| 2025 | The Inquisitor | Self | ★ 0.0 |
| 2024 | Salem's Lot - Brennen muss Salem | Dr. Cody | ★ 6.2 |
| 2024 | Summer Camp | Mary | ★ 5.2 |
| 2024 | The Book of Clarence | Mother Mary | ★ 5.9 |
| 2023 | Weathering | Mum | ★ 5.0 |
| 2023 | Zum Mars oder zu Dir? | Dr. Olsen | ★ 6.0 |
| 2022 | The Gray Man | Margaret Cahill | ★ 6.9 |
| 2021 | Miss Alma Thomas: A Life in Color | Alma Thomas (voice) | ★ 10.0 |
| 2021 | Fatherhood | Marian | ★ 7.5 |
| 2021 | Dreamland: The Burning of Black Wall Street | Mary Parrish (voice) | ★ 6.3 |
| 2020 | The Making of Clemency | Herself | ★ 0.0 |
| 2019 | Clemency | Warden Bernadine Williams | ★ 6.3 |
| 2019 | Der König der Löwen | Sarabi (voice) | ★ 7.1 |
| 2019 | No Small Matter | Narrator (voice) | ★ 0.0 |
| 2019 | The Lion King: Can You Feel The Love Tonight with Robin Roberts | | ★ 0.0 |
| 2019 | Juanita | Juanita | ★ 5.3 |
| 2019 | Ein Funken Gerechtigkeit | Judge Benton | ★ 6.9 |
| 2017 | Burning Sands | Professor Hughes | ★ 5.8 |
| 2016 | Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise | Self | ★ 8.0 |
| 2016 | So B. It | Bernadette | ★ 6.7 |
| 2016 | The First Avenger: Civil War | Miriam | ★ 7.4 |
| 2015 | Dirty Trip - Ein dreckiger Trip | Sam | ★ 6.0 |
| 2015 | Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the Band | Mary Lou Williams (voice) | ★ 8.0 |
| 2015 | Knucklehead | Sheila | ★ 7.0 |
| 2015 | A Path Appears | Self | ★ 8.0 |
| 2014 | Annabelle | Evelyn | ★ 5.8 |
| 2014 | Nelson Mandela Redrawn | Self | ★ 0.0 |
| 2014 | And the Oscar Goes To... | Self (archive footage) | ★ 7.0 |
| 2013 | 12 Years a Slave | Mistress Shaw | ★ 7.9 |
| 2013 | The Door | E | ★ 4.0 |
| 2012 | Steel Magnolias | Ouiser | ★ 6.9 |
| 2010 | Black Panther | Dondi Reece | ★ 6.1 |
| 2008 | Medal of Honor | Narrator | ★ 6.5 |
| 2008 | Reach for Me | Evelyn | ★ 2.0 |
| 2008 | Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys | Alice Pratt | ★ 6.8 |
| 2008 | American Violet | Alma Roberts | ★ 6.7 |
| 2008 | Henry Box Brown | | ★ 0.0 |
| 2007 | Pictures of Hollis Woods | Edna Reilly | ★ 6.7 |
| 2007 | Nefertiti and the Lost Dynasty | Self - Narrator | ★ 7.0 |
| 2006 | King Leopold's Ghost | Ilanga (voice) | ★ 7.8 |
| 2006 | Dance! Jeder Traum beginnt mit dem ersten Schritt | Augustine James | ★ 6.9 |
| 2006 | Weites Wasser | Mrs. Brown | ★ 6.8 |
| 2006 | Neue Liebe, neues Glück | Joyce McQueen | ★ 6.4 |
| 2005 | Beauty Shop | Ms. Josephine | ★ 6.3 |
| 2004 | Die Vergessenen | Det. Anne Pope | ★ 5.9 |
| 2003 | Sie nennen ihn Radio | Principal Daniels | ★ 7.3 |
| 2003 | The Singing Detective | Chief of Staff | ★ 5.1 |
| 2003 | Gefangene der Zeit | Mrs. Whatsit | ★ 6.2 |
| 2003 | The Core - Der innere Kern | Stickley | ★ 5.8 |
| 2003 | Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property | Narrator | ★ 6.1 |
| 2003 | Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives | | ★ 5.9 |
| 2002 | Die Abenteuer der Familie Stachelbeere | Akela (Cheetah Mother) (voice) | ★ 6.4 |
| 2002 | Searching for Debra Winger | Self | ★ 6.3 |
| 2001 | K-PAX - Alles ist möglich | Claudia Villars | ★ 7.2 |
| 2001 | The Wild Thornberrys: The Origin of Donnie | Medicine Woman (voice) | ★ 7.0 |
| 2001 | Disney's American Legends | | ★ 7.5 |
| 2000 | Holiday Heart | Wanda Dean | ★ 6.9 |
| 2000 | Half Past Autumn: The Life and Works of Gordon Parks | Narrator | ★ 6.0 |
| 2000 | Lost Souls - Verlorene Seelen | Dr. Allen | ★ 5.0 |
| 2000 | The Tulsa Lynching of 1921: A Hidden Story | Mary Parrish (voice) | ★ 0.0 |
| 2000 | John Henry | Polly / Narrator (voice) | ★ 7.1 |
| 2000 | Dinosaurier | Plio (voice) | ★ 6.5 |
| 2000 | Love & Basketball | Camille Wright | ★ 7.4 |
| 2000 | What's Cooking? | Audrey Williams | ★ 5.8 |
| 2000 | Eleanor Roosevelt | Narrator (voice) | ★ 8.0 |
| 1999 | Dr. Mumford | Lily | ★ 6.5 |
| 1999 | Funny Valentines | Joyce May | ★ 7.2 |
| 1999 | The Wishing Tree | Clara | ★ 7.4 |
| 1999 | The Underground Railroad | | ★ 0.0 |
| 1998 | Down in the Delta | Loretta Sinclair | ★ 6.6 |
| 1997 | Der tapfere kleine Toaster als Retter in der Not | Maisie (voice) | ★ 6.0 |
| 1997 | Cadillac Desert: Water and the Transformation of Nature | Narrator (voice) | ★ 0.0 |
| 1997 | Follow Me Home | Evey | ★ 6.0 |
| 1997 | Miss Evers' Boys - Die Gerechtigkeit siegt | Eunice Evers, R.N. | ★ 6.3 |
| 1997 | The Member of the Wedding | Berenice Sadie Brown | ★ 6.0 |
| 1996 | Star Trek - Der erste Kontakt | Lily Sloane | ★ 7.3 |
| 1996 | A Step Toward Tomorrow | Dr. Sadlin | ★ 3.7 |
| 1996 | Der lange Weg zum Mars | Tamara O'Neil | ★ 5.0 |
| 1996 | Zwielicht | Shoat | ★ 7.7 |
| 1995 | Ein amerikanischer Quilt | Marianna | ★ 6.4 |
| 1995 | The Piano Lesson | Berniece Charles | ★ 7.2 |
| 1994 | Crooklyn | Carolyn Carmichael | ★ 6.8 |
| 1994 | Aliens for Breakfast | Mrs. Marks | ★ 3.0 |
| 1994 | Blue Chips | Lavada McRae | ★ 6.1 |
| 1994 | Malcolm X: Make It Plain | Narrator | ★ 10.0 |
| 1993 | Bopha! | Rosie Mangena | ★ 5.7 |
| 1993 | Vier himmlische Freunde | Penny Washington | ★ 6.9 |
| 1992 | Passion Fish - Ein Meer der Gefühle | Chantelle | ★ 6.8 |
| 1992 | Auf der Suche nach dem Glück | Rhody Poole | ★ 6.9 |
| 1992 | Betty Lou - Der ganz normale Wahnsinn | Ann | ★ 5.1 |
| 1991 | Grand Canyon - Im Herzen der Stadt | Jane | ★ 6.5 |
| 1990 | Blue Bayou | Jessica Filley | ★ 0.0 |
| 1989 | A Mother's Courage: The Mary Thomas Story | Mary Thomas | ★ 0.0 |
| 1989 | Miss Firecracker | Popeye Jackson | ★ 5.6 |
| 1988 | Die Geister, die ich rief... | Grace Cooley | ★ 6.8 |
| 1988 | The Child Saver | Andrea Crawford | ★ 0.0 |
| 1987 | Mandela | Winnie Mandela | ★ 4.3 |
| 1986 | Todesursache - Agent Orange | Maude DeVictor | ★ 6.8 |
| 1986 | L.A. Law: Pilot | Adrianne Moore | ★ 0.0 |
| 1986 | Extremities | Patricia | ★ 6.1 |
| 1985 | Puss in Boots | Princess Lovinia | ★ 5.0 |
| 1985 | Go Tell It on the Mountain | Esther | ★ 6.0 |
| 1985 | Words by Heart | Claudie Sills | ★ 0.0 |
| 1984 | Black Hollywood | Self | ★ 0.0 |
| 1984 | Eine Frau kann nicht vergessen | Vicki Teague | ★ 6.2 |
| 1984 | The Killing Floor | Mattie | ★ 8.0 |
| 1983 | Cross Creek | Geechee | ★ 6.6 |
| 1982 | Precious Blood | Narrator | ★ 8.0 |
| 1982 | For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf | Woman who lost her stuff | ★ 10.0 |
| 1982 | The Ambush Murders | Karisha Ellsworth | ★ 9.0 |
| 1980 | Der Gesundheits-Kongreß | Sally Benbow | ★ 5.4 |
| 1979 | Freedom Road | Katie | ★ 4.8 |
| 1978 | The Trial of the Moke | Lucy Smith | ★ 5.5 |
| 1978 | Du wirst noch an mich denken | Rita | ★ 6.1 |
| Hate to See You Go | | ★ 0.0 |
| Playing for Your Heart: The Making of “Love & Basketball” | Herself | ★ 0.0 |
