Ruby Dee: Ruby Dee. Actress: American Gangster. Ruby Dee was an American actress, poet, playwright, screenwriter, journalist and civil rights activist. She is best known for originating the role of "Ruth Younger" in the stage and film versions of A Raisin in the Sun (1961). She also starred in The Jackie Robinson Story (1950), Cat People (1982), Do the Right Thing (1989), and American Gangster (2007). Her film debut was That Man of Mine...
Known For: American Gangster (Mama Lucas), Do the Right Thing (Mother Sister), Jungle Fever (Lucinda Purify), A Raisin in the Sun (Ruth Younger)