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 Williams (born June 4, 1956) is a famous American actor. He is known for his deep, powerful voice and his strong presence in many movies, TV shows, plays, and video games. He has acted in over 400 different roles!
Keith David has been in popular films like The Thing (1982), Platoon (1986), and They Live (1988). More recently, he appeared in American Fiction (2023). On TV, he played Elroy Patashnik in the show Community (2015) and Bishop James Greenleaf in Greenleaf (2016–2020).
He is also a very successful voice actor. He has won Emmy Awards for his voice work. He narrated many films by Ken Burns, including Jazz (2001) and Muhammad Ali (2021). Kids might know his voice as Dr. Facilier from The Princess and the Frog (2009) or the Cat from Coraline (2009). He also voiced Goliath in Gargoyles (1994–1997) and King Andrias in Amphibia (2020–2022). In video games, he voiced the Arbiter in the Halo games and Commander Zavala in Destiny 2: The Final Shape.
In July 2025, Keith David was chosen to receive a star on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2026. This is a big honor for actors!
Contents
Early Life and Education
Keith David was born on June 4, 1956, in Harlem, a neighborhood in New York City. He grew up in Corona, Queens, also in New York City. His mother, Dolores, worked as a manager at a phone company. His father, Lester Williams, managed payroll operations.
Keith David first wanted to be an actor after playing the Cowardly Lion in a school play of The Wizard of Oz. He then went to the High School of Performing Arts in Manhattan, a special school for talented students. After high school, he studied drama at the Juilliard School from 1975 to 1979. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1979.
Acting Career Highlights
Keith David's career began on stage. In the early 1980s, he toured with a theater group called The Acting Company. He performed in plays like A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Movies and TV Shows
In 1982, Keith David got a big movie role as Childs in The Thing. This movie helped start his long career on screen. In the 1980s, he even appeared on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood as Keith the Southwood Carpenter.
He continued to appear in many films, including Platoon and They Live. He was also in Dead Presidents (1995) and Clockers (1995). Other movies he appeared in include Volcano, Armageddon, and There's Something About Mary. He also played "Father" in the action-comedy Mr. & Mrs. Smith.
On television, he was a regular character, Lieutenant Williams, in the show The Job. In 2011, he appeared in an episode of Hawaii Five-0. He also acted in the science-fiction drama Cloud Atlas in 2012. From 2016 to 2020, he had a main role as Bishop James Greenleaf in the drama series Greenleaf.
Voice Acting Roles
Keith David is very well-known for his voice acting. He has voiced many characters in animated shows and movies. He was the voice of the Flame King in Adventure Time and King Andrias in Amphibia. He also voiced Goliath in the popular cartoon Gargoyles and the main character in the Spawn animated series.
He has lent his voice to many video games. He voiced the Arbiter in the Halo series, a popular video game franchise. He also voiced Julius Little in the Saints Row games and Captain David Anderson in the Mass Effect series. In 2024, he took over the role of Commander Zavala in Destiny 2: The Final Shape.
Keith David has narrated many documentaries, especially for filmmaker Ken Burns. He narrated Jazz, The War, and Muhammad Ali. He won Emmy Awards for his narration in The War and Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson. He also narrated The Bible TV series in 2013.
He voiced the superhero gorilla Solovar in The Flash TV series. He also has a recurring role as the President of the United States in the animated series Rick and Morty.
Stage Performances
Keith David has also had a successful career on stage. In 1992, he was nominated for a Tony Award for his role in the musical Jelly's Last Jam. He has performed in plays by famous writers like August Wilson. In 1995, he played Floyd "Schoolboy" Barton in Wilson's play Seven Guitars on Broadway. He also appeared in a 1995 revival of The Wiz.
In 2015, Keith David starred in an off-Broadway play called ToasT. The play was about the lives of prisoners in the Attica Prison during a riot in 1971.
Personal Life
Keith David has been married twice and has three children. He has one son from his first marriage and two daughters from his second marriage.
When asked about his beliefs, he said he is a "man of spirit" rather than strictly religious. He believes in God and has attended different types of churches. He credits his success to God's grace.
In 2017, he shared that his favorite voice roles were Dr. Facilier, Spawn, and Goliath.
Images for kids
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David in 2010
See also
In Spanish: Keith David para niños
