Ruby Dee (October 27, 1922–June 11, 2014) was an American actress and social activist known for her groundbreaking work in African American theater and film, and for her civil rights activism. Dee apprenticed with the American Negro Theatre after graduating from Hunter College in 1945 and began performing on Broadway. She met her husband, Ossie Davis, on the set of the play Jeb (1946), and they married in 1948. Over the next 50 years, she frequently appeared with her husband in plays, films, and television shows. Dee and Davis received the National Medal of Arts jointly in 1995 and a Kennedy Center Honor in 2004.

What was Ruby Dee famous for?

Ruby Dee (1922–2014) was an American actress and social activist celebrated for her contributions to African American theater and film, as well as her civil rights advocacy. Dee began her career with the American Negro Theatre and debuted on Broadway after graduating from Hunter College in 1945. She is known for starring in A Raisin in the Sun (1959 play, 1961 film) and Purlie Victorious (1961 play, 1963 film) with her husband, Ossie Davis, with whom she frequently collaborated. In 1965, Dee was the first African American woman to perform major roles at the American Shakespeare Festival. She was also the first Black actress to have a feature role on primetime television, on Peyton Place (1968–69). Dee received an Academy Award nomination for her role in American Gangster (2007).

Which movies or plays did Ruby Dee act in?

Ruby Dee was an American actress and social activist known for her work in African American theater and film, as well as her civil rights activism. She apprenticed with the American Negro Theatre and began appearing on Broadway after graduating from Hunter College in 1945. Dee starred in multiple plays and movies, including A Raisin in the Sun (1959 play, 1961 film), and Purlie Victorious (1961 play, 1963 film). She and her husband, Ossie Davis, appeared in several Spike Lee films, including Do the Right Thing (1989) and Jungle Fever (1991). Dee was also the first African American woman to star in major roles at the American Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Connecticut.

How did Ruby Dee contribute to civil rights and social causes?

Ruby Dee was an American actress and social activist known for her civil rights activism and work in African American theater and film. With her husband, Ossie Davis, she served as master and mistress of ceremonies for the 1963 March on Washington, which they helped organize. Dee and Davis received the National Medal of Arts in 1995 and a Kennedy Center Honor in 2004 for their partnership and activism. In 2005, Dee received a lifetime achievement award from the National Civil Rights Museum.

What awards or honors did Ruby Dee receive in her career?

Ruby Dee, an accomplished American actress and social activist, received several awards and honors throughout her career. In 1991, she won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Special for Decoration Day . Dee also earned a Grammy Award in 2007 for Best Spoken Word Album. Furthermore, she and her husband, Ossie Davis, jointly received the National Medal of Arts in 1995 and a Kennedy Center Honor in 2004. In 2005, Dee was also given a lifetime achievement award from the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee.

How did Ruby Dee's work influence American theater and film?

Ruby Dee was known for her pioneering work in African American theater and film, as well as for her civil rights activism. Her artistic partnership with her husband, Ossie Davis, was considered one of the most distinguished in the theater and film world. Dee's stage appearances included A Raisin in the Sun (1959) and Purlie Victorious (1961), which Davis wrote. Dee and Davis also appeared in several movies by director Spike Lee, including Do the Right Thing (1989) and Jungle Fever (1991). In 1965, Dee became the first African American woman to star in major roles at the American Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Connecticut. She was also the first Black actress to be accorded a feature role (1968–69) on a prime-time TV show, the soap opera Peyton Place .

Ruby Dee

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Ruby Dee, Ossie Davis, Laura Bush, and President George W. Bush stand in the presidential box with hands on their chests during the national anthem at the Kennedy Center.

Quick Facts

Byname of:: Ruby Ann Wallace

Born:: October 27, 1922, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.

Died:: June 11, 2014, New Rochelle, New York (aged 91)

Awards And Honors:: Spingarn Medal (2008); Grammy Award (2006); Kennedy Center Honors (2004); National Medal of Arts (1995); Emmy Award (1991): Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Special; Grammy Award (2007): Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Story Telling)

Notable Family Members:: spouse Ossie Davis

Movies/Tv Shows (Acted In):: "Love at Large" (1990); "China Beach" (1990); "St. Louis Blues" (1958); "Little Bill" (1999–2002); "1982" (2013); "The Jackie Robinson Story" (1950); "Baby of the Family" (2002); "Frontiers of Faith" (1951); "American Gangster" (2007); "Take a Giant Step" (1959); "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (2007); "The Defenders" (1965); "A Thousand Words" (2012); "The Fugitive" (1963); "The Bold Ones: The Protectors" (1969); "Edge of the City" (1957); "Lincoln" (1988); "The Great Adventure" (1963); "The Incident" (1967); "What a Guy" (1948); "Uptight" (1968); "Politics of Love" (2011); "Do the Right Thing" (1989); "East Side/West Side" (1963); "Steam" (2007); "Evening Shade" (1993); "A Simple Wish" (1997); "Jungle Fever" (1991); "Touched by an Angel" (1999); "Countdown at Kusini" (1976); "Play of the Week" (1960–1961); "Virgin Island" (1958); "Cop & ½" (1993); "Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child" (2000); "Buck and the Preacher" (1972); "Peyton Place" (1968–1969); "The Stand" (1994); "The Guiding Light" (1952); "Video Girl" (2011); "The Way Back Home" (2006); "Watch Your Mouth" (1978); "Roots: The Next Generations" (1979); "The Golden Girls" (1990); "Windmills of the Gods" (1988); "The Tall Target" (1951); "The Torture of Mothers" (1980); "American Masters" (1995); "Middle Ages" (1992); "That Man of Mine" (1946); "The Nurses" (1963); "Black Girl" (1972); "Cat People" (1982); "American Playhouse" (1985–1990); "Alcoa Premiere" (1963); "No. 2" (2006); "The Balcony" (1963); "Spenser: For Hire" (1987); "All About Us" (2007); "Go Man Go" (1954); "The CBS Festival of Lively Arts for Young People" (1974); "Street Gear" (1995); "Gone Are the Days!" (1963); "Go Tell It on the Mountain" (1984); "The Atlanta Child Murders" (1985); "Cosby" (1999); "Red & Blue Marbles" (2011); "American Experience" (1990); "A Raisin in the Sun" (1961); "Baby Geniuses" (1999); "Police Woman" (1975); "The Fight Never Ends" (1948); "Tenafly" (1973); "Ossie and Ruby!" (1980); "Just Cause" (1995); "Promised Land" (1998); "Armchair Theatre" (1966); "Dream Street" (2010); "The Perfect Age of Rock 'n' Roll" (2009)

Ruby Dee

American actress

Also known as: Ruby Ann Wallace

Written and fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Oct. 23, 2026 •History

Top Questions

Who was Ruby Dee?
Ruby Dee (October 27, 1922–June 11, 2014) was an American actress and social activist known for her groundbreaking work in African American theater and film, and for her civil rights activism.

Dee apprenticed with the American Negro Theatre after graduating from Hunter College in 1945 and began performing on Broadway. She met her husband, Ossie Davis, on the set of the play Jeb (1946), and they married in 1948. Over the next 50 years, she frequently appeared with her husband in plays, films, and television shows. Dee and Davis received the National Medal of Arts jointly in 1995 and a Kennedy Center Honor in 2004.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What was Ruby Dee famous for?
Ruby Dee (1922–2014) was an American actress and social activist celebrated for her contributions to African American theater and film, as well as her civil rights advocacy.

Dee began her career with the American Negro Theatre and debuted on Broadway after graduating from Hunter College in 1945. She is known for starring in A Raisin in the Sun (1959 play, 1961 film) and Purlie Victorious (1961 play, 1963 film) with her husband, Ossie Davis, with whom she frequently collaborated.

In 1965, Dee was the first African American woman to perform major roles at the American Shakespeare Festival. She was also the first Black actress to have a feature role on primetime television, on Peyton Place (1968–69). Dee received an Academy Award nomination for her role in American Gangster (2007).
2 Britannica Sources
1. Ruby Dee: Facts & Related Content
2. Ruby Dee
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Which movies or plays did Ruby Dee act in?
Ruby Dee was an American actress and social activist known for her work in African American theater and film, as well as her civil rights activism. She apprenticed with the American Negro Theatre and began appearing on Broadway after graduating from Hunter College in 1945.

Dee starred in multiple plays and movies, including A Raisin in the Sun (1959 play, 1961 film), and Purlie Victorious (1961 play, 1963 film). She and her husband, Ossie Davis, appeared in several Spike Lee films, including Do the Right Thing (1989) and Jungle Fever (1991). Dee was also the first African American woman to star in major roles at the American Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Connecticut.
2 Britannica Sources
1. Ruby Dee: Facts & Related Content
2. Ruby Dee
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How did Ruby Dee contribute to civil rights and social causes?
Ruby Dee was an American actress and social activist known for her civil rights activism and work in African American theater and film. With her husband, Ossie Davis, she served as master and mistress of ceremonies for the 1963 March on Washington, which they helped organize. Dee and Davis received the National Medal of Arts in 1995 and a Kennedy Center Honor in 2004 for their partnership and activism. In 2005, Dee received a lifetime achievement award from the National Civil Rights Museum.
2 Britannica Sources
1. Ossie Davis
2. Ruby Dee
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What awards or honors did Ruby Dee receive in her career?
Ruby Dee, an accomplished American actress and social activist, received several awards and honors throughout her career. In 1991, she won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Special for Decoration Day. Dee also earned a Grammy Award in 2007 for Best Spoken Word Album. Furthermore, she and her husband, Ossie Davis, jointly received the National Medal of Arts in 1995 and a Kennedy Center Honor in 2004. In 2005, Dee was also given a lifetime achievement award from the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee.
2 Britannica Sources
1. Ruby Dee: Facts & Related Content
2. Ruby Dee
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How did Ruby Dee's work influence American theater and film?
Ruby Dee was known for her pioneering work in African American theater and film, as well as for her civil rights activism. Her artistic partnership with her husband, Ossie Davis, was considered one of the most distinguished in the theater and film world.

Dee's stage appearances included A Raisin in the Sun (1959) and Purlie Victorious (1961), which Davis wrote. Dee and Davis also appeared in several movies by director Spike Lee, including Do the Right Thing (1989) and Jungle Fever (1991). In 1965, Dee became the first African American woman to star in major roles at the American Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Connecticut. She was also the first Black actress to be accorded a feature role (1968–69) on a prime-time TV show, the soap opera Peyton Place.
2 Britannica Sources
1. Ruby Dee: Facts & Related Content
2. Ruby Dee
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Ruby Dee (born October 27, 1922, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.—died June 11, 2014, New Rochelle, New York) was an American actress and social activist who was known for her pioneering work in African American theater and film and for her outspoken civil rights activism. Dee’s artistic partnership with her husband, Ossie Davis, was considered one of the theater and film world’s most distinguished.

After completing her studies at Hunter College (1945) in Manhattan, Dee served an apprenticeship with the American Negro Theatre and began appearing on Broadway. She met Davis on the set of the play Jeb (1946) and married him in 1948. She often appeared with her husband in plays, films, and television shows over the next 50 years. Among Davis and Dee’s most-notable joint stage appearances were those in A Raisin in the Sun (1959; Dee also starred in the film version in 1961) and in the satiric Purlie Victorious (1961), which Davis wrote; Davis and Dee also appeared in the film version of the latter (Gone Are the Days!, 1963). The couple acted in several movies by director Spike Lee, including Do the Right Thing (1989) and Jungle Fever (1991). Among their television credits are Roots: The Next Generations (1979), Martin Luther King: The Dream and the Drum (1986), and The Stand (1994). The couple’s partnership extended into their activism as well; they served as master and mistress of ceremonies for the 1963 March on Washington, which they had helped organize.

Ruby DeeDee broke color barriers in Shakespearan theater and prime-time television.

Dee also appeared in numerous projects without Davis. In 1965 she became the first African American woman to star in major roles at the American Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Connecticut. She was also the first Black actress accorded a feature role (1968–69) on a prime-time TV show, the soap opera Peyton Place. Her later films included The Way Back Home (2006) and American Gangster (2007). Her performance as the mother of a drug kingpin (played by Denzel Washington) in the latter film earned Dee her first Academy Award nomination. She continued to appear in numerous television productions, including the TV movies The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson (1990); Decoration Day (1990), for which she won an Emmy Award; Mr. and Mrs. Loving (1996); and Their Eyes Were Watching God (2005), an adaptation of Zora Neale Hurston’s novel.

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In addition to her acting, Dee wrote several books. Dee and Davis were jointly awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1995 and a Kennedy Center Honor in 2004. In 2005 Dee received a lifetime achievement award from the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Tracy Grant.

Ruby Dee

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