Keith David facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Keith David
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David in 2015
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| Born |
Keith David Williams
June 4, 1956 New York City, U.S.
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| Education | Juilliard School (BFA) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Margit Edwards
(m. 1990; div. 1999)Dionne Lea Williams
(m. 2001) |
| Children | 3 |
Keith David (born Keith David Williams; June 4, 1956) is an American actor. He is known for his deep voice and screen presence in over 300 roles in film, stage, television, and interactive media.
He has starred in such films as The Thing (1982), Platoon (1986), Road House (1989), Men at Work (1990), Final Analysis (1992), The Quick and the Dead (1995), Larger than Life (1996), Armageddon (1998), Where the Heart Is (2000), Novocaine (2001), Head of State (2003), Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), Gamer (2009), and American Fiction (2023). He starred as Elroy Patashnik in the sixth season of the NBC series Community (2015) and starred as Bishop James Greenleaf in the Oprah Winfrey Network drama Greenleaf (2016–2020).
His Emmy-winning voice-over career includes work as the narrator of Ken Burns films such as The War (2007) and Muhammad Ali (2021). In film, characters that he has voiced include Dr. Facilier in The Princess and the Frog (2009) and the Cat in Coraline (2009). On television, he portrayed Goliath in Gargoyles (1994–1997), Al Simmons / Spawn in Todd McFarlane's Spawn (1997–1999), The Flame King in Adventure Time (2012–2017), Andre Curtis / The President in Rick and Morty (2015–present), King Andrias in Amphibia (2020–2022), Dr. Tenma in Pluto (2023), Husk in Hazbin Hotel (2024–present), and Mephisto in Hit-Monkey (2024–present). Video game roles include the Arbiter Thel 'Vadamee in the Halo franchise (2004–2015), Julius Little and himself in the Saints Row series (2006–2017), Admiral Anderson in the Mass Effect series (2007–2013), Chaos in Dissidia Final Fantasy (2008), Sergeant Foley in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009), Grimlock in Transformers: EarthSpark and Commander Zavala in Destiny 2: The Final Shape.
Contents
Early life and education
David was born June 4, 1956, in Harlem and raised in Corona, Queens, New York City. His mother, Dolores (née Dickenson), was a manager at New York Telephone, and his father, Lester Williams, worked as a director of payroll operations.
He initially intended to become an actor after playing the Cowardly Lion in a school production of The Wizard of Oz and went on to study at Manhattan's High School of Performing Arts. He attended the Juilliard School's Drama Division (1975–1979, Group 8) where he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1979.
Career
Film and television
In 1980–81, David toured the country with John Houseman's The Acting Company in productions of A Midsummer Night's Dream and Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot. Less than two years later, he went on to star as Childs, opposite Kurt Russell in John Carpenter's The Thing, starting his lengthy on-screen career. In the 1980s run of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, he portrayed Keith the Southwood Carpenter in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe segments. He also played Keith, the game coin collector in an episode where Rogers and a small child learn to play the arcade game Donkey Kong.
He went on to appear in films such as Platoon, They Live, Men at Work, Marked for Death, and Stars and Bars. He played Kirby in the 1995 film Dead Presidents, and he appeared in the 1995 Spike Lee film Clockers. Roles in other films followed, in Volcano,There's Something About Mary, Requiem for a Dream, Pitch Black, Barbershop, Agent Cody Banks, Head of State, Hollywood Homicide, Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London, The Chronicles of Riddick, Crash, ATL, Delta Farce and First Sunday.
He portrayed "Father" in the romantic comedy action film Mr. & Mrs. Smith. At the same time, he has appeared in numerous independent films including the critically acclaimed Requiem for a Dream, playing the role of Big Tim. He has also appeared extensively in television productions since the 1980s and as a regular character Lieutenant Williams on the short-lived television series The Job. He was a regular on another shoot, The Big House, made for ABC in 2004. David portrayed Detective Jim Crenshaw in the 2010 horror film Chain Letter.
In 2010, David was cast as Max Malini for the NBC television series The Cape. On April 18, 2011, Keith appeared in the 21st episode of season one of Hawaii Five-0 as criminal tycoon Jimmy Cannon. In 2012, he appeared in the horror film Smiley and the science-fiction drama Cloud Atlas. In 2013, David appeared in the controversial drama Boiling Pot which is based on true events of racism. In 2014, David portrayed Command Sergeant Major Donald Cody in the Fox comedy series Enlisted. Later in 2014, David was cast as Elroy Patashnik in the sixth season of the sitcom Community.
In 2015, David was cast in the leading role alongside Lynn Whitfield in the Oprah Winfrey Network drama series Greenleaf.
Voice acting
David also works extensively as a voice actor. He was the voice of the Flame King in Adventure Time, King Andrias from Amphibia, Goliath from Gargoyles, the title character in the Spawn animated series, and Lemuel Kane in Archer. In the English dub of Princess Mononoke, David played the narrator and Okkoto. He played the role of Mama in the English dub of 3x3 Eyes. He provided the voice for the character Decker in the role-playing video game Fallout and the voice for the character Vhailor in Planescape: Torment. He provided the voice of the Arbiter for the video game Halo 2, released in 2004; later, he reprised that role in the Xbox 360 follow-up Halo 3. He portrayed the character again in Halo: The Master Chief Collection and also in Halo 5: Guardians, released in 2014 and 2015 respectively. He played the role of Captain David Anderson in BioWare's Mass Effect series.
David did voice work in the video game Saints Row and its sequel Saints Row II, playing gang leader of the 3rd Street Saints Julius Little, as well as voicing himself in Saints Row IV. He is also heard on the intro of several Ice Cube projects, including Westside Connection's 2003 release Terrorist Threats, Cube's 2008 solo album Raw Footage, Cube's 2010 solo album I Am the West, and he narrated the documentary Beef II, which also featured Ice Cube.
He provides the voice for the UPS "What Can Brown Do for You" commercials. He did the voice of Despero in the two part episode "Hearts and Minds" of Justice League. He has done voice work for early Adult Swim commercials for Inuyasha.
He has worked with documentary filmmaker Ken Burns numerous times, narrating Burns' Jazz, Mark Twain, The War, Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson, Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali, and Leonardo da Vinci. David won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance for his work in The War and Unforgivable Blackness. He performs the narration duties in the BBC documentary, World War II: Behind Closed Doors.
The 2004 PBS documentary Ancient Refuge in the Holy Land and the 2005 History Channel documentary Crusades: Crescent & the Cross focusing on the medieval Crusades were both narrated by him, as well as the 2003 National Geographic documentary Inside Mecca. He later parodied his documentary work by narrating the 2012 episode of Community, "Pillows and Blankets", a mockumentary revolving around a pillow fight between rival blanket forts.
David has done voice-over work for many other documentaries including several for National Geographic and the documentary Comic Book Superheroes Unmasked for the History Channel. He replaced Paul Winfield as narrator for the A&E show City Confidential, taking over after Winfield's death in 2004. He voiced the trailer for the film Primeval, which was released in the United States on January 12, 2007.
David provided the voice of police detective Alex Cross for the audiobook versions of three novels by James Patterson: Cat and Mouse (1997), Pop Goes the Weasel (1999), and Roses are Red (2000). Other voice roles include Bebe Proud Clone from The Proud Family Movie, Atlas from Teen Titans, the lone renegade male gorilla Tublat in The Legend of Tarzan, and the Decepticon Barricade in Transformers: The Game.
He voiced Apollo the Sun God in Hercules, Council Member in Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, the Black Cat in Coraline, Sergeant Foley in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Dr. Facilier in The Princess and the Frog, and the Big Man for The Spectacular Spider-Man episode "Survival of the Fittest".
On May 25, 2008, he narrated Kansas City's Celebration at the Station, a Memorial Day service held annually at the World War I Memorial. During the ceremony, he announced the attendance of Frank W. Buckles, the last living veteran of World War I. He was the voice of Frederick Douglass in the third episode of the PBS documentary God in America: How Religious Liberty Shaped America in 2010.
David returned to the Saints Row series in Saints Row IV, voicing a fictionalized version of himself as well as reprising Julius Little. He is the narrator of the History Channel series The Bible which premiered on March 3, 2013.
David voiced the superhero gorilla Solovar in the two-part Gorilla City episode of The Flash. Keith David also has a recurring role as the President of the United States in the adult animated series Rick and Morty.
David was the narrator of the MLB Network special Mr. Padre, the video biography of San Diego Padres Hall-of-Fame outfielder Tony Gwynn.
David has also narrated several WWE documentaries including The True Story of Wrestlemania and the 20 episodes of The Monday Night War, documenting the battle between WWE Raw and WCW Nitro.
David later recurred in Stargirl as the voice of Mister Bones.
David will be assuming the role of Commander Zavala in the Destiny franchise beginning in Destiny 2: The Final Shape, taking over the role from the late Lance Reddick.
Stage acting
In 1992, David received a Tony Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical for his performance in Jelly's Last Jam. David received raves for his Shakespeare work on stage in Central Park, New York City. In 1995, he played the lead as Floyd "Schoolboy" Barton in August Wilson's Seven Guitars on Broadway. In 1995, David acted alongside Whitney Houston, Cedric the Entertainer, and Samuel E. Wright in the 1995 Apollo revival of The Wiz. In May 2006, he appeared in the musical Hot Feet on Broadway in New York. David appeared in the 2013 revival of August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come and Gone at the Mark Taper Theater in Los Angeles. Directed by Phylicia Rashad, he played the part of innkeeper Seth Holly.
His performance in Ebony Repertory Theatre's 2014 Paul Robeson by Phillip Hayes Dean was scheduled for March 12, 2014, but was postponed due to a knee injury and opened on Friday, March 21, 2014.
From April 21, 2015, to May 10, 2015, Keith David starred as Dolomite in the off-Broadway play ToasT. The play (produced by Lemon Andersen and co-starred Hill Harper) was set in the Attica Prison around the time of its 1971 prison riot and told of the lives of its prisoners, using poetic prose.
Personal life
He has married twice. He has one son from his first marriage and two daughters from his second marriage.
When asked in an interview on his narration work of The Bible if he was a religious man, he said: "I'm not a religious man. I'm a man of spirit. Religion can get political. I believe in God and spirit. I believe in church. I've been baptized. I've gone to Catholic, Baptist, Episcopal and Church of God in Christ." In the same interview, he credited his success to God's grace and said his favorite scripture is Psalm 116.
During a live Twitter Q&A in 2017, David listed Dr. Facilier, Spawn, and Goliath as his three favorite voice roles.
In April 2023, David endorsed author and Democratic primary challenger Marianne Williamson for president in the 2024 elections.
Filmography
Film
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Denotes works that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Disco Godfather | Club Patron | Uncredited |
| 1982 | The Thing | Childs | |
| 1986 | Platoon | King | |
| The Whoopee Boys | Washington Square Peddler | ||
| 1987 | Hot Pursuit | Alphonso | |
| 1988 | Braddock: Missing in Action III | Embassy Gate Captain | |
| Off Limits | Maurice | ||
| Stars and Bars | Eugene Teagarden | ||
| Bird | Buster Smith | ||
| They Live | Frank | ||
| 1989 | Road House | Ernie Bass | |
| Always | "Powerhouse" | ||
| 1990 | Men at Work | Louis Fedders | |
| Marked for Death | Max Keller | ||
| 1992 | Final Analysis | Detective Huggins | |
| Nails | Noah Owens | ||
| Article 99 | Luther Jermoe | ||
| 1994 | Reality Bites | Roger | |
| The Puppet Masters | Alex Holland | ||
| 1995 | Clockers | Trence "The Giant" Ashley | |
| Dead Presidents | Kirby | ||
| The Quick and the Dead | Sergeant Cantrell | ||
| Blue in the Face | Jackie Robinson | ||
| 1996 | Loose Women | Stylist | |
| The Grave | The Priest | ||
| Eye for an Eye | Martin | ||
| Larger than Life | Hurst | ||
| Never Met Picasso | Larry | ||
| Johns | Homeless John | ||
| 1997 | Volcano | Police Lieutenant Ed Fox | |
| Hercules | Apollo | Voice | |
| Executive Target | Lamar | ||
| Flipping | Leo Richards | ||
| 1998 | Armageddon | General Kimsey | |
| There's Something About Mary | Charlie | ||
| 1999 | Princess Mononoke | Okkoto | Voice, English dub |
| 2000 | Dark Summer | Detective Davis | |
| Pitch Black | Abu "Imam" Al-Walid | ||
| Requiem for a Dream | Big Tim | ||
| Where the Heart Is | Moses Whitecotten | ||
| The Replacements | Lindell | ||
| 2001 | Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within | Council Member #1 | Voice |
| Novocaine | Detective Lunt | ||
| Pretty When You Cry | Detective Charles Desett | ||
| 2002 | 29 Palms | The Sheriff | |
| Barbershop | Lester Wallace | ||
| 2003 | Kaena: The Prophecy | Voxem | Voice, English dub |
| Agent Cody Banks | CIA Director | ||
| Head of State | Bernard Cooper | ||
| Hollywood Homicide | Captain Leon | ||
| The Hard Road | Narrator | Documentary | |
| 2004 | Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London | CIA Director | |
| The Chronicles of Riddick | Imam | ||
| The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury | Imam Abu Al-Walid | Voice, direct-to-video | |
| Crash | Lieutenant Dixon | ||
| Beef II | Narrator | Documentary Direct-to-video |
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| 2005 | Mr. & Mrs. Smith | Father | |
| Transporter 2 | FBI Agent Stappleton | ||
| Dirty | Captain Spain | ||
| 2006 | The Oh in Ohio | Coach Popovitch | |
| Behind Enemy Lines II: Axis of Evil | MCPO Scott Boytano | Direct-to-video | |
| ATL | John Garnett | ||
| 2007 | If I Had Known I Was a Genius | Dad | |
| Delta Farce | Sergeant Kilgore | ||
| The Last Sentinel | Colonel Norton, Gun Voice 2 | Voice | |
| 2008 | Beautiful Loser | Morgan - Adult | |
| First Sunday | Judge B. Bennet Galloway | ||
| Justice League: The New Frontier | The Centre | Voice, direct-to-video | |
| Superhero Movie | The Chief of Police | ||
| My Mom's New Boyfriend | FBI Chief Conrad | ||
| The Fifth Commandment | Max "Coolbreeze" Templeton | ||
| No Bad Days | Terrence | ||
| The Sensei | The Minister | ||
| 2009 | Behind Enemy Lines: Colombia | Commander Scott Boytano | Direct-to-video |
| Coraline | The Cat | Voice | |
| Against the Dark | Lieutenant Waters | Direct-to-video | |
| Charlie Valentine | Sal | ||
| Don McKay | Otis Kent | ||
| The Butcher | Larry Cobb | ||
| The Princess and the Frog | Dr. Facilier | Voice | |
| Gamer | Agent Keith | ||
| All About Steve | Corbitt | ||
| Pastor Brown | Pastor Brown | ||
| 2010 | Death at a Funeral | Reverend Davis | |
| Lottery Ticket | "Sweet Tee" | ||
| Chasing 3000 | Officer L. | ||
| Stomp the Yard: Homecoming | Terry Harris | ||
| Something Like a Business | Sebastian | ||
| Chain Letter | Detective Jim Crenshaw | ||
| Meet Monica Velour | Claude | ||
| 2011 | The Inheritance | Uncle Melvin | Also executive producer |
| No Saints for Sinners | Victor | ||
| Spork | Coach Jenkins | ||
| The Greening of Whitney Brown | Clerk | ||
| Snowflake, the White Gorilla | Anvil | Voice, direct-to-video | |
| Hopelessly In June | Dalbert Myers | ||
| 2012 | Cloud Atlas | Kupaka, Joe Napier, An-kor Apis, Prescient | |
| Smiley | Diamond | ||
| Highway | Mustafa | ||
| Don't Pass Me By | David Knox | ||
| The Last Fall | Sydney Bishop | ||
| The Undershepherd | Brother Wilks | ||
| Christmas in Compton | Earl "Big Earl" | ||
| 2013 | Assault on Wall Street | Freddy | |
| Free Birds | Chief Broadbeak | Voice | |
| The Frog Kingdom | Frog King | Voice | |
| Sons of Liberty | Nathan Reynolds | ||
| H4 | Worcester | ||
| 2014 | Field of Lost Shoes | Old Judge | |
| Secrets of the Magic City | Mr. Daniels | ||
| Birds of Paradise | Old Buzzard | Voice, direct-to-video | |
| 2015 | Kids vs Monsters | Barry | |
| Boiling Pot | Agent Long | ||
| Huevos: Little Rooster's Egg-cellent Adventure | Don Alfonso | Voice, English dub | |
| Union Furnace | Pin Stripe | ||
| 2016 | Range 15 | Colonel Holloway | |
| The Nice Guys | Older Guy | ||
| Nina | Clifton's Father | ||
| Dirty Lies | Doc | ||
| 2017 | Savage Dog | Valentine | |
| 2018 | American Dresser | Charlie Wild | |
| Tales from the Hood 2 | Portifoy Simms | Direct-to-video | |
| Night School | Gerald Walker | ||
| You Might Be the Killer | Sheriff James | Voice | |
| Love Jacked | Ed | ||
| Sharon 1.2.3. | Tyrone | ||
| 2019 | Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror | Himself | Documentary |
| The Wedding Year | Preston | ||
| In Search of Darkness | Himself | Documentary | |
| 21 Bridges | Deputy Chief Spencer | ||
| 2020 | Horizon Line | Wyman | |
| In Search of Darkness: Part II | Himself | Documentary | |
| Most Guys Are Losers | Al | ||
| 2021 | The Seventh Day | Father Louis | |
| The Gateway | Terry | ||
| Black as Night | Babineaux | ||
| Pups Alone | The Wise Bartender | ||
| 2022 | Catwoman: Hunted | Tobias Whale | Voice, direct-to-video |
| The Prank | Principal Henderson | ||
| Unplugging | T-Bone | ||
| Nope | Otis Haywood Sr. | ||
| DC League of Super-Pets | Dog-El | Voice | |
| Remember Me: The Mahalia Jackson Story | Ink Williams | ||
| 2023 | A Snowy Day in Oakland | Mr. Monroe | |
| American Fiction | Willy the Wonker | Nominated – Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | |
| 2024 | Shelby Oaks | Morton Jacobson | |
| Mufasa: The Lion King | Masego | ||
| 2025 | Sneaks |
O.G. | Voice; in production |
| TBA | The Gettysburg Address |
Frederick Douglass | Voice, documentary; post-production |
| Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice |
TBA | Filming |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983–1985 | Mister Rogers' Neighborhood | Keith David the Handyman | 9 episodes |
| 1988 | The Equalizer | Cristo | Episode: "Sea of Fire" |
| Ladykillers | Abe | Television film | |
| Christmas in Tattertown | Saxophone, additional characters | Voice, television film | |
| 1989 | A Man Called Hawk | Jesse | Episode: "Vendetta" |
| 1990 | Murder in Black and White | Martin | Television film |
| Against the Law | Otis Turnbull | Episode: "Requiem in B Flat" | |
| 1991 | 3×3 Eyes | Mama, additional characters | English dub |
| 1993 | The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles | King Oliver | Episode: "Mystery of the Blues" |
| TriBeCa | The Reader | Episode: "Honor" | |
| The Last Outlaw | Lovecraft | Television film | |
| American Playhouse | Big Willie | Episode: "Hallelujah" | |
| There Are No Children Here | John Paul Rivers | Television film | |
| 1994–1995 | Aladdin | Minos, King Zahbar | Voice, 3 episodes |
| 1994–1997 | Gargoyles | Goliath, Thailog, Officer Morgan | Voice, 78 episodes |
| 1995 | Fantastic Four | Black Panther | Voice, episode: "Prey of the Black Panther" |
| 1996 | New York Undercover | Reverend Harris | 2 episodes |
| Timon & Pumbaa | Mr. Pig | Voice, episode: "Animal Barn" | |
| 1997 | Vanishing Point | Warren Taft | Television film |
| Murder, She Wrote: South by Southwest | Algric Bartles | Television film | |
| Don King: Only in America | Jabir Herbert Muhammad | Television film | |
| 1997–1999 | Todd McFarlane's Spawn | Lieutenant Colonel Al Simmons / Spawn | Voice, 18 episodes |
| 1998 | Hercules | Apollo | Voice, 2 episodes |
| The Tiger Woods Story | Earl Woods | Television film | |
| 1999 | A.T.F. | F.B.I. Director Richard Long | Television film |
| 2000 | The Outer Limits | Captain Ira Merit | Episode: "Abaddon" |
| The Race for the Poles | Narrator | Voice, documentary | |
| 2001 | Law & Order | John Robertson | Episode: "Bronx Cheer" |
| Semper Fi | Gunnery Sergeant Brinkloff | Television film | |
| Going to California | Paradise | Episode: "I Know Why the Caged Rhino Sings" | |
| Jazz | Narrator | Voice, 10 episodes | |
| The Legend of Tarzan | Tublat | Voice, 3 episodes | |
| House of Mouse | Card Soldier | Voice, episode: "The Stolen Cartoons" | |
| 2001–2002 | The Job | Lieutenant Williams | 9 episodes |
| 2002 | Arliss | Cecil Pickett | Episode: "Standards and Practices" |
| 2003 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Matt Phelps | Episode: "Random Acts of Violence" |
| Spider-Man: The New Animated Series | Agent Mosely | Voice, 2 episodes | |
| Kingdom of David: The Saga of the Israelites | Narrator | Voice, documentary | |
| Justice League | Despero | Voice, episode: "Hearts and Minds" | |
| Inside Mecca | Narrator | Voice, documentary | |
| 2004 | The Big House | Clarence Cleveland | 5 episodes |
| Teen Titans | Atlas | Voice, episode: "Only Human" | |
| Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson | Narrator | Voice, documentary | |
| 2004–2005 | City Confidential | Narrator | |
| 2005 | Grey's Anatomy | Lloyd Mackie | 2 episodes |
| Everwood | Brian | Episode: "Pro Choice" | |
| The Proud Family Movie | BeBe Clone | Voice, television film | |
| The Crusades: Crescent and the Cross | Narrator | Voice, documentary | |
| 2006–2007 | ER | Pastor Watkins | 5 episodes |
| 7th Heaven | Stanley Sunday | 4 episodes | |
| 2007 | The War | Narrator | Voice, documentary |
| 2008 | The Spectacular Spider-Man | Big Man | Voice, episode: "Survival of the Fittest" |
| Canterbury's Law | Miles Grant | 2 episodes | |
| World War II Behind Closed Doors | Narrator | Voice, documentary | |
| SIS | Joseph Armstrong | Television film | |
| Psych | Mr. Guster | Episode: "Christmas Joy" | |
| 2009 | Numbers | Jeremiah Miller | Episode: "Hydra" |
| 2010 | Funny or Die Presents | Sleeping Celebrity | Episode: "Episode Six" |
| Ken Burns' Baseball: The Tenth Inning | Narrator | Voice; 2 episodes | |
| 2011 | The Cape | Max Malini | 10 episodes |
| Hawaii Five-0 | Jimmy Cannon | Episode: "Ho'opa'i" | |
| Allen Gregory | Carl Trent D'Avis "Cole Train" | Voice, 5 episodes | |
| WWE The True Story of WrestleMania | Narrator | Voice, special | |
| 2012 | Robot Chicken | Various characters | Voice, episode: "Hemlock Gin and Juice" |
| WWE WrestleMania XXVIII | Narrator | Voice, special | |
| Community | Narrator | Voice, episode: "Pillows and Blankets" | |
| 2012–2017 | Adventure Time | Flame King, Balthus | Voice, 8 episodes |
| 2013 | Belle's | William "Big Bill" Cooper | 6 episodes |
| Young Justice | Mongul | Voice, episode: "War" | |
| Touch | Dutch | Episode: "Ghosts" | |
| The Bible | Narrator | Voice, 10 episodes | |
| Once Upon a Time in Wonderland | Cheshire Cat | Voice, episode: "Down the Rabbit Hole" | |
| 2014 | Things You Shouldn't Say Past Midnight | Dean | 2 episodes |
| Enlisted | Sergeant Major Donald Cody | 13 episodes | |
| Scorpion | Warden | Episode: "Father's Day" | |
| 2015 | Archer | Lemuel Kane | Voice, episode: "The Kanes" |
| Big Time in Hollywood, FL | Agent Everett Malloy | 6 episodes | |
| Community | Elroy Patashnik | 12 episodes | |
| Mr. Robot | Qwerty | Voice, episode: "eps1.3_da3m0ns.mp4" | |
| 2015–present | Rick and Morty | The President / Andre Curtis, Reverse Giraffe | Voice, 10 episodes |
| 2015 | Extant | Nicholas Calderon | Episode: "Zugzwang" |
| Black Jesus | Reverend Otis | 3 episodes | |
| Uncle Grandpa | Santa Claus | Voice, episode: "Secret Santa" | |
| 2015–2016 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | Sal Commander | Voice, 3 episodes |
| 2016 | Person of Interest | Terence Beale | Episode: "Truth Be Told" |
| Kulipari | Lord Marmoo | Voice, 13 episodes | |
| The 600: The History of NASCAR's Toughest Race | Narrator | Voice, documentary | |
| 2016–2020 | Greenleaf | Bishop James Greenleaf | 60 episodes |
| 2017 | Regular Show | Streaming | Voice, episode: "A Regular Epic Final Battle" |
| OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes | Crinkly Wrinkly | Voice, episode: "Legends of Mr. Gar" | |
| Ben 10 | Yawk | Voice, episode: "Mayhem in Mascot" | |
| BoJack Horseman | Lion Musician | Voice, episode: "Hooray! Todd Episode" | |
| Future Man | Dr. Kronish | 5 episodes | |
| We Bare Bears | Barry's Dad | Voice, episode: "Icy Nights II" | |
| Speechless | Colonel Clements | Episode: "B-r-i-- British I-n-v-- Invasion" | |
| Superior Donuts | John | Episode: "Homeless for the Holidays" | |
| 2017–2020 | The Flash | Solovar | Voice, 3 episodes |
| 2017–2018 | Stretch Armstrong and the Flex Fighters | Malcolm Kane | Voice, 20 episode |
| 2018–2021 | Final Space | Bolo | Voice, 10 episodes |
| 2018 | SpongeBob SquarePants | Gary's Collar | Voice, episode: "Chatterbox Gary" |
| New Warriors | Ernest Vigman / MODOK | Voice, pilot | |
| Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure | Additional Voices | 2 episodes | |
| Champaign ILL | Lafonso | 10 episodes | |
| 2018–2019 | Star vs. the Forces of Evil | Glossaryck | Voice, 12 episodes |
| 2019 | Avengers Assemble | T'Chaka | Voice, episode: "Bashenga" |
| Fresh Off the Boat | Clyde Roses | Episode: "Grandma's Boys" | |
| Craig of the Creek | Narrator | Voice, episode: "Craig and the Kid's Table" | |
| 2019–2020 | The Last Kids on Earth | Thrull | Voice, 6 episodes |
| 2020 | Family Guy | Jazz Documentary Narrator | Voice, episode: "Short Cuts" |
| NCIS: New Orleans | Gene Holloway | 2 episodes | |
| MacGyver | Agent Burke | Episode: "Father + Son + Father + Matriarch" | |
| Black-ish | Loose Craig | Episode: "Earl, Interrupted" | |
| JJ Villard's Fairy Tales | Lionel | Voice, episode: "Rumpelstiltskin" | |
| 2020–2022 | Amphibia | King Andrias Leviathan | Voice, 15 episodes |
| 2020 | Woke | Bible | Voice, episode: "Prayers for Kubby" |
| The Good Lord Bird | Herbert | Episode: "Meet the Lord" | |
| 2020–2021 | Summer Camp Island | Lithophone, Tummy | Voice, 2 episodes |
| 2021 | Close Enough | Campbell's Mug | Voice, episode: "Time Hooch/World's Greatest Teacher" |
| DuckTales | Manny the Headless Man-Horse | Voice, episode: "The Last Adventure!" | |
| Creepshow | Mr. Murdoch | Episode: "Pesticide" | |
| Central Park | Ward Wittlinger | Voice, episode: "Of Course You Realize This Means Ward" | |
| Muhammad Ali | Narrator | Voice, documentary | |
| Love Life | Narrator | Voice, 10 episodes | |
| 2021–2022 | Stargirl | Mister Bones | Voice, 3 episodes |
| 2022 | The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse | Narrator | Voice, episode: "The Wonderful Spring of Mickey Mouse" |
| Entergalactic | Mr. Rager | Voice, television special | |
| From Scratch | Hershel Wheeler | 8 episodes | |
| Leverage: Redemption | Billy Spencer | Episode: "The Fractured Job" | |
| 2022–2023 | American Dad! | Fire Chief | Voice, 2 episodes |
| 2022–2024 | Firebuds | Manny Kablamee | Voice, 3 episodes |
| 2023 | The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder | Clone BeBe | Voice, episode: "Us Again" |
| Chibiverse | King Andrias Leviathan | Voice, episode: "Chibi Villains Unite" | |
| True Lies | Albert "Al" Gibson Sr. | Episode: "Independent Dependents" | |
| Justified: City Primeval | Judge Alvin Guy | Episode: "City Primeval" | |
| Transformers: EarthSpark | Grimlock | Voice, 5 episodes | |
| My Dad the Bounty Hunter | B'Caala | Voice, 3 episodes | |
| Pluto | Dr. Tenma | English dub, 5 episodes | |
| 2023–present | Krapopolis | Asskill | Voice, 4 episodes |
| 2024 | Hazbin Hotel | Husk | Voice, main role |
| Masters of the Universe: Revolution | Hordak | Voice, 3 episodes | |
| Kite Man: Hell Yeah! | Darkseid | Voice | |
| Hit-Monkey | Mephisto, the Devil | Voice, Season 2 | |
| Gremlins: The Wild Batch | TBA | Voice | |
| TBA | Duster | Ezra | Upcoming series |
| TBA | The Sensitive Kind | TBA | Upcoming series |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Fallout | Decker | |
| 1998 | Disney's Hades Challenge | Apollo | |
| 1999 | Planescape: Torment | Vhailor | |
| 2003 | Lords of EverQuest | Lord Vekk | |
| 2004 | Halo 2 | Arbiter Thel 'Vadamee / Thel 'Vadam | |
| 2006 | Saints Row | Julius Little | |
| 2007 | Transformers: The Game | Barricade | |
| Halo 3 | Arbiter Thel 'Vadam | ||
| Mass Effect | David Anderson | ||
| 2008 | Saints Row 2 | Julius Little | |
| Dissidia Final Fantasy | Chaos | ||
| 2009 | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 | Sergeant Foley | |
| The Princess and the Frog | Dr. Facilier | ||
| Coraline | Narrator, The Cat | ||
| 2010 | Mass Effect 2 | David Anderson | |
| Megamind | Psycho Dellic | ||
| 2011 | Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy | Chaos | |
| 2012–2013 | Mass Effect 3 | David Anderson | |
| 2013 | Marvel Heroes | Nick Fury | |
| Saints Row IV | Vice President Keith David | ||
| 2014 | Halo: The Master Chief Collection | Arbiter Thel 'Vadamee / Thel 'Vadam | |
| 2015 | Halo 5: Guardians | Arbiter Thel 'Vadam | |
| 2019 | Darksiders: Genesis | Moloch | |
| 2020 | Mortal Kombat 11 | Al Simmons / Spawn | |
| 2022 | Pocket Mortys | The President / Andre Curtis | |
| 2024 | Destiny 2: The Final Shape | Commander Zavala | Replaced Lance Reddick |
Theme parks
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom | Dr. Facilier | Voice |
Theatre
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | The Haggadah | Performer | Original Off-Broadway Production |
| 1980 | The Lady from Dubuque | Oscar | Broadway |
| 1982 | Alec Wilder - Clues To A Life | Performer | Original Off-Off-Broadway Production |
| 1986 | The Tale of Madame Zora | Original Off-Off-Broadway Production | |
| 1986 | Romeo and Juliet | Capulet | Broadway Revivals (performed in repertory) |
| 1986 | As You Like It | Jaques | |
| 1986 | Macbeth | Macbeth (alternate) | |
| 1991 | Jelly's Last Jam | Chimney Man | World Premiere |
| 1992 | Jelly's Last Jam | Chimney Man | Original Broadway Production |
| 1994 | Hedda Gabler | Judge Brack | Broadway Revival |
| 1996 | Seven Guitars | Floyd Barton | Broadway |
| 2006 | Hot Feet | Victor | Original Broadway Production |
| 2013 | Joe Turner's Come and Gone | Seth Holly | Los Angeles Revival |
| 2014 | Paul Robeson | Paul Robeson | Los Angeles |
| 2015 | ToasT | Dolomite | Off-Broadway |
See also
In Spanish: Keith David para niños
