Keith David Biography and Net Worth: Here Are the Facts You Need to Know

Publish date: 2024-05-15

Keith David in recent times might be considered but the talented actor, who also had an award-winning career as a voice actor, has a vast acting reach that has kept him relevant for over three decades in the industry.

The New York native is an all-around entertainer who has dabbled as a comedian and singer in over 150 movies, TV series, and video games on his resume. Read on to find out about his early life, acting history, and other facts you need to know about him.

the biography

Keith David Williams was born to Dolores (née Dickenson) and Lester Williams on June 4, 1956 in Harlem, New York. Her father worked as a payroll operations manager while her mother was a manager at the New York Telephone Company.

David was raised in East Elmhurst, Queens, New York where he attended school. It has been said that after starring in his school’s production of The Wizard of Oz where he played the Cowardly Lion, David wanted to become an actor. This prompted his parents to enroll him in the High School of Performing Arts in Manhattan before continuing his studies in the acting division of the Julliard School where he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1979.

After graduating, David joined John Houseman’sThe Acting Company with whom he toured the United States with. He featured in the band’s productions of ”A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and Samuel Beckett’s ‘Waiting for Godot’ before making his big breakthrough when he was cast as Childs in The Thing (1982 ) opposite Kurt Russell.

His performance in film propelled him into many 80s films like Section (1986), Hot Pursuit (1987), Star and Bars (1988), and Men at Work (1990). It was also around this time that he began working as a voice actor, lending his melodious voice to Nickelodeon. Christmas in Tattertown (1988) and the English dub of the Japanese anime series 3×3 Eyes (1991).

In 1992, Keith David left what was becoming his comfort zone in film and television series for the musical ‘Jelly’s Last Jam’. David received critical acclaim for his performance, earning him a Tony Award nomination.

While continuing to star in several Shakespeare productions in New York, David returned to comedy, starring in 90s films like Dead Presidents (1995), Spike Lee’s Clocks (1995) Dead or Alive (1995), Armageddon (1998), and Pitch Black (2000). He also did a number of vocal works; Gargoyles (1994-1997), The Fantastic Four (1995), Hercules (1997) among many others.

In 1997, Keith David entered the world of video games. He first talked about Decker in ‘Fallout’ before moving on to other video games like the Halo series and Call of Duty. He featured the Arbiter in “Halo 2” (2004), Halo 3 (2007), Halo: The Master Chief Collection (2014), and “Halo 5: Guardians” (2015). He also did Captain Anderson in Mass Effect (2007), Mass Effect 2 (2010) and Mass Effect 3 (2012), then Sergeant Foley in “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” (2009).

Keith David can recently be seen as Bishop James Greenleaf in the TV series Green Leaf (2016 – present) as well as movies like Nina (2016) and Night School (2018).

What you need to know about Keith David

Keith David is a practicing Christian who believes in the church, in God and in the spirit. He, however, said he was not a religious man because religion can become political. He is married to actress Dionne Lea Williams who is best known for her roles in films like American Fusion (2005) and Celeste Bright (2010). The couple married in April 2001 and have two daughters; Maelee and Ruby Williams. David has an eldest son named Owen Williams from his first marriage.

In addition to his voice-over work, David has narrated a number of documentaries. He did the MLB Network special “Mr. Padre” in honor of Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn and a few of the many WWE documentaries.

For his work, Keith David won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Narrator, as well as two more for Outstanding Voiceover Performance.

He has a net worth of around $3 million which is quite surprising considering how many years he has been in the industry.

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