Why Ruby Dee Should Win Sunday

Do you know how it feels to work hard your whole life and never be recognized for it? Ruby Dee does.

Although known most for her career as an actress, Dee has morphed into other roles such as a poet, playwright, screenwriter, journalist, and activist. She was also married to actor and civil rights activist Ossie Davis.

Dee, a Harlem native, had her career kicked off in the 1950 film “The Jackie Robinson Story,” after a series of Broadway performances. Her career in acting has crossed all major forms of media over a span of eight decades, but her most notable performance was in “A Raisin in the Sun,” where she was universally praised by movie critics.

However, no matter how great her performances have been in over 50 films, since 1939 (wow, I have to check Wikipedia to see if she is still alive) she has never received an Oscar. This story sounds all to familiar in Hollywood.

Currently, she is nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in “American Gangster,” where she had two lines (no, not blue magic). This is Dee’s first Oscar nomination. It’s also significant because this is the shortest performance (at approximately five minutes) ever to be nominated for an acting Oscar.

Apparently, at 83, she is the second oldest nominee for Best Supporting Actress, behind Gloria Stuart who was 87 for her role in Titanic.

Now I’m not usually the one to support giving people things simply because they are old- but give her the Oscar because she’s old. I mean, come on. She’s been doing this for so long. What chances does she have getting an Oscar for a naked sex scene with Billy Bob Thornton?

She has done her time and paid her dues in Hollywood. On Sunday, give Ruby Dee her Oscar. Yes, there were other great actors nominated this year whose performances were much better; yes, she was in the movie for five minutes, but who cares? She’s old.

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