Over the course of several decades, Keith David has entertained audiences on both the big and small screens. Sometimes, the audiences might not even have known they either saw or heard Keith David since he's no stranger to quick cameos or voice-over roles.
From comedies to horror to action, David has played a large plethora of characters over the years, but which ones are the best? He's shown to be talented both in live-action and animation, with his signature deep and booming voice balancing with a wide range of acting abilities.
Tombstone - The Spectacular Spider-Man (2008)
In the sadly short-lived The Spectacular Spider-Man, many villains make an appearance, even some of Spider-Man's most underrated villains, including Tombstone. At first, Tombstone comes off as a basic crimelord who sends out all the muscle rather than fighting the hero himself.
However, when Spider-Man finally confronts Tombstone, he earns his nickname. Keith David provides a cold and calculated voice to the character that matches his merciless style. Even in the middle of a fight, Tombstone keeps his cool yet intimidating behavior that makes him stand out in the series.
Flame King - Adventure Time (2010)
Finn the Human later on managed to find a girlfriend and even move on from his crush on Princess Bubblegum. Finn fell for one of Adventure Time's best characters: Flame Princess. Her father, the Flame King, was an overprotective and intense but kind ruler voiced by Keith David.
David shines in delivering both a regal and majestic voice, but with great comedic timing, making the character just as funny as the likes of Finn, Jake, and the Ice King. Like the rest of the show, Flame King can be funny, but also helps Adventure Time tackle issues such as overprotecting children.
The Cat - Coraline (2009)
The mysterious cat that travels between the real world and the Other World is given no explanation in Coraline. All that is known is that in the Other World, it can speak and it has a voice by Keith David that is equal parts mischievous and soft; a drastic difference from the vocal performances that he usually gives.
The Cat has witnessed the Other Mother lure children into her world and devour them, so now he is trying to prevent the same thing from happening to the titular Coraline. The cat helps solidify Coraline as one of the darkest family films.
The President - Rick & Morty (2013)
Recurring across many seasons of Rick & Morty, Keith David plays the rather overdramatic stereotype portrayal of a U.S. President. The humor not only comes from his melodramatic way of speaking, but also in the fact that he's a bit incompetent as a leader.
As a result, the President goes through many misadventures, usually as a result of Rick's carelessness, but he also tends to befriend Rick and Morty along the way. Throughout the series, the President will go from calm and collected to wanting to kill Rick and Morty in a snap, making for some hilarious outbursts.
Frank - They Live (1988)
Keith David reunited with John Carpenter for the social satire known as They Live. David plays Frank, who at first doesn't believe that aliens are living among humans let alone ruling the world. Though he's a bit overshadowed by the iconic performance of Roddy Piper, he does still shine.
From his long fight with Piper in the alleyway to helping take down the alien overlords. It's a much more heroic character in comparison to the more hotheaded character he played in The Thing.
Abu al-Walid - The Riddick Series (2000 - 2004)
In the Riddick universe, Abu was an Imam, a holy man who leads prayers in a mosque. He was introduced in Pitch Black as one of the few people to survive alongside Richard B. Riddick. Pitch Black showed the heroes be exposed as villains and a criminal rise to be the hero.
During it all, Abu was the one to remain loyal, kind, and caring through the journey, even befriending Riddick. That's why his death in The Chronicles Of Riddick sends Riddick on a revenge quest. David nailed this role, giving a stern but kind-hearted performance that showed off his range.
Goliath - Gargoyles (1994)
In an era that had series such as DuckTales and Goof Troop, Gargoyles surprised everyone with its dark and epic stories that felt closer in tone to Batman: The Animated Series. On the show, a team of gargoyles would arise each night to protect New York City and even the world from evil.
The leader of the gargoyles was the fearless Goliath, and he was played perfectly by Keith David. David's naturally deep and booming voice would have already fit the character, but he takes it even further, giving Goliath an iconic voice that could shake walls. Goliath is a wise warrior, but if he needs to act like a monster, David nails it.
Dr. Facilier - The Princess & The Frog (2009)
He's got friends on the other side, he is the villainous witch doctor known as Dr. Facilier who transforms Prince Naveen into a frog as a means to obtain a fortune. This baddie from The Princess And The Frog animated film instantly became a fan-favorite for many reasons.
Keith David's performance is devilishly charming and suave, giving the audience a bit of a character that feels friendly. However, at a moment's notice, that can be swapped for a dark and menacing performance that the actor has always been good at. As a great bonus, Facilier features one of the most iconic villain songs in Disney history, with David singing surprisingly well.
Childs - John Carpenter's The Thing (1982)
The classic horror film John Carpenter's The Thing is filled with many iconic characters. Childs, played by Keith David, is the exact opposite of Kurt Russell's R.J. MacReady. Childs is rash and is quick to lose his temper but at the same time, most of his decisions are not wrong.
Despite what his attitude may suggest, Childs does care for the safety of the camp and the crew. He's quick to let MacReady possibly freeze to death to make sure he is not a Thing. David gives a memorable performance as Childs, creating one of the most seminal characters on his resume.
Spawn - Todd McFarlane's Spawn (1997)
Of all the many voices Keith David has provided over the years, none are quite as iconic as Spawn. Keith David began voicing the character in the HBO animated series Todd McFarlane's Spawn, in which he nailed the dark and menacing voice of the anti-hero. Since then, he has truly made Spawn his own.
David has reprised the role of Spawn several times, especially in different Spawn video games. He even returned to voice Spawn as a DLC character for Mortal Kombat 11 where he faced off with other celebrity voices including Peter Weller as RoboCop.