Cast & creator
Obba Babatundé
Best known for Grey's Anatomy, NCIS, Friends
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
Also known as: Obba Babatundè, Obba Babatunde
88
film credits
40
television credits
122
1980–2025 · acting roles
6.4
average across scored titles
Signature credits
Known for
Across film & television
Filmography (128)
Showing 128 of 128 credits
Grey's Anatomy
Dan Gates
2005
NCIS
Joe Banks
2003
Friends
Director
1994
S.W.A.T.
Daniel Harrelson, Sr.
2017
Chicago Med
Dr. James Coleman
2015
Chicago Hope
Charles Ellis
1994
Psych
David Gaffney
2006
The Outer Limits
Dr. Joseph Lennox
1995
Touched by an Angel
Carter Evans
1994
Boston Legal
Dr. Victor Rivers
2004
Private Practice
Dr. Larry Cannon
2007
Madam Secretary
President Silvanus Fabre
2014
Dawson's Creek
Howard Green
1998
Everwood
Jason
2002
The Good Fight
Danny Quinn
2017
Matlock
Backstage Man
1986
A Different World
Frank Benning
1987
Sliders
Cezanne Brown
1995
Girlfriends
Attendant
2000
Goliath
Ivan Tillinger
2016
Tales from the Crypt
Lieutenant Jamison
1989
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Gordy Berry
1990
Family Law
Philip Hamilton
1999
Ballers
J.D. Pritchard
2015
The Notebook
Band Leader
2004
Saving Grace
Doc
2007
Static Shock
Singer (voice)
2000Static Shock
Watch Store Salesman (voice)
2000
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper
Jameson Walker
1992
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
Mongoose
1993
Kingdom
Detective Gaines
2014
For the People
Philip Kaws
2018
Dear White People
Dean Fairbanks
2017
Detroiters
Mr. Duvet
2017
John Q
Sgt. Moody
2002
Little Fires Everywhere
George Wright
2020
Enlisted
General Murray
2014
The Silence of the Lambs
TV Anchor Man
1991
Max Steel
(voice)
2000
Married to the Mob
The Face of Justice
1988
After the Sunset
Zacharias
2004
Philadelphia
Jerome Green
1993
Forever
Gregory
2018
That Thing You Do!
Lamarr
1996
City of Lies
Chief of Police
2018
Life
Willie Long
1999
The Eye
Dr. Haskins
2008
The Net
FBI Agent (uncredited)
1995
The Manchurian Candidate
Senator Wells
2004
How High
Dean Carl Cain
2001
Spy Game
Lieutenant Wardell
1997
The Temptations
Berry Gordy
1998
The Wild Thornberrys Movie
Boko (voice)
2002
Dead Again
Syd
1991The Human Factor
1992
Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups
Mayor Denny
2012
All Star Superman
Judge / Bibliobot (voice)
2011
Multiplicity
Paul
1996
Material Girls
Craig
2006
Scooby-Doo! Music of the Vampire
Vampire Actor #4 (voice)
2012
Undercover Blues
Sawyer
1993
Born to Be Wild
Interpreter
1995
Soul of the Game
Cum Posey
1996
The Celestine Prophecy
Miguel
2006
Black Dynamite
Osiris
2009
Lap Dance
Roscoe
2014
The Cherokee Kid
Isom Dart
1996
Pup Star: Better 2Gether
Big Ears (voice)
2017
Necronomicon
Paul
1993
Kangaroo Jack: G'Day, U.S.A.!
Chief Ankamuti (voice)
2004
Carpool
Jeffery
1996
Jingle Belle
Charles Williams
2018
Miami Blues
Blink Willie
1990
Run
President
2025
Introducing Dorothy Dandridge
Harold Nicholas
1999
Dorothy Dandridge: An American Beauty
Host
2003
M.A.N.T.I.S.
Cornell
1994
Pup Star
Big Ears (voice)
2016
Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History
Self
2008
Cover
Attorney Miller
2007
Why Am I Doing This?
Cliff
2009
Miss Evers' Boys
Willie Johnson
1997
'Til Death Do Us Part
John Harris
2017
The Apartment Complex
Chett
1999
Kinky
Mr. Bernard
2018
Revival!
Nicodemus
2018
Redeemer
Charles Henderson
2002
Love the Skin You're In
Arnold
2025
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
Self
2004
The Millennial
Mr. Burke
2022
The Watcher
Stark
2016
Leonard Part 6
Bongo Drummer
1987
All The Men In My Life
Simon Helms
2022
King: Man of Peace in a Time of War
Narrator
2007
The Tomorrow Man
Brian Parish
1996
A Reason to Believe
Prof. Thurman
1995
Kiss Me for Christmas
Mr. Porter
2020
God Bless the Child
Raymond Watkins
1988
Death's Door
Mesmer
2015
The Christmas Showdown
Jesse
2025
An Evening with Liza Minnelli
Self - Dancer
1980
If I Tell You I Have to Kill You
Jonathan Black
2015If I Tell You I Have to Kill You
Executive Producer
2015
Treemonisha
Zodzetrick
1982
Wrong Place, Wrong Time
Captain Green
2025
I Do... I Did!
Mr. Johnson
2009
The Importance of Being Earnest
Lane
1992
American Bad Boy
Pastor Lovely
2015American Bad Boy
Director
2015
The Trap Door
Mesmer
2011
The Visit
Tony
2001
The Last Fall
Larry Armstrong
2012People Not Places
Fatal Pursuit
Trinidad
1995
Trapped: Haitian Nights
Ikliff
2011
Dolls of Voodoo
Iklif
2013
Baryshnikov on Broadway
Dancer
1980Start Without Me
Leo
Joy Road
Dr. Howard Perkins
2011
Noble Intentions
Pastor Stevens
2023Noble Intentions
Writers' Assistant
2023
Trigger
Chief Keaton
2020
April Fools
Detective Combs
2007
One Special Moment
2001
Mississippi Scholar
Reginald
2024Mississippi Scholar
Writer
2024
Oscar's Black Odyssey: From Hattie to Halle
Director
2003
Angels Around Me
Additional Writing
2013