---
name: "Raye Dowell"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/raye-dowell"
fi1m_id: "raye-dowell"
imdb_id: "nm0235761"
tmdb_id: 99361
wikidata_id: "Q22663989"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "22 August 1961"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 2
average_fi1m_score: 74
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 2
updated: "2026-09-26T01:20:32.601603+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Raye Dowell

## Identity

Raye Dowell

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/raye-dowell
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** raye-dowell
- **IMDb ID:** nm0235761
- **TMDB ID:** 99361
- **Wikidata ID:** Q22663989
- **Same entity:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q22663989, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0235761/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/99361

Actor. Born 22 August 1961.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 22 August 1961
- **Active:** 1986–1992
- **Average Fi1m score:** 74, as actor, over 2 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 68 (1), 1990s 79 (1)
- **Elsewhere:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q22663989, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0235761/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/99361

## Streaming the US now

- **Netflix:** [*She's Gotta Have It*](https://film.one/film/shes-gotta-have-it.md) (68)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Raye Dowell is an American actress and producer. She made her screen debut as Opal Gilstrap in Spike Lee's *She's Gotta Have It* (1986).

Dowell appeared in supporting roles in several films directed by or associated with Lee, including *Mo' Better Blues* (1990) as Rita and *Malcolm X* (1992) as Sister Evelyn Williams. Other credits include *Boomerang* (1992) as the Pretty Receptionist, *Slaves of New York* (1989) as a cheerleader, and guest appearances on *Law & Order* (1991) and *Living Single* (1994). She has also worked as a producer on projects such as *Hounddog* (2007) and *Virgin* (2003). She was born on 22 August 1961 in the USA.

*Sources: imdb.com, en.wikipedia.org.*

## On Fi1m (2)

- *Malcolm X* (1992), Fi1m 79, as Sister Evelyn Williams — [page](https://film.one/film/malcolm-x.md)
- *She's Gotta Have It* (1986), Fi1m 68, as Opal Gilstrap — [page](https://film.one/film/shes-gotta-have-it.md)

## Complete filmography (9)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Hounddog* (2008), Producer
- *Living Single* (1993), series, as Phaedra
- *Malcolm X* (1992), as Sister Evelyn Williams — Fi1m 79, [page](https://film.one/film/malcolm-x.md)
- *Boomerang* (1992), as Pretty Receptionist
- *Law & Order* (1990), series, as Secretary — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/tv/law-and-order.md)
- *Mo' Better Blues* (1990), as Rita
- *Slaves of New York* (1989), as Cheerleader
- *She's Gotta Have It* (1986), as Opal Gilstrap — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/film/shes-gotta-have-it.md)
- *Holy Whore*, Producer

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/raye-dowell