12
The Manchurian Candidate
2004-07-30
The Notebook
2004-05-25
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
2004-01-01
Dorothy Dandridge: An American Beauty
2003-06-24
John Q
2002-02-15
Redeemer
2002-01-31
How High
2001-12-21
One Special Moment
2001-06-01
The Visit
2001-04-20
The Apartment Complex
1999-10-31
Introducing Dorothy Dandridge
1999-08-21
Life
1999-04-16
Miss Evers' Boys
1997-02-22
The Cherokee Kid
1996-12-14
That Thing You Do!
1996-10-04
The Tomorrow Man
1996-09-01
Carpool
1996-08-23
Multiplicity
1996-07-19
Soul of the Game
1996-04-20
The Net
1995-07-28
Born to Be Wild
1995-03-31
Fatal Pursuit
1995-02-01
M.A.N.T.I.S.
1994-01-24
Philadelphia
1993-12-22
Necronomicon
1993-11-01
Undercover Blues
1993-09-10
The Importance of Being Earnest
1992-05-14
The Silence of the Lambs
1991-02-14
Miami Blues
1990-04-20
Married to the Mob
1988-08-19
God Bless the Child
1988-03-21
Leonard Part 6
1987-12-18
Treemonisha
1982-01-01
Baryshnikov on Broadway
1980-04-24
An Evening with Liza Minnelli
1980-03-09
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