Keith David Williams is an American actor known for his extensive acting career. He has starred in over 300 roles in film, stage, television, and interactive media. He has voiced characters in films such as The Thing, Platoon, They Live, Men at Work, Final Analysis, Larger than Life, Armageddon, Where the Heart Is, and American Fiction.
Williams has also starred in the NBC series Community and the Oprah Winfrey Network drama Greenleaf. He has won an Emmy for his voice-over work in Ken Burns films.
He has voiced characters such as Dr. Facilier in The Princess and the Frog and the Cat in Coraline. Williams has also portrayed various characters in video games. These include Arbiter Thel ‘Vadamee in the Halo franchise, Julius Little in the Saints Row series, Admiral Anderson in the Mass Effect series, Chaos in Dissidia Final Fantasy, Sergeant Foley in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and Commander Zavala in Destiny 2.
In this article, we’ll discuss the details of Keith Davi early life, his career , movies and tv shows list and many more.
Keith David – Brief Introduction
David Williams, born in 1956 in Harlem, New York City. He initially aspired to become an actor after playing the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz. He studied at Manhattan’s High School of Performing Arts and later at Juilliard School’s Drama Division. He graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1979.
David has two children and has been married twice. He is not a religious man but considers himself a man of spirit. He believes in God and church. He has been baptized and has attended various churches. He cites God’s grace as the reason for his success.
In 2017, David listed Dr. Facilier, Spawn, and Goliath as his Favorite voice roles. In April 2023, he endorsed Democratic primary challenger Marianne Williamson for the 2024 elections.
Career – Film and Tv
David began his acting career in 1980–81 with John Houseman’s The Acting Company, starring in productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot. He later starred as Childs in John Carpenter’s The Thing. He also played Keith in Mister Rogers’ Neighbourhood.
David appeared in films like Platoon, They Live, Men at Work, Marked for Death, and Stars and Bars. He also starred in Dead Presidents and Clockers. In addition, David appeared in various independent films, including Requiem for a Dream.
He has appeared in television productions since the 1980s, including The Job and The Big House. In 2010, David portrayed Max Malini in The Cape. He also appeared in Hawaii Five-0, Smiley, Cloud Atlas, Boiling Pot, Enlisted, Community, and Greenleaf. In 2015, David was cast in the leading role alongside Lynn Whitfield in the Oprah Winfrey Network drama series Greenleaf.
Voice and Stage Acting
Keith David is a renowned voice actor who has worked on various projects, including the video game Saints Row and its sequel, Saints Row IV, and the Ice Cube projects. He has also provided the voice of Captain David Anderson in BioWare’s Mass Effect series. David has also worked with documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, narrating works such as The War and Unforgivable Blackness.
He has also narrated several documentaries, including the 2004 PBS documentary Ancient Refuge in the Holy Land and the 2005 History Channel documentary Crusades: Crescent & the Cross. He also parodied his documentary work by narrating the 2012 episode of Community, “Pillows and Blankets”.
David has also voiced characters from James Patterson’s novels, such as Cat and Mouse, Pop Goes the Weasel, and Roses are Red. He has also 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 Big Man in The Spectacular Spider-Man episode “Survival of the Fittest.”
In 2010, David narrated Kansas City’s Celebration at the Station, a Memorial Day service held annually at the World War I Memorial. He was also 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 and reprising Julius Little. He is also the narrator of the History Channel series The Bible, which premiered on March 3, 2013.
David has also starred in the Destiny franchise, beginning with Destiny 2: The Final Shape. He received a Tony Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical in 1992 and received raves for his Shakespeare work on stage. In 2015, David starred as Dolomite in the off-Broadway play ToasT, set in Attica Prison during the 1971 prison riot.
Keith David – Movies and Tv Shows List
Movies List
- 1979 – Disco Godfather – Club Patron (Uncredited)
- 1982 – The Thing – Childs
- 1986 – Platoon – King
- 1986 – The Whoopee Boys – Washington Square Peddler
- 1987 – Hot Pursuit – Alphonso
- 1988 – Bird – Buster Smith
- 1988 – Braddock: Missing in Action III – Embassy Gate Captain
- 1988 – Off Limits – Maurice
- 1988 – Stars and Bars – Eugene Teagarden
- 1988 – They Live – Frank
- 1989 – Always – “Powerhouse”
- 1989 – Road House – Ernie Bass
- 1990 – Marked for Death – Max Keller
- 1990 – Men at Work – Louis Fedders
- 1992 – Article 99 – Luther Jermoe
- 1992 – Final Analysis – Detective Huggins
- 1992 – Nails – Noah Owens
- 1994 – Reality Bites – Roger
- 1994 – The Puppet Masters – Alex Holland
- 1995 – Blue in the Face – Jackie Robinson
- 1995 – Clockers – Trence “The Giant” Ashley
- 1995 – Dead Presidents – Kirby
- 1995 – The Quick and the Dead – Sergeant Cantrell
TV Shows
- 1983–1985: Keith David appeared in Mister Rogers’ Neighbourhood as The Handyman across 9 episodes.
- 1988: He played Cristo in an episode titled “Sea of Fire” in The Equalizer. That same year, he appeared in the TV film Ladykillers as Abe and voiced characters, including a saxophone, in the TV film Christmas in Tattertown.
- 1989: David had a role in A Man Called Hawk as Jesse in the episode “Vendetta”.
- 1990: He portrayed Martin in the TV film Murder in Black and White and Otis Turnbull in Against the Law in the episode “Requiem in B Flat”.
- 1991: Provided English dub voices, including Mama, in 3×3 Eyes.
- 1993: He played King Oliver in The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (“Mystery of the Blues”), The Reader in TriBeCa (“Honor”), and Lovecraft in the TV film The Last Outlaw. Also appeared in American Playhouse as Big Willie in “Hallelujah”, and in the TV film There Are No Children Here as John Paul Rivers.
- 1994–1995: Voiced Minos and King Zahbar in three episodes of Aladdin.
- 1994–1997: Starred in Gargoyles as the voices of Goliath, Thailog, and Officer Morgan over 78 episodes.
- 1995: Voiced Black Panther in Fantastic Four (“Prey of the Black Panther”).
- 1996: Appeared in two episodes of New York Undercover as Reverend Harris and voiced Mr. Pig in Timon & Pumbaa (“Animal Barn”).
- 1997: Played Warren Taft in Vanishing Point, Algric Bartles in Murder, She Wrote: South by Southwest, and Jabir Herbert Muhammad in Don King: Only in America. Began voicing Al Simmons / Spawn in Todd McFarlane’s Spawn (1997–1999), totaling 18 episodes.
- 1998: Voiced Apollo in two episodes of Hercules and portrayed Earl Woods in The Tiger Woods Story.
- 1999: Appeared as F.B.I. Director Richard Long in A.T.F. (TV film).
- 2000: Played Captain Ira Merit in The Outer Limits (“Abaddon”), narrated the documentary The Race for the Poles.
- 2001: Acted as John Robertson in Law & Order (“Bronx Cheer”), Gunnery Sergeant Brinkloff in the TV film Semper Fi, Paradise in Going to California, narrated Jazz (10 episodes), voiced Tublat in The Legend of Tarzan (3 episodes), and Card Soldier in House of Mouse (“The Stolen Cartoons”).
- 2001–2002: Portrayed Lieutenant Williams in 9 episodes of The Job.
- 2002: Played Cecil Pickett in Arliss (“Standards and Practices”).
- 2003: Guest starred as Matt Phelps in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, voiced Agent Mosely in two episodes of Spider-Man: The New Animated Series, narrated Kingdom of David and Inside Mecca, and voiced Despero in Justice League (“Hearts and Minds”).
- 2004: Appeared as Clarence Cleveland in The Big House (5 episodes), voiced Atlas in Teen Titans (“Only Human”), narrated Unforgivable Blackness and began narrating City Confidential (2004–2005).
- 2005: Guest starred in Grey’s Anatomy (2 episodes) as Lloyd Mackie, in Everwood as Brian (“Pro Choice”), voiced a BeBe Clone in The Proud Family Movie, and narrated The Crusades: Crescent and the Cross.
- 2006–2007: Portrayed Pastor Watkins in ER (5 episodes), Stanley Sunday in 7th Heaven (4 episodes).
- 2007: Narrated The War, and appeared as himself in After Hours with Daniel Boulud.
- 2008: Voiced Big Man in The Spectacular Spider-Man, played Miles Grant in Canterbury’s Law, narrated World War II Behind Closed Doors, starred in SIS (TV film), and guest-starred in Psych as Mr. Guster.
- 2009: Appeared in Numbers (“Hydra”) as Jeremiah Miller.
- 2010: Played Sleeping Celebrity in Funny or Die Presents, and narrated Ken Burns’ Baseball: The Tenth Inning.
- 2011: Starred in The Cape as Max Malini (10 episodes), appeared in Hawaii Five-0 as Jimmy Cannon, voiced Carl Trent D’Avis in Allen Gregory (5 episodes), and narrated WWE The True Story of WrestleMania.
- 2012: Voiced characters in Robot Chicken, narrated WWE WrestleMania XXVIII and an episode of Community, and began voicing in Adventure Time (2012–2017) as Flame King and Balthus.
- 2013: Played Big Bill in Belle’s (6 episodes), Mongul in Young Justice (“War”), Dutch in Touch, narrated The Bible, and voiced Cheshire Cat in Once Upon a Time in Wonderland.
- 2014: Played Dean in Things You Shouldn’t Say Past Midnight, Sergeant Cody in Enlisted (13 episodes), and Warden in Scorpion.
- 2015: Voiced Lemuel Kane in Archer, appeared in Big Time in Hollywood, FL, Community (as Elroy Patashnik), and Mr. Robot (voice of Qwerty), and began voicing the President and others in Rick and Morty.
- 2015–2016: Voiced Sal Commander in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (3 episodes), appeared in Extant, Black Jesus, and voiced Santa in Uncle Grandpa.
- 2016: Guest starred in Person of Interest, voiced Lord Marmoo in Kulipari, and narrated The 600.
- 2016–2020: Starred as Bishop James Greenleaf in Greenleaf (60 episodes).
- 2017: Voiced in Regular Show, OK K.O.!, Ben 10, BoJack Horseman, appeared in Future Man, We Bare Bears, Speechless, and Superior Donuts.
- 2017–2020: Voiced Solovar in The Flash (3 episodes).
- 2017–2018: Voiced Malcolm Kane in Stretch Armstrong and the Flex Fighters.
- 2018–2021: Voiced Bolo in Final Space.
- 2018: Voiced Gary’s Collar in SpongeBob, appeared in New Warriors, Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure, and Champaign ILL.
- 2018–2019: Voiced Glossaryck in Star vs. the Forces of Evil.
- 2019: Voiced T’Chaka in Avengers Assemble, appeared in Fresh Off the Boat, narrated in Craig of the Creek.
- 2019–2020: Voiced Thrull in The Last Kids on Earth.
- 2020: Voiced in Family Guy, appeared in NCIS: New Orleans, MacGyver, Black-ish, JJ Villard’s Fairy Tales, began voicing King Andrias in Amphibia, appeared in Woke, The Good Lord Bird, and Summer Camp Island.
- 2021: Voiced in Close Enough, DuckTales, Creepshow, Central Park, Muhammad Ali, Love Life, and Stargirl (2021–2022).
- 2022: Voiced in The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse, Entergalactic, starred in From Scratch, Leverage: Redemption, voiced in American Dad! (2022–2023), and began voicing in Firebuds (2022–2024).
- 2023: Voiced Clone BeBe in The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, appeared in True Lies, justified: City Primeval, voiced in Transformers: EarthSpark, My Dad the Bounty Hunter, Pluto, Chibiverse (2023–2025), and started voicing in Krapopolis.
- 2024: Voiced Hordak in Masters of the Universe: Revolution, Darkseid in Kite Man: Hell Yeah! Mephisto in Hit-Monkey season 2, appeared in Gremlins: The Wild Batch, Invincible Fight Girl, Abbott Elementary, and voiced Husk in Hazbin Hotel.
- 2025: Scheduled to appear in High Potential as Captain Pacheco, Duster as Ezra, and The Lowdown as Marty.
FAQs
Q1: Who is Keith David?
A: Keith David is an American actor, voice artist, and producer known for his deep, commanding voice and dynamic on-screen presence. He has appeared in a wide range of movies and television shows across genres, from action and horror to drama and animation.
Q2: What are some of Keith David’s most famous movie roles?
A: Keith David is well known for his roles in films like:
- They Live (1988)
- The Thing (1982)
- Platoon (1986)
- Crash (2004)
- Barbershop series
- Requiem for a Dream (2000)
Q3: In which TV shows has Keith David appeared?
A: He’s had key roles in several TV series, including:
- Greenleaf (2016–2020) as Bishop James Greenleaf
- Community as Elroy Patashnik
- The Cape, Enlisted, and guest roles in NCIS, Grey’s Anatomy, and ER.
Q4: Is Keith David also known for voice acting?
A: Absolutely! Keith David is one of the most recognized voices in the industry. His notable voice roles include:
- Goliath in Gargoyles
- The Arbiter in Halo video game series
- Spawn in Todd McFarlane’s Spawn
- President in Rick and Morty
- Dr. Facilier in The Princess and the Frog
Q5: Has Keith David won any awards for his work?
A: Yes, he has received several awards and nominations, including Emmy Awards for his voice work in documentaries and recognition for his performances in both live-action and animation.
Q6: What sets Keith David apart as an actor?
A: His versatility, rich baritone voice, and commanding screen presence make him a standout in both live-action and voice roles. He effortlessly transitions between genres and character types, bringing authenticity and gravitas to every role.
Q7: Where can I watch Keith David’s movies and TV shows?
A: His works are available on major streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, Disney+, and HBO Max, depending on the title and region.
Final Thoughts
Keith David Williams is an American actor known for his extensive acting career, featuring over 300 roles in film, stage, television, and interactive media. He has voiced characters in films such as The Thing, Platoon, They Live, Men at Work, Final Analysis, Larger than Life, Armageddon, Where the Heart Is, and American Fiction.
He has also starred in the NBC series Community and the Oprah Winfrey Network drama Greenleaf. David has won an Emmy for his voice-over work in Ken Burns films. He has voiced characters in video games such as Arbiter Thel ‘Vadamee in the Halo franchise, Julius Little in the Saints Row series, Admiral Anderson in the Mass Effect series, Chaos in Dissidia Final Fantasy, Sergeant Foley in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and Commander Zavala in Destiny 2.
David was born in 1956 in Harlem, New York City, and studied at Manhattan’s High School of Performing Arts and Juilliard School’s Drama Division. He graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1979 and is a man of spirit who believes in God and church. In 2017, David listed Dr. Facilier, Spawn, and Goliath as his Favorite voice roles. In April 2023, he endorsed Democratic primary challenger Marianne Williamson for the 2024 elections.
