Thom Gossom Jr.
Born: 1952-05-02 in Birmingham, Alabama, USA
Known For: Acting
Biography
Thom Gossom Jr. (Thomas Gossom Jr., born 2 May 1952, Birmingham, Alabama) is an American actor, writer, and communications professional, active since 1985. He is the first Black athlete to graduate from Auburn University (1975), where he was a three-year starter wide receiver and the first Black athlete in the Southeastern Conference to walk on, earn a full scholarship, and graduate. He holds a BA in communications from Auburn and an MA from the University of Montevallo. He is married to Joyce Gillie Gossom (1997) and has a son, Dixson M. Gossom, a hip hop artist. He is CEO of Best Gurl Inc., a communications firm, and authored the memoir Walk-On: My Reluctant Journey to Integration at Auburn University (2008). He received Auburn University's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019. His most notable screen roles include Detective Stern in Fight Club (1999) (Brad Pitt, Edward Norton), Ben Washington in the HBO film Miss Evers' Boys (1997) (Laurence Fishburne, Alfre Woodard), Coach Charlie Hanna in Jeepers Creepers 2 (2003) (Angela Malsini, Scott Speed), Bink in The Chamber (1996) (Chris O'Donnell, Linda Fiorentino), and Slim's Father in Queen & Slim (2019) (Janelle Monáe, John David Washington). On television he is best known as Ted Marcus in In the Heat of the Night (1988–1994) (Howard Ellis, John Amos).
Filmography
2022
- Black Balsam as Sheriff Bensen
2019
- Queen & Slim as Slim's Father
- Do Not Reply as Doctor Hunts
2017
- The Quad as Bucky Douglas
2011
- Game of Your Life as Bill
2005
- Close to Home as Judge Hanophy
2004
- Boston Legal as Judge Winters
- Jack & Bobby
2003
- Cold Case as Mike Odoms (2005)
- Jeepers Creepers 2 as Coach Charlie Hanna
2002
- Without a Trace as Pharmacist
- The Court
2001
2000
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as Minister
1999
- The West Wing as Ted Mitchell
- Fight Club as Detective Stern
- Providence as Albert Clemmons
1998
- Becker as Mr. Rainey
1997
- Miss Evers' Boys as Ben Washington
1996
- Profiler as Sheriff
1994
- ER as Mr. Davis
- Chicago Hope as Carl Thorner
- Touched by an Angel as Dr. Winston
1990
- Murder in Mississippi as Charlie Parham (as Thom Gossom)
1985
- Rebel Love as Pompeii