Obba Babatundé

Born: 1951-12-01

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


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as Band Leader
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How High

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as Pastor Stevens
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Joy Road

as Dr. Howard Perkins
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Baryshnikov on Broadway

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The Millennial

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Revival!

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as Zodzetrick
Released: 1982-01-01

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April Fools

as Detective Combs
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One Special Moment

as uncredited
Released: 2001-06-01

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Grey's Anatomy

as Dan Gates
First aired: 2005-03-27

Follows the personal and professional lives of a group of doctors at Seattle’s Grey Sloan...

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Friends

as Director
First aired: 1994-09-22

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S.W.A.T.

as Daniel Harrelson, Sr.
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Psych

as David Gaffney
First aired: 2006-07-07

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Chicago Med

as Dr. James Coleman
First aired: 2015-11-17

An emotional thrill ride through the day-to-day chaos of the city's most explosive hospital and...

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Goliath

as Ivan Tillinger
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Private Practice

as Dr. Larry Cannon
First aired: 2007-09-26

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Dawson's Creek

as Principal Howard Green
First aired: 1998-01-20

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The Good Fight

as Danny Quinn
First aired: 2017-02-19

Picking up one year after the events of the final broadcast episode of "The Good Wife", an...

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Everwood

as Jason
First aired: 2002-09-16

After the death of his wife, world-class neurosurgeon Dr. Andrew Brown leaves Manhattan and...

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Chicago Hope

as uncredited
First aired: 1994-09-18

Chicago Hope is an American medical drama television series, created by David E. Kelley. It ran...

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Sliders

as Cezanne Brown
First aired: 1995-03-22

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The Outer Limits

as Dr. Joseph Lennox
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Ballers

as J.D. Pritchard
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Touched by an Angel

as Carter Evans
First aired: 1994-09-21

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The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

as Gordy Berry
First aired: 1990-09-10

Will, a street-smart teenager, moves from the tough streets of West Philly to posh Bel-Air to...

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A Different World

as Frank Benning
First aired: 1987-09-24

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Static Shock

as Watch Store Salesman (voice)
First aired: 2000-09-23

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Static Shock

as Singer (voice)
First aired: 2000-09-23

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Tales from the Crypt

as Lieutenant Jamison
First aired: 1989-06-10

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as Detective Gaines
First aired: 2014-10-08

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as Philip Hamilton
First aired: 1999-09-20

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First aired: 2017-04-28

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Biography of the singers who formed the hit Motown musical act, The Temptations.

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