Louis Gossett Jr.
Born: 1936-05-27 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
Died: 2024-03-29
Known For: Acting
Biography
Louis Gossett Jr. (May 27, 1936 – March 29, 2024) was an American film and television actor, best known for his role as Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley in the movie "An Officer and a Gentleman" and as Fiddler in the television miniseries "Roots". He won an Academy Award, an Emmy Award, and two Golden Globe Awards in an acting career that spanned over five decades.
Filmography
2025
- Sin as Elijah
2024
- IF as Lewis (voice)
2023
- The Color Purple as Ol' Mister
- Outlaw Johnny Black as Reverend Tharrington (voice) (uncredited)
2022
- Three Months as Benny
- Sidney as Self
2021
- Not to Forget as Pastor John
- I Forgive as God (voice)
2020
- The Reason as Pastor Jim
- The Cuban as Luis Garcia
- Miracle in East Texas as Irving Tanner Jr.
2019
- Watchmen as Old Man / Will Reeves
- Foster Boy as Judge George Taylor
- Hal as Self
- Supervized as Pendle
- The Gang Activists as Self
2018
- Breaking Brooklyn as Miles Bryant
2017
- The Good Fight as Carl Reddick
- Double Play as Coco
- Undercover Grandpa as Mother
- Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes / Feeling Heart as Self
- King of the Dancehall as The Bishop
2016
- Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise as Self
- A.C. Green: Iron Virgin as Himself
2015
- The Book of Negroes as Daddy Moses
- Boiling Pot as Detective Haven
- The Spoils Before Dying as Duke Webster
2014
- Madam Secretary as Laurent Vasseur
- Extant as Quinn
- The Dependables as Lou Jones
- A Fighting Man as Cubby
2013
- Miracle at Gate 213 as Roy Peddington
2012
- The Undershepherd as Bishop Redford
- Smitty as Mr. Smith
2011
- The Grace Card as George Wright
- Dog Jack as Grown up Jed
2010
- Hawaii Five-0 as Lou's father
- Why Did I Get Married Too? as Porter
- For Love of Liberty: The Story of America's Black Patriots ... (Executive Producer)
2009
- Celebrity Ghost Stories as Self
- Amazing Racer as Max Donovan
- The Perfect Game as Cool Papa Bell
- The Least Among You as Samuel Benton
- Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy as Self
2008
- Delgo as King Zahn (voice)
- The Black List: Volume One as Self
- A Special Kind of Love as Self
- A Love Story of Today as Self
- Stanley Kramer: A Man's Search for Truth as Self
2007
- Cover as Detective Hicks
- Daddy's Little Girls as Willie
- Stories USA as Doc (segment "Club Soda")
- The 50 Greatest Television Dramas as Self
2006
- Psych as Lloyd Marr
- Solar Attack as President Ryan Gordon
- Club Soda as Doc
- All In as Caps
2005
- Left Behind: World at War as President Geral Fitzhugh
- Lackawanna Blues as Ol'lem Taylor
- Black in the 80s
2004
- The Batman as Lucius Fox (voice)
2003
- Jasper, Texas as R.C. Horn
- Momentum as Raymond Addison
2002
- The Dead Zone as Pastor David Lewis
- Half & Half as Ray Willis
- Deceived as Col. David Garrett
- What About Your Friends: Weekend Get-Away as Dr. Barnes
2001
- Dr. Lucille
- For Love of Olivia as Daniel Stewart
2000
- The Highwayman as Phil Bishop
- The Color of Love: Jacey's Story as Lou Hastings
- The Inspectors 2: A Shred of Evidence as Frank
1999
- Family Guy as Drill Sargent (voice)
- Love Songs as Reuben
- Strange Justice as Vernon Jordan
- Y2K as Morgan
1998
- Hercules as Chiron (voice)
- Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood as Self
- The Wall That Heals as Self - Host
- Legend of the Mummy as Corbeck
- The Inspectors as Inspector Frank Hughes
1997
- Stargate SG-1 as Gerak
- To Dance with Olivia as Daniel Stewart
- In His Father's Shoes as Frank Crosby / Richard
1996
- Early Edition as Jim Matthews
- Promised Land as Anderson Walker
- Inside as Questioner
- Managua as Paul
- Captive Heart: The James Mink Story as James Mink
- Run for the Dream: The Gail Devers Story as Bob Kersee
1995
- Zooman as Rueben Tate
- Iron Eagle on the Attack as Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair
- The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies as Self
- Ray Alexander: A Menu for Murder as Ray Alexander
- A Father for Charlie as Walter Osgood
- Kings of the Ring: Four Legends of Heavyweight Boxing as Narrator
1994
- ER as Leo Malcolm
- Ellen as Sgt. Timko
- Touched by an Angel as Anderson Walker
- Flashfire as Ben Durand
- Blue Chips as Father Dawkins (uncredited)
- A Good Man in Africa as Prof. Sam Adekunle
- Curse of the Starving Class as Ellis
- Ray Alexander: A Taste For Justice as Ray Alexander
1993
- Monolith as Capt. MacCandless
- Return to Lonesome Dove as Isom Pickett
- Father & Son: Dangerous Relations as Leonard Clay
1992
- Picket Fences as Rick Jennings
- Diggstown as "Honey" Roy Palmer
- Iron Eagle III as Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair
- Liberators: Fighting on Two Fronts in World War II as Reader
1991
- Toy Soldiers as Dean Parker
- Keeper of the City as Det. James Dela
- Carolina Skeletons as James Bragg
- The Josephine Baker Story as Sidney Williams
- Cover-Up as Lou Jackson
1990
- Captain Planet and the Planeteers as Commander Clash (voice)
- El Diablo as Van Leek
- Sudie and Simpson as Simpson
- Zora is My Name!
1989
- The Punisher as Jake Berkowitz
- Gideon Oliver
1988
- American Experience as Self - Narrator
- Iron Eagle II as Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair
- Roots: The Gift as Fiddler
- Goodbye, Miss 4th of July as Big John Creed
- Sam Found Out: A Triple Play as Sam
1987
- The Principal as Jake Phillips
- A Gathering of Old Men as Mathu
- The Father Clements Story
- Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood as Self
1986
- Iron Eagle as Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair
- Firewalker as Leo Porter
1985
- Enemy Mine as Jeriba 'Jerry' Shigan
1984
- The Guardian as John Mack
- Finders Keepers as Century
1983
- Jaws 3-D as Calvin Bouchard
- Sadat as Anwar al-Sadat
- The Making of Jaws 3-D: Sharks Don't Die as narrator
1982
- An Officer and a Gentleman as Sergeant Emil Foley
- I Love Liberty as Self
- The Powers of Matthew Star as Walter "Walt" Shepherd (D'Hai)
- Benny's Place as Benny Moore
1981
- Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy "Satchel" Paige as Leroy 'Satchel' Paige
1980
- Palmerstown, U.S.A.
- It Rained All Night the Day I Left as Leo Garcia
1979
- Lawman Without a Gun as Tom Hayward
- The Lazarus Syndrome as Dr. MacArthur St. Clair
- Backstairs at the White House as Levi Mercer, Houseman
- The Lazarus Syndrome as MacArthur St. Clair
1978
- To Kill a Cop as Everett Walker
- The Critical List as Lem Harper
1977
- Roots as Fiddler
- The Choirboys as Calvin Motts
- The Deep as Henri Cloche
- Please Turn the Page as Self
- Freeman as Rex
- Little Ladies of the Night as Russ Garfield
1976
- J.D.'s Revenge as Rev. Elija Bliss
- The River Niger as Dr. Dudley Stanton
1975
- Saturday Night Live as Self - Host
- The Jeffersons
- Black Bart as Black Bart
- Delancey Street: The Crisis Within as Otis James
1974
- Little House on the Prairie as Henry Hill
- The Rockford Files as Marcus Aurelius Hayes / O'Brien
- The Six Million Dollar Man as O'Flaherty
- Good Times
- Petrocelli as Kurt Olson, DA
- Sidekicks as Jason O'Rourke
- Harry O as Cleon Jackson
- It's Good to Be Alive as Sam Brockington
- The White Dawn as Portagee
1973
- Police Story
- The Laughing Policeman as Insp. James Larrimore SFPD
- The American Film Institute Salute to ... as Self
1972
- The Rookies
- Travels with My Aunt as Wordsworth
1971
- Alias Smith and Jones
- Skin Game as Jason O'Rourke
- Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law as Lt. Carl Fellows
1970
- McCloud
- The Partridge Family as Sam Simon
- The Landlord as Copee Johnson
- The Young Rebels
1969
- Love, American Style as Freddy
- The Bold Ones: The New Doctors as Dr. Karnes
- The Bill Cosby Show as Hurricane Smith
- The Bushbaby as Tembo
1968
- The Mod Squad as Smitty
- Companions in Nightmare as Lt. Adam McKay
1967
- The Invaders as Ollie
- Cowboy in Africa as Fulah
1966
- Daktari as Mkono
1962
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson as Self
- The Merv Griffin Show as Self
1961
- The Mike Douglas Show as Self
- A Raisin in the Sun as George Murchison
1960
- The New Girl as Mary's Brother
1959
- Bonanza as Buck Walter
1953
- The Oscars as Self
1948
- The Ed Sullivan Show as Self
1944
- Golden Globe Awards as Self - Nominee