As an actress, Della Reese has made appearances in films, television films and television series. She made her first television appearance in a 1968 episode of The Mod Squad. Her first television film was released in 1973 titled Voyage of the Yes. In 1975, she made her first film appearance as Mrs. Gibson in Psychic Killer. During the 1970s and 1980s, Reese acted in television series and television films. This includes 1976's Nightmare in Badham County, five episodes of It Takes Two and 27 episodes of Chico and the Man. In 1989, she appeared as Vera Walker in the film Harlem Nights.
Between 1991 and 1992, Reese appeared in the short-lived television series The Royal Family. In 1994, Reese portrayed Tess in the series Touched by an Angel. The show ran for the next ten years and Reese received nominations for her role from the Emmy Awards and the Golden Globe Awards. She also won several accolades from the NAACP Image Awards for her role. In the late 1990s, Reese appeared in series of television films including Emma's Wish and Anya's Bell. During this period, she also made six appearances in the show Promised Land. Reese continued acting through the 2000s and the early part of the 2010s. Among her film appearances of this period was 2005's Beauty Shop and 2010's Expecting Mary. Her final filmography credit was in a 2014 episode of Signed, Sealed, Delivered.
| Year | Role | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psychic Killer | 1975 | Mrs. Gibson | [1] | |
| Harlem Nights | 1989 | Vera Walker | ||
| 1996 | Ma Wright | |||
| Dinosaur | 2000 | Eema (voice) | ||
| Beauty Shop | 2005 | Mrs. Towner | ||
| If I Had Known I Was a Genius | 2007 | Nana | ||
| Expecting Mary | 2010 | Doris Dorkus | [2] | |
| Meant to Be | 2012 | Mave | [3] | |
| Me Again | 2012 | Muriel | [4] | |
| Christmas Angel | 2012 | Elsa Way |
| Year | Role | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voyage of the Yes | 1973 | Opal Parker | ||
| Daddy's Girl | 1973 | Diane | ||
| Twice in a Lifetime | 1974 | Flo | ||
| Cop on the Beat | 1975 | Claudine | [5] | |
| Flo's Place | 1976 | Flo | ||
| Nightmare in Badham County | Sarah | |||
| 1990 | Alicia Slater | |||
| You Must Remember This | 1992 | Ella DuChamps | Voice | |
| 1997 | Katie Beale | |||
| Miracle in the Woods | Lilly Cooper | |||
| Emma's Wish | 1998 | Mona Washburn | ||
| Mama Flora's Family | Nana Fleming | |||
| (Chasing Secrets) | 1999 | Honey | ||
| Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters First 100 Years | Martha Logan | |||
| Anya's Bell | Anya Herpick | |||
| 2000 | Sophia Myles | |||
| Hallelujah | 2011 | Dulcie Prejean | [6] | |
| Christmas Angel | 2012 | Elsie Waybright | ||
| Dear Secret Santa | 2013 | Linda | [7] | |
| Miracle at Gate 213 | 2013 | Alma Peddington |
| Year | Role | Notes | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Paula | Episode: "Find Tara Chapman!" | [8] | ||
| 1970 | Grace Dayton | Episode: "Killer on the Loose" | [9] | ||
| Police Woman | 1974 | Tina Thompson | Episode: "Requiem for Bored Wives" | ||
| McCloud | 1974–1976 | Police Sgt. Gladys Harris | 2 episodes | ||
| Petrocelli | 1975 | Angela Damon | Episode: "Once Upon a Victim" | ||
| Landers | Episode: "Ladies Day" | ||||
| Sanford and Son | Herself | Episode: "Della, Della, Della" | |||
| Chico and the Man | 1975–1978 | Della Rogers | 27 episodes | ||
| Medical Center | 1976 | Capt. Sykes | Episode: "Major Annie, MD" | ||
| Welcome Back, Kotter | 1979 | Mrs. Tremaine | Episodes: "Come Back, Little Arnold", "The Gang Show" | ||
| Insight | 1980 | Judge Roberta Lynn | Episode: "God in the Dock" | [10] | |
| 1982 | Millie Washington | 2 episodes | |||
| It Takes Two | 1982–1983 | Judge Caroline Phillips | 5 episodes | ||
| 1985 | Mrs. Baracus | Episode: "Lease with an Option to Die" | |||
| Crazy Like a Fox | 1985–1986 | Nurse Flood | 3 episodes | ||
| Charlie & Co. | 1986 | Aunt Rachel | 4 episodes | ||
| ABC Afterschool Special | Aunt Faith | Episode: "The Gift of Amazing Grace" | |||
| 227 | 1987–1990 | Rita Clark / Grace | 2 episodes | ||
| Night Court | 1989 | Aunt Ruth | Episode: "Auntie Maim" | ||
| 1990 | Stagecoach Sally | Episode: "Born to Hang" | |||
| MacGyver | 1990–1991 | Mama Colton | 2 episodes | ||
| Married People | 1991 | Annette | Episode: "Dance Ten, Friends Zero" | ||
| 1991–1992 | Victoria Royal | 15 episodes | |||
| Dream On | 1992 | Receptionist | Episode: "No Deposit, No Return" | ||
| Designing Women | 1993 | Mrs. Toussant | Episode: "Wedding Redux" | ||
| L.A. Law | Lucille Lake | Episode: "Vindaloo in the Villows" | |||
| Picket Fences | Naomi Grand | Episode: "The Lullaby League" | |||
| Touched by an Angel | 1994–2003 | Tess | 211 episodes NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series (1998–2002) Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (1997–98) Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series (1997–98) | ||
| Promised Land | 1996–1998 | Tess | 6 episodes | ||
| 1997 | The Blues Fairy (voice) | Episode: "Pinocchio" | |||
| That's So Raven | 2006 | Miss Rhonnie Wilcox | Episode: "The Four Aces" | [11] | |
| 2009 | Aunt Virginia | 2 episodes | |||
| Detroit 1-8-7 | 2010 | Lorraine Henderson | Episode: "Shelter" | [12] | |
| Signed, Sealed, Delivered | 2014 | Cora Brandt | 2 episodes | [13] |