Ossie Davis, the actor and civil-rights activist who appeared in films including "Do the Right Thing" and "Jungle Fever," was found dead in his hotel room in Miami Beach, Florida, according to The Associated Press. He was 87.
A highly respected actor, director and producer, Davis was renowned for helping to break down barriers for black men and women in entertainment. Born Raiford Chatman Davis ("Ossie" came from his mother's pronunciation of his initials), he appeared in more than 80 films since 1950, including 1969's "Slaves," 1984's "House of God," 1998's "Doctor Dolittle" and 2004's "She Hate Me," and had just begun work on a film called "Retirement" on Monday, his agent told the AP.
Davis, who spoke at the funerals of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, was also the voice behind the United Negro College Fund's advertising slogan, "A mind is a terrible thing to waste."
The actor and his wife, actress Ruby Dee, received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2004 along with Elton John, Warren Beatty and others. Davis and Dee frequently appeared in films together, and were avid crusaders for civil-rights issues and promoting the rights of black people working in the entertainment industry. In the late 1990s, they co-wrote a biography titled "With Ossie and Ruby: In This Life Together," that focused on their civil-rights activism and their relationship, including their open marriage.
In 1989, Davis and Dee were named to the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame.
The couple also worked together on a radio show called "The Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee Story Hour," which ran on 65 stations during the mid-1960s. They also acted together in the television series "Roots: The Next Generation" in 1979 and "Martin Luther King: The Dream and the Drum" in 1986.
"I'm absolutely shocked," Davis' Hollywood agent Michael Livingston told the AP when he spoke about Davis' passing. "He was the most wonderful man I've ever known. Such a classy, kindly man."
Davis is survived by Dee and their three children.
