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
- Sidney as Self
- Three Months as Benny
2021
- I Forgive as God (voice)
- Not to Forget as Pastor John
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
- Hal as Self
- Supervized as Pendle
- Foster Boy as Judge George Taylor
- The Gang Activists as Self
2018
- Breaking Brooklyn as Miles Bryant
2017
- The Good Fight as Carl Reddick
- Undercover Grandpa as Mother
- King of the Dancehall as The Bishop
- Double Play as Coco
- Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes / Feeling Heart as Self
2016
- Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise as Self
- A.C. Green: Iron Virgin as Himself
2015
- The Spoils Before Dying as Duke Webster
- The Book of Negroes as Daddy Moses
- Boiling Pot as Detective Haven
2014
- Madam Secretary as Laurent Vasseur
- Extant as Quinn
- A Fighting Man as Cubby
- The Dependables as Lou Jones
2013
- Breaking at the Edge as Floyd
- Miracle at Gate 213 as Roy Peddington
2012
- Smitty as Mr. Smith
- The Undershepherd as Bishop Redford
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
- The Perfect Game as Cool Papa Bell
- Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy as Self
- Amazing Racer as Max Donovan
- The Least Among You as Samuel Benton
2008
- Delgo as King Zahn (voice)
- The Black List: Volume One as Self
- Stanley Kramer: A Man's Search for Truth as Self
- A Special Kind of Love as Self
- A Love Story of Today as Self
2007
- Daddy's Little Girls as Willie
- The 50 Greatest Television Dramas as Self
- Stories USA as Doc (segment "Club Soda")
- Cover as Detective Hicks
2006
- Psych as Lloyd Marr
- All In as Caps
- Solar Attack as President Ryan Gordon
- Club Soda as Doc
2005
- Black in the 80s
- Lackawanna Blues as Ol'lem Taylor
- Left Behind: World at War as President Geral Fitzhugh
2004
- The Batman as Lucius Fox (voice)
2003
- Momentum as Raymond Addison
- Jasper, Texas as R.C. Horn
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
- For Love of Olivia as Daniel Stewart
- Dr. Lucille
2000
- The Color of Love: Jacey's Story as Lou Hastings
- The Inspectors 2: A Shred of Evidence as Frank
- The Highwayman as Phil Bishop
1999
- Family Guy as Drill Sargent (voice)
- Y2K as Morgan
- Strange Justice as Vernon Jordan
- Love Songs as Reuben
1998
- Hercules as Chiron (voice)
- The Inspectors as Inspector Frank Hughes
- Legend of the Mummy as Corbeck
- Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood as Self
- The Wall That Heals as Self - Host
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
- Captive Heart: The James Mink Story as James Mink
- Inside as Questioner
- Managua as Paul
- Run for the Dream: The Gail Devers Story as Bob Kersee
1995
- Iron Eagle on the Attack as Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair
- The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies as Self
- Zooman as Rueben Tate
- 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
- Touched by an Angel as Anderson Walker
- Ellen as Sgt. Timko
- Blue Chips as Father Dawkins (uncredited)
- Flashfire as Ben Durand
- A Good Man in Africa as Prof. Sam Adekunle
- Ray Alexander: A Taste For Justice as Ray Alexander
- Curse of the Starving Class as Ellis
1993
- Return to Lonesome Dove as Isom Pickett
- Monolith as Capt. MacCandless
- Father & Son: Dangerous Relations as Leonard Clay
1992
- Picket Fences as Rick Jennings
- Iron Eagle III as Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair
- Diggstown as "Honey" Roy Palmer
- Liberators: Fighting on Two Fronts in World War II as Reader (voice)
- Gridiron Gang as Host
1991
- Toy Soldiers as Dean Parker
- Cover-Up as Lou Jackson
- The Josephine Baker Story as Sidney Williams
- Keeper of the City as Det. James Dela
- Carolina Skeletons as James Bragg
1990
- Captain Planet and the Planeteers as Commander Clash (voice)
- El Diablo as Van Leek
- Zora is My Name!
- Sudie and Simpson as Simpson
1989
- The Punisher as Jake Berkowitz
- Gideon Oliver
1988
- American Experience as Narrator (voice)
- Iron Eagle II as Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair
- Roots: The Gift as Fiddler
- Goodbye, Miss 4th of July as Big John Creed
- Straight Up as Cosmo
- Sam Found Out: A Triple Play as Sam
1987
- The Principal as Jake Phillips
- A Gathering of Old Men as Mathu
- Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood as Self
- The Father Clements Story
1986
- Firewalker as Leo Porter
- Iron Eagle as Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair
1985
- Enemy Mine as Jeriba 'Jerry' Shigan
1984
- Finders Keepers as Century
- The Guardian as John Mack
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
- The Powers of Matthew Star as Walter "Walt" Shepherd (D'Hai)
- I Love Liberty as Self
- 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
- Backstairs at the White House as Levi Mercer, Houseman
- The Lazarus Syndrome as MacArthur St. Clair
- The Lazarus Syndrome as Dr. MacArthur St. Clair
- Lawman Without a Gun as Tom Hayward
1978
- The Critical List as Lem Harper
- To Kill a Cop as Everett Walker
- To Kill a Cop as Everett Walker
- The Sentry Collection Presents Ben Vereen: His Roots as Self
1977
- Roots as Fiddler
- Please Turn the Page as Self
- The Deep as Henri Cloche
- The Choirboys as Calvin Motts
- Little Ladies of the Night as Russ Garfield
- Freeman as Rex
1976
- The River Niger as Dr. Dudley Stanton
- J.D.'s Revenge as Rev. Elija Bliss
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
- Petrocelli as Kurt Olson, DA
- Good Times
- Harry O as Cleon Jackson
- The White Dawn as Portagee
- Sidekicks as Jason O'Rourke
- It's Good to Be Alive as Sam Brockington
1973
- Police Story
- The American Film Institute Salute to ... as Self
- The Laughing Policeman as Insp. James Larrimore SFPD
1972
- The Rookies
- Travels with My Aunt as Wordsworth
1971
- Alias Smith and Jones
- Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law as Lt. Carl Fellows
- Skin Game as Jason O'Rourke
1970
- McCloud
- The Partridge Family as Sam Simon
- The Young Rebels
- The Landlord as Copee Johnson
1969
- Love, American Style as Freddy
- The Bill Cosby Show as Hurricane Smith
- The Bold Ones: The New Doctors as Dr. Karnes
- 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