| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1974 | That's My Mama | Rev. Armbruster | Episode:"Clifton's Persuasion " |
| 1976 | Mother, Jugs & Speed | Unity Dispatcher | uncredited |
| 1976 | Rhoda | Kitchen Helper | Episode: "Guess Who I Saw Today" |
| 1977 | Fernwood 2 Night | Matthew Johnson | Episode: "#1.43" |
| 1977 | The Richard Pryor Show | Blind Man | Episode: "#1.2" |
| 1977 | Lou Grant | TV Cameraman | Episode: "Hostages" |
| 1977 | What's Happening!! | Dr. Claymore | Episode: "It's All in Your Head" |
| 1977 | Maude | Policeman | Episode: "Maude's Christmas Surprise" |
| 1978 | ABC Weekend Specials | Tillson | Episode: "Little Lulu" |
| 1978–1982 | WKRP in Cincinnati | Venus Flytrap | 83 episodes |
| 1979 | You Can't Take It with You | Donald | TV movie |
| 1982 | Benson | Russell DuBois | Episode: "Thy Brother's Keeper" |
| 1983 | Teachers Only | Michael Horne | 13 episodes |
| 1983–1987 | Simon & Simon | Det. Marcel 'Downtown' Brown | 79 episodes |
| 1985 | Code Name: Foxfire | unknown | Episode: "Robin's Egg Blues" |
| 1987 | Matlock | Danny Miller | Episode: "The Court-Martial: Part 1 and 2" |
| 1987–1988 | Frank's Place | Frank Parish | 22 episodesNAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy SeriesTCA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy (shared with Hugh Wilson)VQT Award for Best Actor in a Quality Comedy SeriesNominated-Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or ComedyNominated-Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy SeriesNominated-Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series |
| 1989 | Dead Bang | Chief Dixon | |
| 1989–1990 | Snoops | Chance Dennis | 13 episodes |
| 1990 | The Fourth War | Lt. Col. Clark | |
| 1990 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Silenced Singer | Jack Barnett | TV movie |
| 1990 | Stephen King's It | Mike Hanlon | TV miniseries |
| 1991 | Zorro | Dr. Lorenzo Lozano | Episode: "Wicked, Wicked Zorro" |
| 1992 | Just Deserts | Scott Waring | TV pilot episode |
| 1992 | The New WKRP in Cincinnati | Venus Flytrap | Episode: "Venus, We Hardly Knew Ya" |
| 1992 | Mastergate | Chip Chatworth | TV movie |
| 1992 | You Must Remember This | Joe | TV movie |
| 1992–1993 | Highlander: The Series | Sgt. Bennett | 3 episodes |
| 1993 | Say a Little Prayer | Thug | |
| 1994–1999 | Sister, Sister | Ray Campbell | 114 episodes |
| 1994 | Race to Freedom: The Underground Railroad | Frederick Douglass | |
| 1995 | Simon & Simon: In Trouble Again | Downtown Brown | TV movie |
| 1995 | Out-of-Sync | Det. Wilson | |
| 1996 | Once Upon a Time...When We Were Colored | — | Debut as a film director |
| 1997 | Touched by an Angel | Buddy Baker | Episode: "Last Call" |
| 1998 | Linc's | — | As creator and co-executive producer |
| 2000 | Alley Cats Strike | Mayor Jeffery "Jeff" McLemore | Disney Channel Original Movie |
| 2002 | Las Vegas Warrior | Doorman 2 | |
| 2003 | You Wish! | Larry Pendragon | Disney Channel Original Movie |
| 2003 | For Real | Mac | Also director |
| 2004–2006 | That '70s Show | William Barnett | 9 episodes |
| 2005 | Preaching to the Choir | Prophet | |
| 2005 | The Reading Room | Douglas | TV movie |
| 2006 | That's So Raven | Sheriff Jefferson | Episode: "Driving Miss Lazy" |
| 2007 | Trade | Hank Jefferson | |
| 2009 | Roommates | Mr. Stanley Daniels | Episode: "The Break-In" |
| 2010 | The Cost of Heaven | Richard Ginyard | |
| 2010–2012 | Treme | Judge John A. Gatling | 4 episodes |
| 2012 | The Soul Man | Henry | Episode: "Loving Las Vegas" |
