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Rudy Dee, a beloved actress across all mediums, died today at her home in New Rochelle, New York.

She was 91 years old.

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Dee earned an Oscar nomination at the age of 83 for her role in American Gangster. But her storied career also spanned the stage, radio and small screen.

 

She earned an Emmy (for TV movie Decoration Day), a Grammy (for Best Spoken Word Album) and a SAG Award (for American Gangster).

She also starred in multiple Broadway productions including A Long Way from Home and Checkmates.

Off screen/stage, the Cleveland native was a key figure and leader in the arts world during the civil rights movement.

She and husband Ossie Davis were tight with Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X and, in 1970, the power twosome received the Frederick Douglass Award for their work.

Dee is survived by her three children, Guy, Hasna, and Nora.