
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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Biography from TMDB.
- December 1, 1951 (74)
- Queens, New York City, New York, USA
- Actor, also writer and producer
- 97 on MovieCove · 121 credits in all
What are Obba Babatundé's films like?
Across their 44 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Self.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 2 · Wry 1 · Earnest 36
A split, not a type: Light 16 · Serious 9 · Dark 15
Grounded 29 · Stylized 9 · Heightened 2
Gentle 9 · Charged 21 · Intense 10
Steady 16 · Shifting 23 · Whiplash 1
Straight-faced 28 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 7
A split, not a type: Slow burn 21 · Even-paced 19 · Relentless 0
Casual 21 · Engaged 16 · Full focus 3
A split, not a type: Easy watch 15 · Affecting 12 · Heavy 13
Resolved 30 · Open-ended 8 · Ambiguous 2
Roles they play
Usually the Mentor: 6 of 18 analyzed roles.
Show the 18 rolesHide the roles
- Tricksteras Blink Willie in Miami Blues (1990)
- Mentoras Prof. Thurman in A Reason to Believe (1995)
- Allyas Willie Johnson in Miss Evers' Boys (1997)
- Allyas Willie Long in Life (1999)
- Shapeshifteras Dean Carl Cain in How High (2001)
- Allyas Charles Henderson in Redeemer (2002)
- Threshold guardianas Detective Combs in April Fools (2007)
- Mentoras Larry Armstrong in The Last Fall (2012)
- Shadowas Iklif in Haitian Nights (2013)
- Shadowas Mesmer in Death's Door (2015)
- Heroas Jonathan Black in If I Tell You I Have to Kill You (2015)
- Shadowas Jonathan Black in If I Tell You I Have to Kill You (2015)
- Mentoras Mr. Duvet in Detroiters (2017)
- Mentoras Mr. Bernard in Kinky (2018)
- Shadowas Mr. Porter in Kiss Me for Christmas (2020)
- Mentoras Pastor Stevens in Noble Intentions (2022)
- Mentoras Reginald in Mississippi Scholar (2024)
- Heraldas Arnold in Love the Skin You're In (2025)
Moods and endings
- Happy12
- Bittersweet18
- Tragic2
- Ambiguous11
- Cyclical1
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Obba Babatundé's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 67 of their 97 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (26).
- The Silence of the Lambs (1991) · actor · free
- The Temptations (1998) · actor · free
- Tales from the Crypt (1989) · actor · free
- Life (1999) · actor · free
- Joy Road (2004) · actor · free
- Sliders (1995) · actor · free
- Miami Blues (1990) · actor · free
- Married to the Mob (1988) · actor · free
- Dawson's Creek (1998) · actor · free
- Why Am I Doing This? (2009) · actor · free
- After the Sunset (2004) · actor · free
- Noble Intentions (2022) · actor, writer · free
- All their movies on Tubi
- The Silence of the Lambs (1991) · actor
- The Temptations (1998) · actor
- Psych (2006) · actor
- Kingdom (2014) · actor
- Baryshnikov on Broadway (1980) · actor
- Goliath (2016) · actor
- The Outer Limits (1995) · actor
- Everwood (2002) · actor
- Grey's Anatomy (2005) · actor · free
- Joy Road (2004) · actor
- S.W.A.T. (2017) · actor
- City of Lies (2018) · actor
- +9 more
- The Silence of the Lambs (1991) · actor · free
- The Temptations (1998) · actor · free
- The Notebook (2004) · actor · free
- Detroiters (2017) · actor · free
- That Thing You Do! (1996) · actor · free
- Everwood (2002) · actor · free
- NCIS (2003) · actor · free
- Dead Again (1991) · actor · free
- Girlfriends (2000) · actor · free
- Half & Half (2002) · actor · free
- Miami Blues (1990) · actor · free
- Matlock (1986) · actor · free
- +4 more
- The Silence of the Lambs (1991) · actor · free
- The Temptations (1998) · actor · free
- The Outer Limits (1995) · actor · free
- Madam Secretary (2014) · actor · free
- Miami Blues (1990) · actor · free
- Private Practice (2007) · actor · free
- After the Sunset (2004) · actor · free
- Pup Star: Better 2Gether (2017) · actor · free
- Til Death Do Us Part (2017) · actor · free
- Hangin' with Mr. Cooper (1992) · actor · free
- Pup Star (2016) · actor · free
- Carpool (1996) · actor · free
- Howdy, show their 4 titles on Howdy
- ALLBLK, show their 3 titles on ALLBLK
- Midnight Pulp, show their 2 titles on Midnight Pulp
- Sony Pictures Core, show their 2 titles on Sony Pictures Core
- aspireTV+, show their title on aspireTV+
- IndieFlix, show their title on IndieFlix
- MovieSphere+, show their title on MovieSphere+
- Screambox, show their title on Screambox
- Shout! TV, show their title on Shout! TV
- ViX, show their title on ViX
Subscription and free streaming for Obba Babatundé's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
121 credits, 97 with a MovieCove page; 3 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

Love the Skin You're In(2025)
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
The Christmas Showdown (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

Run(2025)
Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films
Wrong Place, Wrong Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

Mississippi Scholar(2024)
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Noble Intentions(2022)
Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
All The Men In My Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

The Millennial (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

Kiss Me for Christmas(2020)
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Trigger(2020)
Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films
Little Fires Everywhere(2020)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows
Revival! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

Jingle Belle(2018)
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
Kinky(2018)
Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films
Forever(2018)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all shows
City of Lies(2018)
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
For the People(2018)
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows
S.W.A.T.(2017)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows
Til Death Do Us Part(2017)
Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films
Pup Star: Better 2Gether(2017)
Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films
Dear White People(2017)
Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all shows
The Good Fight(2017)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows
Detroiters(2017)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows
Goliath(2016)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows
The Watcher(2016)
Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films
Pup Star(2016)
Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films
Chicago Med(2015)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films
Death's Door(2015)
Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films
Ballers(2015)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows
American Bad Boy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

Lap Dance(2014)
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
Kingdom(2014)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows
Madam Secretary(2014)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows
Enlisted(2014)
Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all shows
Haitian Nights(2013)
Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films
Angels Around Me(2013)
Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
The Last Fall(2012)
Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
Joy Road(2004)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
The Trap Door (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

Trapped: Haitian Nights (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

All-Star Superman(2011)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
Black Dynamite(2009)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
Why Am I Doing This?(2009)
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
I Do... I Did!(2009)
Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films
The Eye(2008)
Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films
Private Practice(2007)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all shows
April Fools(2007)
Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films
Saving Grace(2007)
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows
Cover(2007)
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
King: Man of Peace in a Time of War (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

Material Girls(2006)
Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films
Psych(2006)
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows
The Celestine Prophecy(2006)
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films
Grey's Anatomy(2005)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films
After the Sunset(2004)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
Boston Legal(2004)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows
The Manchurian Candidate(2004)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
The Notebook(2004)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
NCIS(2003)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows
Oscar's Black Odyssey: From Hattie to Halle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
Everwood(2002)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows
John Q(2002)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
Redeemer(2002)
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films
Half & Half(2002)
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows
How High(2001)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
One Special Moment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

The Visit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

Static Shock(2000)
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all shows
Girlfriends(2000)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows
Max Steel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

The Apartment Complex (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

Family Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
Life(1999)
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
The Temptations(1998)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows
Dawson's Creek(1998)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all shows
Spy Game (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

Miss Evers' Boys(1997)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
The Cherokee Kid(1996)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
That Thing You Do!(1996)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
The Tomorrow Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

Carpool(1996)
Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films
Multiplicity(1996)
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
Soul of the Game(1996)
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
A Reason to Believe(1995)
Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
The Net(1995)
Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films
Born to Be Wild(1995)
Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films
The Outer Limits(1995)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows
Sliders(1995)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows
Fatal Pursuit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

Friends(1994)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows
Touched by an Angel(1994)
Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all shows
Chicago Hope (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

M.A.N.T.I.S.(1994)
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
Philadelphia(1993)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
Undercover Blues(1993)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper(1992)
Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all shows
The Importance of Being Earnest (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)
The Human Factor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

Dead Again(1991)
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
The Silence of the Lambs(1991)
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows
Miami Blues(1990)
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
Tales from the Crypt(1989)
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows
Married to the Mob(1988)
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
God Bless the Child(1988)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
Leonard Part 6(1987)
Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films
A Different World(1987)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all shows
Matlock(1986)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all shows
Treemonisha (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

Baryshnikov on Broadway(1980)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)People Not Places (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Start Without Me (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Career shape
Star power in the 98th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 120 titles, 118 of them dated from 1980 to 2025; peak year 2005.

Biggest box office
Philadelphia (1993)

Highest rated
The Temptations (1998)

Most popular right now
Half & Half (2002)
Film career
Peak 2005 · steadily prominent in film for years. Top draw in 2 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.
- 1988Screen debut· Married to the Mob
- 1999Career best· Life
- 2017Career best· S.W.A.T.
Billing
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.
Awards
Nominated for a Primetime Emmy in 1997, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Special.
Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.
How do Obba Babatundé's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 40th percentile, the median of all 62; across their 40 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 31st percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up34
- 50th to 74th16
- 25th to 49th26
- Below 25th21
Shape of the crowd
38 of their 97 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved13
- Divisive10
- Cult Classic9
- Crowd Pleaser38
- Broadly Agreed4
- Mixed23
Reviewers score the acting 56/100 in their films, across 32 reviewed titles; fans 77, detractors 36. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Obba Babatundé's work okay for kids?
Across up to 9 MovieCove titles with content scores, profanity runs heavier than most films.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does Obba Babatundé work with?
People who share at least 2 of Obba Babatundé's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Chris Stokes shares the most, 3.
Directors
- Chris StokesShared titles: Run (2025), Trigger (2020), Til Death Do Us Part (2017)See all 3 shared titles with Chris Stokes

- Kennedy GoldsbyShared titles: Death's Door (2015), If I Tell You I Have to Kill You (2015)See all 2 shared titles with Kennedy Goldsby
- Martha CoolidgeShared titles: Material Girls (2006), Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999)See all 2 shared titles with Martha Coolidge

Writers
- Marques HoustonShared titles: Run (2025), Trigger (2020), Til Death Do Us Part (2017)See all 3 shared titles with Marques Houston

Actors
- Darrin Dewitt HensonShared titles: Kinky (2018), The Last Fall (2012), April Fools (2007)See all 3 shared titles with Darrin Dewitt Henson

- Annie IlonzehShared titles: Run (2025), Til Death Do Us Part (2017)See all 2 shared titles with Annie Ilonzeh

- Wendy Raquel RobinsonShared titles: Love the Skin You're In (2025), M.A.N.T.I.S. (1994)See all 2 shared titles with Wendy Raquel Robinson

- G. LaneShared titles: Kiss Me for Christmas (2020), April Fools (2007)See all 2 shared titles with G. Lane

Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Immanuel RichShared titles: Run (2025), Trigger (2020), Til Death Do Us Part (2017)See all 3 shared titles with Immanuel Rich

- Tak FujimotoShared titles: That Thing You Do! (1996), Philadelphia (1993), Miami Blues (1990)See all 3 shared titles with Tak Fujimoto

- Harvey WhiteShared titles: Trigger (2020), Til Death Do Us Part (2017)See all 2 shared titles with Harvey White
- Joel LayoganShared titles: Trigger (2020), Til Death Do Us Part (2017)See all 2 shared titles with Joel Layogan
Producers
- Jarell HoustonShared titles: Run (2025), Trigger (2020), Til Death Do Us Part (2017)See all 3 shared titles with Jarell Houston

- Frank PinnockShared titles: Death's Door (2015), If I Tell You I Have to Kill You (2015), Haitian Nights (2013)See all 3 shared titles with Frank Pinnock

- Paul GoldsbyShared titles: Death's Door (2015), If I Tell You I Have to Kill You (2015), Haitian Nights (2013)See all 3 shared titles with Paul Goldsby
- Edward SaxonShared titles: That Thing You Do! (1996), Philadelphia (1993), Miami Blues (1990)See all 3 shared titles with Edward Saxon

Mixed roles
- Juanita StokesShared titles: Run (2025), Trigger (2020)See all 2 shared titles with Juanita Stokes






