Ruby Dee

Date of Birth: October 27, 1922

Zodiac Sign: Scorpio

Date of Death: June 11, 2014

Biography

Ruby Dee was an acclaimed American actress, poet, playwright, screenwriter, journalist, and civil rights activist. Born Ruby Ann Wallace on October 27, 1922, in Cleveland, Ohio, she grew up in Harlem, New York, where she began her career in theatre and eventually moved into film and television. Dee’s career spanned over seven decades, during which she became known for her powerful performances and dedication to social justice. She made her Broadway debut in 1943 in the play “South Pacific,” not to be confused with the musical of the same name. Ruby Dee’s film debut came in 1950 with “The Jackie Robinson Story,” in which she played the wife of the pioneering baseball player. Her notable film roles include “A Raisin in the Sun” (1961), “Do the Right Thing” (1989), and “American Gangster” (2007), for which she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Throughout her career, Ruby Dee was also a prominent figure in the Civil Rights Movement, working closely with figures like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. She was married to actor Ossie Davis from 1948 until his death in 2005, and together they were a formidable force in both the arts and activism.

5 Interesting Facts about Ruby Dee

1. Ruby Dee was one of the first African-American women to appear in major roles at the American Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Connecticut.

2. She and her husband Ossie Davis were inducted into the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame in 1989.

3. Ruby Dee was a member of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), the NAACP, and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

4. She won a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for “With Ossie and Ruby: In This Life Together” in 2007.

5. Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis were honored with the National Medal of Arts in 1995 by President Bill Clinton.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Ruby Dee

1. “The kind of beauty I want most is the hard-to-get kind that comes from within – strength, courage, dignity.”

2. “God, make me so uncomfortable that I will do the very thing I fear.”

3. “The greatest gift is not being afraid to question.”

4. “You just try to do the best you can, and that’s all you can ask of yourself.”

5. “There is a world of difference between truth and facts. Facts can obscure the truth.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

At the peak of her career, Ruby Dee’s net worth was estimated to be around $2.5 million.

Children

Ruby Dee had three children with Ossie Davis: Guy Davis, Nora Day, and Hasna Muhammad. Guy Davis is a blues musician, Nora Day is an educator, and Hasna Muhammad is a visual artist and photographer.