Keith David

Keith David

69 · Born: Jun 4, 1956

Personal Details

Official Socials
BornJun 4, 1956 New York City, New York, USA
Spouse
  • Dionne Lea

    ( Apr 28, 2001 to Dec 9, 2025 )
  • Margit Edwards

    ( Sep 22, 1990 to Dec 9, 2025 )
Parents
  • Dolores Dickenson
  • Lester Williams

Biography

Keith David is a classically trained actor, with an impressive list of accolades including three Emmy Awards out of six nominations and a Tony Award nomination. He is known for his versatile performances on both the big and small screens.

Keith's most recent role was in the TV series "Greenleaf" on Oprah Winfrey's OWN network, where he played the charismatic and God-fearing leader of the Calvary Fellowship and patriarch of the family. The series received praise for its complex characters, hypocrisy, and scandalous secrets.

On the big screen, Keith has co-starred with notable actors such as Chadwick Boseman in "21 Bridges", Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish in "Night School", and Allison Williams in the upcoming film "Horizon Line". He has also appeared in critically acclaimed films such as "Crash", "Platoon", and "The Princess and the Frog".

Keith's extensive TV credits include appearances on "Creepshow", "NCIS: New Orleans", "Blackish", "MacGyver", and "Fresh Off the Boat". He has also had recurring roles on "Community", "Enlisted", "ER", and "Mister Roger's Neighborhood".

Keith's voice acting credits include numerous fan favorites such as "Adventure Time", "Bojack Horseman", "Rick & Morty", "Spawn", and "Gargoyles". He has also lent his voice to several video game titles, including the "Halo" series, "Saint's Row" series, and "Mass Effect" series.

Born and raised in New York, Keith became interested in the arts at a young age. He attended the High School of the Performing Arts and The Juilliard School, before being hired by Joseph Papp as an understudy for the role of Tullus Aufidius in "Coriolanus".

In addition to his acting and voiceover work, Keith is also a talented singer. He has toured in two shows, "Too Marvelous for Words" and "Here's to Life", in which he portrays the legendary singers Nat King Cole and Joe Williams.

You can follow Keith on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook at @ImKeithDavid, @SilverThroat, and @ImKeithDavid respectively.

Career

2025
The Gettysburg Address
The Gettysburg Address as Frederick Douglass (voice)
Shelby Oaks
Shelby Oaks as Morton Jacobson
Portal to Hell
Portal to Hell as Mr. Bobshank
Sneaks
Sneaks as O.G. (voice)
Omniscient
Omniscient as Alistair
Hazbin Hotel: Live on Broadway
Hazbin Hotel: Live on Broadway as (voice) (uncredited)
Duster
Duster as Ezra Saxton
2024
The Prank
The Prank as Principal Henderson
Betty & Blue
Betty & Blue as Willie 'Blue' Watson
Mufasa: The Lion King
Mufasa: The Lion King as Masego (voice)
Hazbin Hotel
Hazbin Hotel as Husk (voice)
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci as Narrator (voice)
Hit-Monkey
Hit-Monkey as The Devil
Heist 88
Heist 88 as Buddha Ray
From the Shadows
From the Shadows as Dr. Leonard Bertram
American Fiction
American Fiction as Willy the Wonker
2022
Catwoman: Hunted
Catwoman: Hunted as Tobias Whale / Morax (voice)
Entergalactic
Entergalactic as Mr. Rager (voice)
Nope
Nope as Otis Haywood Sr.
DC League of Super-Pets
DC League of Super-Pets as Dog-El (voice)
Shut Up and Ride
Shut Up and Ride as Narrator (voice)
From Scratch
From Scratch as Hershel Wheeler
Chibiverse
Chibiverse as King Andrias
2021
Insight
Insight as Captain Duke
The Seventh Day
The Seventh Day as Father Louis
Black as Night
Black as Night as Babineaux
Pups Alone
Pups Alone as The Wise Bartender
Pups Alone
Pups Alone as The Wise Bartender
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali as Narrator (voice)
Love Life
Love Life as Narrator (voice)
Rick and Morty
Rick and Morty as The President
Good
Good as Gregory Devereaux
Horizon Line
Horizon Line as Freddy Wyman
Nova
Nova as Narrator (voice)
2019
21 Bridges
21 Bridges as Deputy Chief Spencer
The Last Kids on Earth
The Last Kids on Earth as Thrull (voice)
Star vs. the Forces of Evil
Star vs. the Forces of Evil as Glossaryck (voice)
2018
Tales from the Hood 2
Tales from the Hood 2 as Portifoy Simms
Champaign ILL
Champaign ILL as Lafonso
2017
Savage Dog
Savage Dog as Valentine
Future Man
Future Man as Dr. Elias Kronish
2016
Range 15
Range 15 as Colonel Holloway
Service to Man
Service to Man as Dean Holmes
The North Star
The North Star as Frederick Douglass
The Nice Guys
The Nice Guys as Older Guy
Nina
Nina as Clifton's Father
Greenleaf
Greenleaf as Bishop James Greenleaf
Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson as Narrator (voice)
2015
Boiling Pot
Boiling Pot as Agent Long
Union Furnace
Union Furnace as Pin Stripe
Big Time in Hollywood, FL
Big Time in Hollywood, FL as Agent Everett Malloy
Community
Community as Elroy Patashnik
H4
H4 as Worcester
Enlisted
Enlisted as Sgt. Major Donald Cody
2013
Frog Kingdom
Frog Kingdom as Frog King (voice)
Sons of Liberty
Sons of Liberty as Nathan Reynolds
Don't Pass Me By
Don't Pass Me By as David Knox
Free Birds
Free Birds as Chief Broadbeak (Voice)
The Bible
The Bible as Narrator
Belle's
Belle's as William 'Big Bill' Cooper
2012
Smiley
Smiley as Diamond
Cloud Atlas
Cloud Atlas as Kupaka / Joe Napier / An-kor Apis / Prescient
The Undershepherd
The Undershepherd as Brother Wilks
The Last Fall
The Last Fall as Sydney Bishop
Highway
Highway as Mustafa
2011
Hopelessly in June
Hopelessly in June as Dalbert Myers
The Inheritance
The Inheritance as Uncle Melvin
Samuel Bleak
Samuel Bleak as Ned Coffman
The Cape
The Cape as Max Malini
2010
Lottery Ticket
Lottery Ticket as Sweet Tee
Africa's Lost Eden
Africa's Lost Eden as Narrator (voice)
Chain Letter
Chain Letter as Det. Jim Crenshaw
Chasing 3000
Chasing 3000 as Officer L.
Death at a Funeral
Death at a Funeral as Reverend Davis
2009
Coraline
Coraline as The Cat (voice)
Don McKay
Don McKay as Otis Kent
Pastor Brown
Pastor Brown as Pastor Brown
Beautiful Loser
Beautiful Loser as Morgan - Adult
The Princess and the Frog
The Princess and the Frog as Dr. Facilier (voice)
The Butcher
The Butcher as Larry Cobb
Against the Dark
Against the Dark as Lt. Waters
Behind Enemy Lines: Colombia
Behind Enemy Lines: Colombia as Commander Scott Boytano
Blue
Blue as Terry Venable
Gamer
Gamer as Agent Keith
2008
First Sunday
First Sunday as Judge B. Bennet Galloway
SIS
SIS as Joseph Armstrong
Superhero Movie
Superhero Movie as The Chief of Police
My Mom's New Boyfriend
My Mom's New Boyfriend as FBI Chief Conrad
The Fifth Commandment
The Fifth Commandment as Max 'Coolbreeze' Templeton
No Bad Days
No Bad Days as Terrence
The Sensei
The Sensei as Minister
2007
The Last Sentinel
The Last Sentinel as Colonel Norton
Delta Farce
Delta Farce as Sgt. Kilgore
The War
The War as Narrator (voice)
2006
ATL
ATL as John Garnett
The Oh in Ohio
The Oh in Ohio as Coach Popovitch
Forbidden Fruits
Forbidden Fruits as Rev. Walters
2005
Transporter 2
Transporter 2 as Stappleton
Dirty
Dirty as Captain Spain
Crash
Crash as Lt. Dixon
The Proud Family Movie
The Proud Family Movie as Bebe Clone (voice)
The Chronicles of Riddick
The Chronicles of Riddick as Abu 'Imam' al-Walid
The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury
The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury as Abu 'Imam' al-Walid (voice)
Beef II
Beef II as Narrator (voice)
Agent Cody Banks
Agent Cody Banks as CIA Director
Head of State
Head of State as Bernard Cooper
Inside Mecca
Inside Mecca as Narrator (voice)
2002
29 Palms
29 Palms as The Sheriff
Mark Twain
Mark Twain as Narrator (voice)
Barbershop
Barbershop as Lester Wallace
Ultimate Fights from the Movies
Ultimate Fights from the Movies as Frank (They Live) (archive footage)
2001
Pretty When You Cry
Pretty When You Cry as Detective Charles Desett
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within as Council Member (voice)
Home Invaders
Home Invaders as Matador
Semper Fi
Semper Fi as Gunnery Sgt. Brinkloff
Novocaine
Novocaine as Detective Lunt
Jazz
Jazz as Narrator (voice)
2000
Where the Heart Is
Where the Heart Is as Moses Whitecotten
Pitch Black
Pitch Black as Abu 'Imam' al-Walid
Innocents
Innocents as Detective Davis
1999
ATF
ATF as FBI Director Richard Long
Spawn
Spawn as Al Simmons / Spawn (voice)
1998
Armageddon
Armageddon as General Kimsey
1997
Volcano
Volcano as Lt. Ed Fox
Don King: Only in America
Don King: Only in America as Herbert Muhammad
Flipping
Flipping as Leo Richards, Gang Leader
Hercules
Hercules as Apollo the Sun God (voice)
1996
The Grave
The Grave as The Priest
Johns
Johns as Homeless John
1995
Blue in the Face
Blue in the Face as Jackie Robinson
Clockers
Clockers as André the Giant
The Quick and the Dead
The Quick and the Dead as Sgt. Clay Cantrell
1994
The Puppet Masters
The Puppet Masters as Alex Holland
Gargoyles
Gargoyles as Goliath (voice)
There Are No Children Here
There Are No Children Here as John Paul Rivers
The Last Outlaw
The Last Outlaw as Lovecraft
1992
Final Analysis
Final Analysis as Detective Huggins
Article 99
Article 99 as Luther Jermoe
Nails
Nails as Noah Owens
1991
Men at Work
Men at Work as Louis Fedders
1989
Always
Always as Powerhouse
Road House
Road House as Ernie Bass
1988
Off Limits
Off Limits as Maurice
They Live
They Live as Frank Armitage
Stars and Bars
Stars and Bars as Eugene Teagarden
Bird
Bird as Buster Franklin
Christmas in Tattertown
Christmas in Tattertown as Saxophone (voice)
Braddock: Missing in Action III
Braddock: Missing in Action III as Embassy Gate Captain
1987
Hot Pursuit
Hot Pursuit as Alphonso
1986
Platoon
Platoon as King
The Whoopee Boys
The Whoopee Boys as Washington Square Peddler
1982
The Thing
The Thing as Childs
1980
The Pirates of Penzance
The Pirates of Penzance as Pirates and Police