Keith David

Born:June 4, 1956

Place of Birth:Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Known For:Acting

Biography

Keith David, born on June 4, 1956, is a versatile American actor, singer, and voice artist. With a career spanning over four decades, David has left an indelible mark on both the big and small screens. While many recognize him for his live-action performances in films like "Crash," "Barbershop," and "Men at Work," it is his ability to bring depth and gravitas to his roles that truly sets him apart.

David's presence in cult classics like John Carpenter's "The Thing" and "They Live" showcases his range as an actor. Whether he's portraying the enigmatic Childs or the sinister Armitage, David's performances have a magnetic quality that captivates audiences. His portrayal of characters like the Imam in the Riddick films and the General in "Armageddon" further solidify his status as a sought-after talent in Hollywood.

Beyond his live-action work, Keith David has made a significant impact in the world of voice acting. His Emmy-winning narration in various Ken Burns documentaries has garnered widespread acclaim. Fans of animation and video games will recognize his distinct voice as Goliath in Disney's "Gargoyles," the Arbiter in the "Halo" series, and Dr. Facilier in "The Princess and the Frog." David's ability to breathe life into animated characters is nothing short of extraordinary.

In addition to his voice-over work, Keith David has lent his talents to a diverse range of projects, showcasing his versatility as a performer. From voicing the Decepticon Barricade in "Transformers: The Game" to embodying Julius Little in the "Saints Row" series, David's voice has become synonymous with iconic characters in the world of gaming. His portrayal of Sgt. Foley in "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" and Chaos in "Dissidia: Final Fantasy" further highlight his contribution to the gaming industry.

Throughout his career, Keith David has proven time and again that he is a force to be reckoned with in the entertainment industry. His ability to seamlessly transition between live-action roles and voice acting speaks to his immense talent and dedication to his craft. Whether he's portraying a heroic leader, a menacing villain, or a wise narrator, David's performances resonate with audiences on a profound level.

Off-screen, Keith David is known for his philanthropic efforts and commitment to various charitable causes. His passion for giving back to the community mirrors his dedication to his work, showcasing a multifaceted individual who uses his platform for good. As he continues to take on new and exciting projects, Keith David remains a beloved figure in the world of entertainment, leaving an enduring legacy that will stand the test of time.

Images

Filmography

Acting

Mufasa: The Lion King

Masego (voice)

2024

Mufasa, a cub lost and alone, meets a sympathetic lion named Taka, the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of a group of misfits searching for their destiny.

Coraline

The Cat (voice)

2009

Wandering her rambling old house in her boring new town, 11-year-old Coraline discovers a hidden door to a strangely idealized version of her life. In order to stay in the fantasy, she must make a frighteningly real sacrifice.

The Princess and the Frog

Dr. Facilier (voice)

2009

A waitress, desperate to fulfill her dreams as a restaurant owner, is set on a journey to turn a frog prince back into a human being, but she has to face the same problem after she kisses him.

Nope

Otis Haywood Sr.

2022

Residents in a lonely gulch of inland California bear witness to an uncanny, chilling discovery.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith

Father

2005

After five (or six) years of vanilla-wedded bliss, ordinary suburbanites John and Jane Smith are stuck in a huge rut. Unbeknownst to each other, they are both coolly lethal, highly-paid assassins working for rival organisations. When they discover they're each other's next target, their secret lives collide in a spicy, explosive mix of wicked comedy, pent-up passion, nonstop action and high-tech weaponry.

The Thing

Childs

1982

In the winter of 1982, a twelve-man research team at a remote Antarctic research station discovers an alien buried in the snow for over 100,000 years. Soon unfrozen, the form-changing creature wreaks havoc, creates terror... and becomes one of them.

Hercules

Apollo the Sun God (voice)

1997

Bestowed with superhuman strength, a young mortal named Hercules sets out to prove himself a hero in the eyes of his father, the great god Zeus. Along with his friends Pegasus, a flying horse, and Phil, a personal trainer, Hercules is tricked by the hilarious, hotheaded villain Hades, who's plotting to take over Mount Olympus!

Armageddon

General Kimsey

1998

When an asteroid threatens to collide with Earth, NASA honcho Dan Truman determines the only way to stop it is to drill into its surface and detonate a nuclear bomb. This leads him to renowned driller Harry Stamper, who agrees to helm the dangerous space mission provided he can bring along his own hotshot crew. Among them is the cocksure A.J. who Harry thinks isn't good enough for his daughter, until the mission proves otherwise.

Platoon

King

1986

As a young and naive recruit in Vietnam, Chris Taylor faces a moral crisis when confronted with the horrors of war and the duality of man.

The Nice Guys

Older Guy

2016

A private eye investigates the apparent suicide of a fading porn star in 1970s Los Angeles and uncovers a conspiracy.

Cloud Atlas

Kupaka / Joe Napier / An-kor Apis / Prescient

2012

A set of six nested stories spanning time between the 19th century and a distant post-apocalyptic future. Cloud Atlas explores how the actions and consequences of individual lives impact one another throughout the past, the present and the future. Action, mystery and romance weave through the story as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero and a single act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution in the distant future. Based on the award winning novel by David Mitchell. Directed by Tom Tykwer and the Wachowskis.

They Live

Frank Armitage

1988

A lone drifter stumbles upon a unique pair of sunglasses that reveal aliens are systematically gaining control of the Earth by masquerading as humans and lulling the public into submission.

Transporter 2

Stappleton

2005

Professional driver, and former Special Forces officer, Frank Martin is living in Miami, where he is temporarily filling in for a friend as the chauffeur for a government narcotics control policy director and his family. The young boy in the family is targeted for kidnapping, and Frank immediately becomes involved in protecting the child and exposing the kidnappers.

There's Something About Mary

Charlie Jensen

1998

For Ted, prom night went about as bad as it’s possible for any night to go. Thirteen years later, he finally gets another chance with his old prom date, only to run up against other suitors including the sleazy detective he hired to find her.

Requiem for a Dream

Big Tim

2000

The drug-induced utopias of four Coney Island residents are shattered when their addictions run deep.

Crash

Lt. Dixon

2005

In post-Sept. 11 Los Angeles, tensions erupt when the lives of a Brentwood housewife, her district attorney husband, a Persian shopkeeper, two cops, a pair of carjackers and a Korean couple converge during a 36-hour period.

Superhero Movie

The Chief of Police

2008

Rick Riker is a nerdy teen imbued with superpowers by a radioactive dragonfly. And because every hero needs a nemesis, enter Lou Landers, aka the villainously goofy Hourglass.

21 Bridges

Deputy Chief Spencer

2019

An embattled NYPD detective, is thrust into a citywide manhunt for a pair of cop killers after uncovering a massive and unexpected conspiracy. As the night unfolds, lines become blurred on who he is pursuing, and who is in pursuit of him.

Eye for an Eye

Martin

1996

It's fire and brimstone time as grieving mother Karen McCann takes justice into her own hands when a kangaroo court in Los Angeles fails to convict Robert Doob, the monster who raped and murdered her 17-year-old daughter.

DC League of Super-Pets

Dog-El (voice)

2022

When Superman and the rest of the Justice League are kidnapped, Krypto the Super-Dog must convince a rag-tag shelter pack - Ace the hound, PB the potbellied pig, Merton the turtle and Chip the squirrel - to master their own newfound powers and help him rescue the superheroes.

The Replacements

Lindell

2000

Maverick old-guard coach Jimmy McGinty is hired in the wake of a players' strike to help the Washington Sentinels advance to the playoffs. But that impossible dream hinges on whether his replacements can hunker down and do the job. So, McGinty dusts off his secret dossier of ex-players who never got a chance (or screwed up the one they were given) and knits together a bad-dream team of guys who just may give the Sentinels their title shot.

Volcano

Lt. Ed Fox

1997

An earthquake shatters a peaceful Los Angeles morning and opens a fissure deep into the earth, causing lava to start bubbling up. As a volcano begins forming in the La Brea Tar Pits, the director of the city's emergency management service, working with a geologist, must then use every resource in the city to try and stop the volcano from consuming LA.

Agent Cody Banks

CIA Director

2003

Recruited by the U.S. government to be a special agent, nerdy teenager Cody Banks must get closer to cute classmate Natalie in order to learn about an evil plan hatched by her father. But despite the agent persona, Cody struggles with teen angst.

Barbershop

Lester Wallace

2002

A day in the life of a barbershop on the south side of Chicago. Calvin, who inherited the struggling business from his deceased father, views the shop as nothing but a burden and waste of his time. After selling the shop to a local loan shark, Calvin slowly begins to see his father's vision and legacy and struggles with the notion that he just sold it out.

American Fiction

Willy the Wonker

2023

A novelist fed up with the establishment profiting from "Black" entertainment uses a pen name to write a book that propels him into the heart of hypocrisy and the madness he claims to disdain.

The Quick and the Dead

Sgt. Clay Cantrell

1995

A mysterious woman comes to compete in a quick-draw elimination tournament, in a town taken over by a notorious gunman.

The Chronicles of Riddick

Abu 'Imam' al-Walid

2004

After years of outrunning ruthless bounty hunters, escaped convict Riddick suddenly finds himself caught between opposing forces in a fight for the future of the human race. Now, waging incredible battles on fantastic and deadly worlds, this lone, reluctant hero will emerge as humanity's champion - and the last hope for a universe on the edge of annihilation.

Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London

CIA Director

2004

With all-new gadgets, high-flying action, exciting chases and a wisecracking new handler, Derek (Anthony Anderson), Cody has to retrieve the device before the world's leaders fall under the evil control of a diabolical villain.

Gamer

Agent Keith

2009

Mind-control technology has taken society by a storm, a multiplayer on-line game called "Slayers" allows players to control human prisoners in mass-scale. Simon controls Kable, the online champion of the game. Kable's ultimate challenge becomes regaining his identity and independence by defeating the game's mastermind.

Road House

Ernie Bass

1989

The Double Deuce is the meanest, loudest and rowdiest bar south of the Mason-Dixon Line, and Dalton has been hired to clean it up. He might not look like much, but the Ph.D.-educated bouncer proves he's more than capable – busting the heads of troublemakers and turning the roadhouse into a jumping hot spot. But Dalton's romance with the gorgeous Dr. Clay puts him on the bad side of cutthroat local big shot Brad Wesley.

Final Analysis

Detective Huggins

1992

A psychiatrist becomes romantically involved with the sister of one of his patients, but the influence of her controlling gangster husband threatens to destroy them both.

Death at a Funeral

Reverend Davis

2010

Aaron's father's funeral is today at the family home, and everything goes wrong: the funeral home delivers the wrong body, his cousin accidentally drugs her fiancé, and Aaron's successful younger brother, Ryan, flies in from New York, broke but arrogant. To top it all off, a mysterious stranger wants a word with Aaron.

Pitch Black

Abu 'Imam' al-Walid

2000

When their ship crash-lands on a remote planet, the marooned passengers soon learn that escaped convict Riddick isn't the only thing they have to fear. Deadly creatures lurk in the shadows, waiting to attack in the dark, and the planet is rapidly plunging into the utter blackness of a total eclipse. With the body count rising, the doomed survivors are forced to turn to Riddick with his eerie eyes to guide them through the darkness to safety. With time running out, there's only one rule: Stay in the light.

Novocaine

Detective Lunt

2001

A dentist finds himself a murder suspect after a sexy patient seduces him into prescribing her drugs.

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within

Council Member (voice)

2001

Led by a strange dream, scientist Aki Ross struggles to collect the eight spirits in the hope of creating a force powerful enough to protect the planet. With the aid of the Deep Eyes Squadron and her mentor, Dr. Sid, Aki must save the Earth from its darkest hate and unleash the spirits within.

Marked for Death

Max

1990

Just retired from the Drug Enforcement Agency, John Hatcher returns to his hometown and quickly discovers that drugs have infiltrated his old neighborhood. Determined to drive the dealers out, Hatcher crosses paths with a ferocious Jamaican drug lord who vows that Hatcher and his family are now marked for death.

Where the Heart Is

Moses Whitecotten

2000

Novalee Nation is a 17-year-old Tennessee transient who has to grow up in a hurry when she's left pregnant and abandoned by her boyfriend on a roadside, and takes refuge in the friendly aisles of Wal-Mart. Eventually, some eccentric but kindly strangers 'adopt' Novalee and her infant daughter, helping them buck the odds and build a new life.

Reality Bites

Roger

1994

A small circle of friends suffering from post-collegiate blues must confront the hard truth about life, love and the pursuit of gainful employment. As they struggle to map out survival guides for the future, the Gen-X quartet soon begins to realize that reality isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Catwoman: Hunted

Tobias Whale / Morax (voice)

2022

Catwoman's attempt to steal a priceless jewel puts her squarely in the crosshairs of both a powerful consortium of villains and the ever-resourceful Interpol, not to mention Batwoman.

Entergalactic

Mr. Rager (voice)

2022

Ambitious artist Jabari attempts to balance success and love when he moves into his dream Manhattan apartment and falls for his next-door neighbor.

ATL

John Garnett

2006

As four friends prepare for life after high school, different challenges bring about turning points in each of their lives. The dramas unfold and resolve at their local rollerskating rink, Cascade.

Night School

Gerald

2018

Teddy Walker is a successful salesman whose life takes an unexpected turn when he accidentally blows up his place of employment. Forced to attend night school to get his GED, Teddy soon finds himself dealing with a group of misfit students, his former high school nemesis and a feisty teacher who doesn't think he's too bright.

Clockers

André the Giant

1995

Strike is a young city drug pusher under the tutelage of drug lord Rodney Little. When a night manager at a fast-food restaurant is found with four bullets in his body, Strike’s older brother turns himself in as the killer. Detective Rocco Klein doesn’t buy the story, however, setting out to find the truth, and it seems that all the fingers point toward Strike & Rodney.

Justice League: The New Frontier

The Centre (voice)

2008

The human race is threatened by a powerful creature, and only the combined power of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter and The Flash can stop it. But can they overcome their differences to thwart this enemy using the combined strength of their newly formed Justice League?

Bird

Buster Franklin

1988

Saxophone player Charlie ‘Bird’ Parker comes to New York in 1940 and is quickly noticed for his remarkable way of playing. He becomes a drug addict but his loving wife Chan tries to help him.

Always

Powerhouse

1989

The spirit of a recently deceased expert pilot mentors a newer pilot while watching him fall in love with the girlfriend that he left behind.

All About Steve

Corbitt

2009

After one short blind date, Mary Horowitz, a brilliant and eccentric crossword constructor, is convinced that Steve, a CCN cameraman, is her soul mate. Because his job takes him hither and yon, she crisscrosses the country following Steve, with the encouragement of a reporter, turning up at media events he's at to convince him they are perfect for each other. Along the way, she befriends an assortment of misfits who accept her for who she is, leading her to reassess her reasons for this strange journey.

Head of State

Bernard Cooper

2003

When a presidential candidate dies unexpectedly in the middle of the campaign, the Democratic party unexpectedly picks a Washington, D.C. alderman as his replacement.

Lottery Ticket

Sweet Tee

2010

Kevin Carson is a young man living in the projects who has to survive a three-day weekend after his opportunistic neighbors find out he's holding a winning lottery ticket worth $370 million

The Puppet Masters

Alex Holland

1994

The Earth is invaded by alien parasites—AKA 'slugs'—that ride on people's backs and control their minds.

The Wedding Year

Preston

2019

A commitment-phobic 27-year old’s relationship is put to the test when she and her boyfriend attend 7 weddings in the same year.

The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury

Abu 'Imam' al-Walid (voice)

2004

After their narrow escape at the end of "Pitch Black," Riddick, Jack and the Imam find themselves at the mercy of a madwoman who intends to entomb Riddick forever as part of a twisted art exhibit. With little but a shiv and Riddick's innate viciousness to aid them, Riddick and his allies must find a way to escape from their captor and her band of mercenaries.