Louis Gossett Jr.
May 27, 1936 (88 years old) in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
Louis Gossett Jr. (born 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 has won an Academy Award, an Emmy Award, and two Golden Globe Awards in an acting career that spans over five decades.
Known For
Credits
- 2024 · IF as Lewis (voice)
- 2023 · The Color Purple as Ol' Mister
- 2023 · Outlaw Johnny Black as Reverend Tharrington (voice) (uncredited)
- 2022 · Sidney as Self
- 2022 · Three Months as Benny
- 2020 · The Reason as Pastor Jim
- 2020 · The Cuban as Luis Garcia
- 2020 · Miracle in East Texas as Irving Tanner Jr.
- 2019 · Foster Boy as Judge George Taylor
- 2019 · Supervized as Pendle
- 2019 · Hal as Self
- 2017 · Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes / Feeling Heart as Self
- 2017 · Double Play as Coco
- 2017 · King of the Dancehall as The Bishop
- 2014 · The Dependables as Lou Jones
- 2012 · Smitty as Mr. Smith
- 2009 · Amazing Racer as Max Donovan
- 2009 · Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy as Self
- 2008 · Delgo as King Zahn (voice)
- 2008 · Stanley Kramer: A Man's Search for Truth as Self
- 2007 · Stories USA as Doc (segment "Club Soda")
- 2007 · Cover as Detective Hicks
- 2007 · The 50 Greatest Television Dramas as Self
- 2006 · All In as Caps
- 2005 · Lackawanna Blues as Ol'lem Taylor
- 2003 · Jasper, Texas as R.C. Horn
- 2003 · Momentum as Raymond Addison
- 2000 · The Color of Love: Jacey's Story as Lou Hastings
- 2000 · The Inspectors 2: A Shred of Evidence as Frank
- 1999 · Y2K as Morgan
- 1999 · Love Songs as Reuben
- 1998 · The Inspectors as Inspector Frank Hughes
- 1997 · In His Father's Shoes as Frank Crosby / Richard
- 1997 · To Dance with Olivia as Daniel Stewart
- 1996 · Captive Heart: The James Mink Story as James Mink
- 1995 · Zooman as Rueben Tate
- 1994 · A Good Man in Africa as Prof. Sam Adekunle
- 1993 · Father & Son: Dangerous Relations as
- 1991 · The Josephine Baker Story as Sidney Williams
- 1991 · Cover-Up as Lou Jackson
- 1988 · Roots: The Gift as Fiddler
- 1987 · Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood as Self
- 1987 · A Gathering of Old Men as Mathu
- 1984 · Finders Keepers as Century
- 1983 · Sadat as Anwar al-Sadat
- 1982 · I Love Liberty as Self
- 1979 · Lawman Without a Gun as Tom Hayward
- 1978 · To Kill a Cop as Everett Walker
- 1978 · The Lazarus Syndrome as Dr. MacArthur St. Clair
- 1977 · The Choirboys as Calvin Motts
- 1977 · Little Ladies of the Night as Russ Garfield
- 1976 · J.D.'s Revenge as Rev. Elija Bliss
- 1975 · Delancey Street: The Crisis Within as Otis James
- 1974 · The White Dawn as Portagee
- 1972 · Travels with My Aunt as Wordsworth
- 1971 · Skin Game as Jason O'Rourke
- Future · Forget to Remember as
- 2021 · Not to Forget as Pastor John
- 2021 · I Forgive as God (voice)
- 2019 · Watchmen as Old Man / Will Reeves
- 2019 · The Gang Activists as Self
- 2018 · Breaking Brooklyn as Miles Bryant
- 2017 · Undercover Grandpa as Mother
- 2017 · The Good Fight as Carl Reddick
- 2016 · Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise as Self
- 2016 · A.C. Green: Iron Virgin as Himself
- 2015 · Boiling Pot as Detective Haven
- 2015 · The Spoils Before Dying as Duke Webster
- 2015 · The Book of Negroes as Daddy Moses
- 2014 · Madam Secretary as Father Laurent Vasseur
- 2014 · Extant as Quinn
- 2014 · A Fighting Man as Cubby
- 2014 · And the Oscar Goes To... as Self (archive footage)
- 2013 · Miracle at Gate 213 as Roy Peddington
- 2012 · The Undershepherd as Bishop Redford
- 2011 · Dog Jack as Grown up Jed
- 2011 · The Grace Card as George Wright
- 2010 · Hawaii Five-0 as Lou's father
- 2010 · Why Did I Get Married Too? as Porter
- 2009 · The Perfect Game as Cool Papa Bell
- 2009 · Celebrity Ghost Stories as Self
- 2009 · The Least Among You as Samuel Benton
- 2008 · A Love Story of Today as Self
- 2008 · A Special Kind of Love as Self
- 2008 · The Black List: Volume One as Himself
- 2007 · Daddy's Little Girls as Willie
- 2006 · Club Soda as Doc
- 2006 · Psych as Lloyd Marr
- 2006 · Solar Attack as President Ryan Gordon
- 2005 · Left Behind: World at War as President Geral Fitzhugh
- 2005 · Black in the 80s as
- 2004 · The Batman as Lucius Fox (voice)
- 2004 · The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made as Rev. Elija Bliss (archive footage)
- 2002 · Half & Half as Ray Willis
- 2002 · The Dead Zone as Pastor David Lewis
- 2002 · What About Your Friends: Weekend Get-Away as Dr. Barnes
- 2002 · Deceived as Col. David Garrett
- 2001 · For Love of Olivia as Daniel Stewart
- 2000 · The Highwayman as Phil Bishop
- 1999 · Strange Justice as Vernon Jordan
- 1999 · Family Guy as Drill Sargent (voice)
- 1998 · Hercules as Chiron (voice)
- 1998 · Legend of the Mummy as Corbeck
- 1998 · Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood as Self
- 1997 · Stargate SG-1 as Gerak
- 1996 · Early Edition as
- 1996 · Promised Land as Anderson Walker
- 1996 · Inside as Questioner
- 1996 · Run for the Dream: The Gail Devers Story as Bob Kersee
- 1996 · Managua as Paul
- 1995 · Iron Eagle on the Attack as Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair
- 1995 · The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies as Self
- 1995 · Ray Alexander: A Menu for Murder as Ray Alexander
- 1995 · Kings of the Ring: Four Legends of Heavyweight Boxing as Narrator
- 1995 · A Father for Charlie as Walter Osgood
- 1994 · Touched by an Angel as Anderson Walker
- 1994 · ER as Leo Malcolm
- 1994 · Flashfire as Ben Durand
- 1994 · Curse of the Starving Class as Ellis
- 1994 · Ray Alexander: A Taste For Justice as Ray Alexander
- 1994 · Ellen as Sgt. Timko
- 1994 · Blue Chips as Father Dawkins (uncredited)
- 1993 · Return to Lonesome Dove as Isom Pickett
- 1993 · Monolith as Capt. MacCandless
- 1992 · Liberators: Fighting on Two Fronts in World War II as Reader
- 1992 · Diggstown as "Honey" Roy Palmer
- 1992 · Iron Eagle III as Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair
- 1991 · Keeper of the City as Det. James Dela
- 1991 · Carolina Skeletons as James Bragg
- 1991 · Toy Soldiers as Dean Parker
- 1990 · Captain Planet and the Planeteers as Commander Clash (voice)
- 1990 · Sudie and Simpson as Simpson
- 1990 · El Diablo as Van Leek
- 1990 · Zora is My Name! as
- 1989 · The Punisher as Jake Berkowitz
- 1989 · Gideon Oliver as
- 1988 · Goodbye, Miss 4th of July as Big John Creed
- 1988 · Iron Eagle II as Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair
- 1988 · American Experience as Self - Narrator
- 1988 · Sam Found Out: A Triple Play as Sam
- 1987 · The Father Clements Story as
- 1987 · The Principal as Jake Phillips
- 1986 · Firewalker as Leo Porter
- 1986 · Iron Eagle as Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair
- 1985 · Enemy Mine as Jeriba 'Jerry' Shigan
- 1984 · The Guardian as John Mack
- 1983 · Jaws 3-D as Calvin Bouchard
- 1982 · Benny's Place as Benny Moore
- 1981 · Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy "Satchel" Paige as Leroy 'Satchel' Paige
- 1980 · It Rained All Night the Day I Left as Leo Garcia
- 1975 · Black Bart as Black Bart
- 1974 · Sidekicks as Jason O'Rourke
- 1974 · It's Good to Be Alive as Sam Brockington
- Future · Everbrook (The Home) as
- 1983 · The Making of Jaws 3-D: Sharks Don't Die as narrator
- 1982 · The Powers of Matthew Star as Walter "Walt" Shepherd (D'Hai)
- 1982 · An Officer and a Gentleman as Sergeant Emil Foley
- 1980 · Palmerstown, U.S.A. as
- 1979 · The Lazarus Syndrome as MacArthur St. Clair
- 1979 · Backstairs at the White House as Levi Mercer, Houseman
- 1978 · The Critical List as Lem Harper
- 1977 · Freeman as Rex
- 1977 · The Deep as Henri Cloche
- 1977 · Please Turn the Page as Self
- 1977 · Roots as Fiddler
- 1976 · The River Niger as Dr. Dudley Stanton
- 1975 · Saturday Night Live as Self - Host
- 1975 · The Jeffersons as
- 1974 · The Rockford Files as Marcus Aurelius Hayes / O'Brien
- 1974 · The Rockford Files as Marcus Aurelius 'Gabby' Hayes
- 1974 · Harry O as Cleon Jackson
- 1974 · Little House on the Prairie as
- 1974 · Petrocelli as Kurt Olson, DA
- 1974 · Petrocelli as District Attorney Kurt Olson
- 1974 · Good Times as
- 1974 · The Six Million Dollar Man as O'Flaherty
- 1973 · The Laughing Policeman as Insp. James Larrimore SFPD
- 1973 · The American Film Institute Salute to ... as Self
- 1973 · Police Story as
- 1972 · The Rookies as
- 1971 · Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law as Lt. Carl Fellows
- 1971 · Alias Smith and Jones as
- 1970 · The Partridge Family as Sam Simon
- 1970 · The Young Rebels as
- 1970 · The Landlord as Copee Johnson
- 1970 · McCloud as
- 1969 · Love, American Style as Freddy
- 1969 · The Bill Cosby Show as Hurricane Smith
- 1969 · The Bold Ones: The New Doctors as Dr. Karnes
- 1969 · The Bushbaby as Tembo
- 1968 · Companions in Nightmare as Lt. Adam McKay
- 1968 · The Mod Squad as Smitty
- 1968 · The Mod Squad as Lloyd
- 1968 · The Mod Squad as Charley Jameson
- 1967 · Cowboy in Africa as Fulah
- 1967 · Cowboy in Africa as Joseph Hemera
- 1967 · The Invaders as Ollie
- 1966 · Daktari as Mkono
- 1962 · The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson as Self
- 1962 · The Merv Griffin Show as Self
- 1961 · The Mike Douglas Show as Self
- 1961 · 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 - Winner
- 1944 · Golden Globe Awards as Self - Audience Member
- 1944 · Golden Globe Awards as Self - Presenter
- 1944 · Golden Globe Awards as Self - Host
- 1944 · Golden Globe Awards as Self - Nominee / Presenter
- Future · Gridiron Gang as Host
- Future · Straight Up as Cosmo
- Future · Crimes of Violence as Self - Host