Acting

2022

as Self (archive Footage)

2005		The Peace! as Self
2005		The History Makers: Success as Himself
2005		Unstoppable as Self
2005		By Any Means Necessary: The Making of 'Malcolm X' as Self

2004		She Hate Me as Judge Buchanan
2004		Proud as Lorenzo DuFau
2004		Baadasssss! as Granddad
2004		Beah: A Black Woman Speaks as Self

2003		The Evolution of an American Filmmaker as Self
2003		The Tuskegee Airmen: They Fought Two Wars as Narrator
2003		Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property as Himself
2003		Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives
2003		Deacons for Defense as Reverend 'Rev' Gregory

2002		Theater Talk: 'A Raisin in the Sun' as Self
2002		Bubba Ho-tep as John F. "Jack" Kennedy

2001		Feast of All Saints as Jean-Jacques
2001		Neighborhoods: The Hidden Cities of San Francisco - The Fillmore as Narrator
2001		The Legend of the Candy Cane as Julius (voice)

2000		Here's to Life! as Duncan Cox
2000		Dinosaur as Yar (voice)
2000		Finding Buck McHenry as Buck McHenry

1999		The Unfinished Journey as Narrator (voice)
1999		Trans-Siberian Orchestra: The Ghosts of Christmas Eve as Caretaker
1999		The Soul Collector as Mordecai
1999		The Secret Path as Too Tall
1999		Paul Robeson: Here I Stand as Self
1999		A Vow to Cherish as Alexander Billman

1998		Doctor Dolittle as Archer Dolittle
1998		Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist as Self

1997		12 Angry Men as Juror 2
1997		4 Little Girls as Self - Actor and Playwright
1997		Jackie Robinson: Breaking Barriers as Narrator
1997		Miss Evers' Boys as Mr. Evers
1997		Walter Matthau: Diamond in the Rough as Self

1996		I'm Not Rappaport as Midge Carter
1996		Get on the Bus as Jeremiah

1995		The Android Affair as Dr. Winston
1995		Ray Alexander: A Menu for Murder as Uncle Phil

1994		The Client as Harry Roosevelt
1994		Ray Alexander: A Taste For Justice as Uncle Phil
1994		The Stand as Judge Richard Farris
1994		Malcolm X: Make It Plain as Self
1994		Arthur Ashe: Citizen of the World as Narrator

1993		Grumpy Old Men as Chuck
1993		Cop and ½ as Detective in Squad Room
1993		Goin' Back to T-Town as Narrator
1993		The Ernest Green Story as Grandfather

1992		Lincoln as Frederick Douglas (voice)
1992		Malcolm X as Eulogy Performer (voice)
1992		Gladiator as Noah

1991		Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker as Self
1991		Jungle Fever as Reverend Purify

1990		Joe Versus the Volcano as Marshall
1990		The Red Shoes

1989		Making 'Do the Right Thing' as Self
1989		Do the Right Thing as Da Mayor

1988

as Coach Odom

1986

as Anansi the Spider (Sleepytime Songs and Stories) (voice)

1985		Avenging Angel as Capt. Harry Moradian
1985		Tyler Texas Black Film Collection as Himself

1984		Harry and Son as Raymond
1984		Marcus Garvey: Toward Black Nationhood as Narrator
1984		The House of God as Dr. Sanders

1981		Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy "Satchel" Paige as Chuffy Russell
1981		Death of a Prophet

1980

as Blaine Whitfield

1979		Freedom Road as Narrator
1979		Hot Stuff as Captain John Geiberger
1979		Freedom Man as Benjamin Banneker

1977

as Dr. Fredericks

1976		The Tenth Level as Reed
1976		Countdown at Kusini as Ernest Motapo

1975		Let's Do It Again as Elder Johnson
1975		Black Shadows on a Silver Screen as Narrator

1972

as Eulogy (voice)

1971

as James Lucas

1970

as Narrator

1969		Night Gallery as Osmond Portifoy
1969		Slaves as Luke
1969		Sam Whiskey as Jed Hooker
1969		Teacher, Teacher as Charles Carter
1969		The Fall

1968		The Scalphunters as Joseph Lee
1968		Still A Brother: Inside the Negro Middle Class as Narrator

1967		The Outsider as Lt. Wagner
1967		Black Liberation as Narrator

1966

as Nelson Davis

1965		The Sun... the Sand... the Hill as Jason King (archival footage) as Jason King (archive footage)
1965		The Hill as Jacko King

1964

as Capshaw

1963		The Cardinal as Father Gillis
1963		Gone Are the Days! as Reverend Purlie Victorious Judson

1962

as Narrator (voice)

1960

1951

as Cab Driver (uncredited)

1950

as John Brooks (uncredited)

Writing

2024

… Writer

1983

… Writer

1981

… Musical

1976

… Screenplay

1970

… Screenplay

1963

… Writer

Directing

1976

… Director

1973

… Director

1972

… Director

1970		Cotton Comes to Harlem … Director
1970		Kongi's Harvest … Director