Obba Babatundé

Obba Babatundé ( born Donald Cohen; December 1, 1951) is an American actor. A native of Queens, New York City, he has appeared in more than seventeen stage productions, thirty theatrical films, sixty made-for-television films, and two prime-time series.

Early life and education Donald Cohen was born in Jamaica, Queens, New York City. As a child, he attended public schools. He was attracted early to theater and from a young age would sing, dance and act for his family. He attended Jamaica High School, where he was a well-rounded student. In addition to appearing in the Sing '68 school musical program, Cohen was a student aide and a member of both the track and cross country teams. After graduating from Jamaica High School in 1969, he started teaching at a private school for students of color. He also pursued acting jobs in New York, gaining some roles Off-Off-Broadway.

Learning that his ancestry included people from Nigeria, Cohen adopted a name made of Yoruba words: Obba, meaning "king", and Babatundé, meaning "father has returned again".

Acting career Babatundé has said a breakthrough role was gaining a part in a 1976 touring company of Guys and Dolls, starring Leslie Uggams and Richard Roundtree. Since then he has performed in many other stage productions. He gradually moved into film and television work, and has had numerous roles in both genres.

Film His feature film appearances include Life as Willie, The Celestine Prophecy, Material Girls, After the Sunset, The Manchurian Candidate, The Notebook, a SWAT captain in John Q, an attorney in Philadelphia (1993), The Last Fall, If I Tell You I Have to Kill You, The Fallen Faithful, Trapped, Tension, and Kinky.

He also played Dean Cain in the film How High, as well as the role of Willie Long in Life, Lamar in That Thing You Do!, and Mayor Denny in Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups.

Television Babatundé has appeared in several prime-time series, including CBS' Madam Secretary, as Barton Royce in the Showtime's I'm Dying Up Here (2017), and as Dean Fairbanks in Netflix's Dear White People (2017–2018).

Babatundé appeared in a recurring role on Kingdom and Amazon's Hand of God, as Bishop Bruce Congdon. He also appeared in Half & Half, as well as appearances on The Bold and the Beautiful, Boston Legal, Grey's Anatomy, NCIS, Cold Case, Strong Medicine, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Touched by an Angel, Chicago Hope, Any Day Now, Karen Sisco, Dawson's Creek, and Friends. In the 1998 miniseries, The Temptations, he played Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown Records.

Babatundé appeared as Daniel Harrelson Sr., the father of Shemar Moore's character in the 2017 series S.W.A.T..

Other ventures Voice acting Babatundé's voice acting roles in animated films and games include Lando Calrissian in Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds, Star Wars: Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader, Star Wars: Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike, and Disney Infinity 3.0 as well as Conroy in Rocket Power. In the animated feature The Wild Thornberrys Movie, Babatundé voiced the character of Boko, and in the 2016 Air Bud Entertainment film Pup Star, he played the soul-singing Basset Hound, Big Ears.

Producer and director Babatundé was co-producer and director of Oscar's Black Odyssey, co-producer of Dorothy Dandridge: An American Beauty, and co-producer of TV in Black: The First 50 Years. He is associate producer of the horror film Voodoo Dolls and executive producer of Journey. Most recently, Babatundé directed and co-stars with Katt Williams in the Lionsgate Home Entertainment feature film American Bad Boy, and he produced and directed the short film Clarissa's Gift.

Babatundé also directed a version of the Broadway musical Dreamgirls. He co-authored, directed, and produced In the Blink of an Eye.

Singing Some of his recorded works include singing the title track on the Onaje Allan Gumbs's album Sack Full of Dreams, and "The Gal That Got Away" on Over The Rainbow, the Harold Arlen soundtrack.

In 1982, Babatundé starred as Zodzetrick in the Houston Grand Opera's second production of Scott Joplin's opera Treemonisha. They had produced it first in 1976. After the opera was rediscovered, the world premiere was produced in 1972 by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Morehouse College chorus.

Awards and nominations In 1981, Babatundé was nominated for an Ovation Award and a Tony Award for his role as C.C. White in the original Broadway cast of Dreamgirls.

Babatundé was nominated for an Emmy for the 1997 HBO film Miss Evers' Boys and an NAACP Image Award for the 1999 HBO film Introducing Dorothy Dandridge. In 2010, Babatundé won NAACP Theatre Awards' "Best Lead Male" for his portrayal of Sammy Davis Jr. in the Old Globe production of the musical Sammy.

In 2011, he won an NAACP Image Award as "Best Actor" for his role as Sarge in A Soldiers Play.

In 2019, Babatundé was inducted into the National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum. In 2016, he received the Daytime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series" for his role as Julius Avant in the soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. He received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Peachtree Village International Film Festival

Filmography

Film YearTitleRoleNotes 1987 Leonard Part 6 Bongo Drummer 1988 God Bless the Child Raymond Watkins Television film Married to the Mob The Face of Justice 1989 Heart and Soul Also Taylor Television film 1990 Miami Blues Blink Willie the Informant 1991 The Silence of the Lambs TV Anchorman Dead Again Syd 1992 The Importance of Being Earnest Lane 1993 Undercover Blues Lt. Sawyer Necronomicon Paul (Part 3) Philadelphia Jerome Green 1994 M.A.N.T.I.S. Cornell Television film 1995 Born to Be Wild Interpreter The Net F.B.I. Agent A Reason to Believe Professor Thurman Fatal Pursuit Trinidad 1996 That Thing You Do! Lamarr Soul of the Game Cum Posey Television film Multiplicity Paul Carpool Jeffery The Tomorrow Man Brian Parish Television film The Cherokee Kid Isom Dart Television film 1997 Miss Evers' Boys Willie Johnson Television film 1999 Life Willie Long Introducing Dorothy Dandridge Harold Nicholas Television film The Apartment Complex Chett Television film 2000 The Visit Tony2001 How High Dean Carl Cain 2002 John Q Sergeant Moody Redeemer Charles Henderson Television film The Wild Thornberrys Movie BokoVoice 2003 The Great Commission Reverend Jesse 2004 The Notebook Band Leader The Manchurian Candidate Senator Wells After the Sunset Zacharias Kangaroo Jack: G'Day U.S.A.! Chief Ankamuti Voice, direct-to-video

Video games Year Title Role