1940–1959: Early acting roles , September 25, 1962 Dee joined the
American Negro Theatre as an apprentice, working with
Sidney Poitier,
Harry Belafonte, and
Hilda Simms. She played the title role in the
Eugene O'Neill play
Anna Lucasta. She met her future husband
Ossie Davis in the post-
World War II play
Jeb (1946). That same year she was in her first onscreen role in the musical
That Man of Mine (1946). The following year she acted in the crime film
The Fight Never Ends (1947). She received national recognition for her portrayal of
Rachel Robinson in the sports drama film
The Jackie Robinson Story (1950). Also in 1950 she had an uncredited role in film noir
No Way Out directed by
Joseph L. Mankiewicz. She continued acting in films such as the historical crime film
The Tall Target (1951), the sports film
Go Man Go (1954), the music film
St. Louis Blues (1958), and the British drama
Virgin Island (1958). During this time she took a role in the film noir
Edge of the City (1957) starring alongside
John Cassavetes and
Sidney Poitier, and in the film
Take a Giant Step (1959) starring with
Johnny Nash and
Estelle Hemsley.
1959–1979: Breakthrough and acclaim , Dee and
Sidney Poitier in
A Raisin in the Sun (1959) Dee's career in acting crossed all major forms of media over a span of eight decades. In 1959, she gained prominence for originating the role of Ruth Younger, a suffering housewife in the projects, in
Lorraine Hansberry's play
A Raisin in the Sun, which premiered on
Broadway. She acted alongside
Sidney Poitier and
Louis Gossett Jr. The play was the first play written by a Black woman to be produced on Broadway. She reprised the role opposite Poitier in the
1961 film of the same name. She acted opposite her husband Ossie Davis and
Alan Alda in his acting debut. They reprised their roles of the 1963 film entitled
Gone Are the Days!, which was produced by
Brock Peters and directed by
Nicholas Webster. Her early television appearances included episodes of
The Fugitive,
The Defenders, and the soap opera
Guiding Light. She received the
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for her role on
The Doctors and the Nurses (1964). In 1965, Dee performed in lead roles at the
American Shakespeare Festival as Kate in
The Taming of the Shrew and Cordelia in
King Lear, becoming the first black actress to portray a lead role in the festival. In 1963 she acted in the film
The Balcony with
Shelley Winters,
Peter Falk,
Lee Grant, and
Leonard Nimoy. She then acted in the film noir
The Incident (1967), the drama film
Uptight (1968), and the documentary
King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis (1970). , Ruby Dee,
Paul Newman, and
Sidney Lumet at the
King: A Filmed Record (1970) In 1969, Dee appeared in 20 episodes of
Peyton Place. She also appeared in the comedy film
Cop and a Half (1993) with
Burt Reynolds. Dee played Mother Abagail Freemantle in the
Stephen King miniseries
The Stand (1994). In 1995, she and Davis were awarded the
National Medal of Arts from President
Bill Clinton. She collaborated with comedian
Bill Cosby acting in both
Cosby in 1999, and voicing Alice the Great in the
Nick Jr. animated series
Little Bill from 1999 to 2004, which led to two nominations for a
Daytime Emmy Award. In 2003, she narrated a series of
WPA &
slave narratives in the HBO film
Unchained Memories. They were also recipients of the 2004
Kennedy Center Honors. In 2007 the
Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album was shared by Dee and Ossie Davis for
With Ossie and Ruby: In This Life Together, and former President
Jimmy Carter. On February 12, 2009, Dee joined the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College orchestra and chorus, along with the Riverside Inspirational Choir and NYC Labor Choir, in honoring Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday at the Riverside Church in
New York City. Under the direction of
Maurice Peress, they performed
Earl Robinson's
The Lonesome Train: A Music Legend for Actors, Folk Singers, Choirs, and Orchestra, in which Dee was the narrator. Dee's last role in a
theatrically released film was in the
Eddie Murphy comedy
A Thousand Words (2012), in which she portrayed the mother of Murphy's protagonist. In 2013 she narrated the Lifetime film
Betty & Coretta starring
Angela Bassett and
Mary J. Blige. Her final film role is in
1982, which premiered at the
2013 Toronto International Film Festival and was released on
home video on March 1, 2016. It is unknown whether her final role will ever be seen, as
King Dog was in production at the time of her death, and no release date has ever been announced. ==Personal life==