Keith’s Grind- While You Were Sleeping
Keith’s Grind- While You Were Sleeping
By Relentless
While the world was slumbering, many of us were “seated” and had to “lay down” during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, which officially began in December 2019. However, Keith David, the renowned actor and voice artist, officially launched himself into the stratosphere way back in 2016, when he took on the role of Bishop Greenleaf in the eponymous drama series, which made its debut on Oprah’s network, OWN. Since then, the series has continued to enthrall audiences on Netflix, where it remains a perennial favorite even in the current year of 2023. The impact of the Greenleaf series was not lost on me, but the extent of its influence on me was not fully realized until I put on my chauffeur’s hat to pick Keith up after his various filmings and voice-over work here in Atlanta.
Let me tell you, my friend Keith David is not one of you! He has been EXTRA busy before, during, and after the pandemic, juggling an impressive array of movie projects in the past 24 months. I got so overwhelmed with it all that I said “to Hell with this! Lemme just put my pen to work!” He has been a tremendous inspiration to me, and I did not need to talk about it with him beforehand. My veins were just bubbling with the desire to serve my friend! Just look at this list of his recent work, folks:
The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder: Clone Bebe (voice), TV Series, 2023, 1 episode
Parallel Worlds: A Psychedelic Love Story: Jerry, 2023
Marvel‘s Wastelanders: Doom: Kingpin, Podcast Series, 2022, 10 episodes
Marvel’s Wastelanders: Wolverine: Shadow King, Podcast Series, 2022, 1 episode
Firebuds: Manny Kablamee (voice), TV Series, 2022, 1 episode
Leverage: Redemption: Billy Spencer, TV Series, 2022, 1 episode
A Miracle Before Christmas: David, 2022
Unplugging: Gil, 2022
Aztec Warrior God, Emergence: Huitzilopochtli, Short, 2022
Combat Radio: A Christmas Carol: Narrator, Video, 2022
From Scratch: Hershel Wheeler, TV Mini Series, 2022, 8 episodes
The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse: Narrator (voice), TV Series, 2022, 1 episode
Catwoman: Hunted: Tobias Whale/Morax (voice), 2022
Remember Me: The Mahalia Jackson Story: Ink Williams, 2022
DC League of Super-Pets: Dog-El (voice), 2022
Nope: Otis Haywood Sr., 2022
Entergalactic: Mr. Rager (voice), 2022
The Prank: Principal Henderson, 2022
Black as Night: Babineaux, 2021
Pups Alone: The Wise Bartender, 2021
Creepshow: Murdoch (segment “Pesticide”), TV Series, 2021, 1 episode
DuckTales: Manny (voice), TV Series, 2021, 1 episode
Central Park: Ward Wittlinger (voice), TV Series, 2021, 1 episode
Horizon Line: Freddy Wyman, 2020
Good: Gregory Devereaux, 2020
Blue: The American Dream: Terry Venable, 2020
Woke: Bible (voice), TV Series, 2020, 1 episode
JJ Villard’s Fairy Tales: Lionel (voice), TV Series, 2020, 1 episode
Black-ish: Loose Craig, TV Series, 2020, 1 episode
MacGyver: Burke, TV Series, 2020, 1 episode
Love Life: Narrator (voice), TV Series, 2021, 10 episodes
The Good Lord Bird: Herbert, TV Mini Series, 2020, 1 episode
Greenleaf: Bishop James Greenleaf, TV Series, 2016–2020, 60 episodes
Stargirl: Mr. Bones, TV Series, 2021–2022, 3 episodes
Amphibia: King Andrias (voice), TV Series, 2020–2022, 15 episodes
Final Space: Bolo (voice), TV Series, 2018–2021, 10 episodes
Rick and Morty: The President/Reverse Giraffe (voice), TV Series, 2015–2022, 8 episodes
This arsenal of work is only a small fraction of the full body of work he has amassed over the years. And you cannot help but be struck by the sheer volume of his activities that DON’T make it to IMDB, such as his selfless and charitable work; such as his one-man performances where he sings Nat or in his own array of songs. I remember vividly, Keith was just getting off a plane last year when my younger sister was in her final days, and Keith took the call, navigating through the airport and all. His selflessness, intentionality and purposefulness are all the more inspiring given his tremendous output.
I at least wondered why the new Black Panther filmmakers did not even bring him into the latest Black Panther films as a cameo. After all, Keith was the first and ORIGINAL Black Panther, and you’d think that there’d be some small honor for the man who played a part in pushing the envelope forward. But I digress; that is my own little personal qualm. Keith is my Black Panther for sure.
