5 Things You Never Knew About Ruby Dee

Ruby Dee Graphic
Everett Collection

You may remember Ruby Dee as a powerhouse actress and a voice for justice across generations. Born on October 27, 1922 and raised in Harlem, Dee worked over the course of eight decades with some of the most iconic names in entertainment, earned awards across nearly every major platform and used her fame to champion civil rights.

Today, August 7, 2025, her films and performances will be featured on Turner Classic Movies’ Summer Under the Stars for the first time, allowing new fans to continue to discover her brilliance. Here are five things you may not have known about the unforgettable Ruby Dee:

1 She got her start at the American Negro Theatre with famous friends

A RAISIN IN THE SUN, from left: Ruby Dee, Sidney Poitier, 1961 araisininthesun-fsct01(araisininthesun-fsct01)

Everett Collection

Before Dee was a household name, she was working alongside legends like Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte. She joined the American Negro Theatre in Harlem, a hub for Black talent in the ’40s, and it’s where she first stepped onto the stage. Her first major Broadway role came in South Pacific in 1943, and not long after, she met her future husband, Ossie Davis, while acting in a play called Jeb.

Dee and Davis would go on to perform together for decades, starring in films and writing books. They were not only creative partners, but also deeply involved in the Civil Rights Movement, marching and protesting for equality.

2 She made history both on Broadway and in Hollywood

THE JACKIE ROBINSON STORY, Ruby Dee, 1950.

Everett Collection

In 1959, Dee made headlines for originating the role of Ruth Younger in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, the first play by a Black woman to appear on Broadway. She starred alongside Poitier and brought quiet strength and grace to her portrayal of a working-class mother. When the play was adapted into a film in 1961, Dee reprised her role, further cementing her place in film history. She also appeared in The Jackie Robinson Story in 1950, playing Robinson’s wife, and by the late ’50s had worked steadily in Hollywood, often in roles that challenged stereotypes.

3 She fought for civil rights

NO. 2, (aka NAMING NUMBER TWO), Ruby Dee, 2006.

Everett Collection

Dee and Davis were deeply involved in the Civil Rights Movement, working with Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and others. Dee even emceed the historic March on Washington in 1963, where Dr. King gave his “I Have a Dream” speech. She was also arrested in 1999 during a protest against police brutality and remained outspoken about justice throughout her life. Dee believed that artists had a responsibility to try to improve the world around them.

4 She won almost every major award

2003 TRUMPET AWARDS, Ruby Dee, Ossie Davis, 2003

Everett Collection

Throughout her long career, Dee won an Emmy, an Obie, a Drama Desk Award and even a Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album, which she shared with Davis for their audiobook With Ossie and Ruby: In This Life Together. In 2007, she became one of the oldest nominees for Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars for her role in American Gangster, a film she did at age 85. She also received the National Medal of Arts in 1995 and was recognized by the Kennedy Center Honors in 2004.

5 Her life inspired a trading card

Ruby Dee, 1959

Everett Collection

In 1979, Dee was featured in a unique and empowering set of trading cards called Supersisters, which celebrated influential women at a time when male athletes and comic book heroes dominated the market. Do you still own her trading cards? You can get them on eBay for only around $20 these days.

 

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Vol. 3, Issue 12

Trivia, puzzles, word search, criss cross and more on icons like Lucille Ball, Paul Newman, Bob Hope, Fred Astaire, James Stewart, Doris Day, Humphrey Bogart, Sophia Loren and more!

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