Louis Gossett Jr.

Acting

Born: 1936-05-27 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Died: 2024-03-29

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.

Acting

Iron Eagle III

Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair

Freeman

Rex

The 50 Greatest Television Dramas

Self

The Principal

Jake Phillips

An Officer and a Gentleman

Sergeant Emil Foley

Toy Soldiers

Dean Parker

Momentum

Raymond Addison

The Deep

Henri Cloche

Iron Eagle

Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair

Finders Keepers

Century

Delgo

King Zahn (voice)

Skin Game

Jason O'Rourke

Travels with My Aunt

Wordsworth

The White Dawn

Portagee

The Inspectors 2: A Shred of Evidence

Frank

Iron Eagle II

Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair

Enemy Mine

Jeriba 'Jerry' Shigan

The Punisher

Jake Berkowitz

Firewalker

Leo Porter

The New Girl

Mary's Brother

Solar Attack

President Ryan Gordon

Iron Eagle on the Attack

Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair

Why Did I Get Married Too?

Porter

I Love Liberty

Self

The Laughing Policeman

Insp. James Larrimore SFPD

A Raisin in the Sun

George Murchison

Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy

Self

J.D.'s Revenge

Rev. Elija Bliss

Daddy's Little Girls

Willie

Left Behind: World at War

President Geral Fitzhugh

The Landlord

Copee Johnson

Y2K

Morgan

Club Soda

Doc

Jaws 3-D

Calvin Bouchard

The Least Among You

Samuel Benton

Miracle in East Texas

Irving Tanner Jr.

The Choirboys

Calvin Motts

All In

Caps

Diggstown

"Honey" Roy Palmer

El Diablo

Van Leek

Dog Jack

Grown up Jed

Cover

Detective Hicks

Three Months

Benny

Managua

Paul

The Perfect Game

Cool Papa Bell

The River Niger

Dr. Dudley Stanton

A Gathering of Old Men

Mathu

Smitty

Mr. Smith

Cover-Up

Lou Jackson

The Josephine Baker Story

Sidney Williams

Roots: The Gift

Fiddler

Gridiron Gang

Host

Deceived

Col. David Garrett

Monolith

Capt. MacCandless

The Color Purple

Ol' Mister

The Lazarus Syndrome

Dr. MacArthur St. Clair

Little Ladies of the Night

Russ Garfield

Carolina Skeletons

James Bragg

Black Bart

It's Good to Be Alive

Sam Brockington

Sudie and Simpson

Simpson

Lackawanna Blues

Ol'lem Taylor

In His Father's Shoes

Frank Crosby / Richard

Legend of the Mummy

Corbeck

Flashfire

Ben Durand

The Bushbaby

Tembo

Lewis (voice)

Curse of the Starving Class

Ellis

Run for the Dream: The Gail Devers Story

Bob Kersee

Father & Son: Dangerous Relations

Leonard Clay

A Father for Charlie

Walter Osgood

The Color of Love: Jacey's Story

Lou Hastings

Sidekicks

Jason O'Rourke

The Guardian

John Mack

I Forgive

God (voice)

The Father Clements Story

The Inspectors

Inspector Frank Hughes

The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies

Self

The Dependables

Lou Jones

Sidney

Self

Sam Found Out: A Triple Play

Sam

Delancey Street: The Crisis Within

Otis James

Blue Chips

Father Dawkins (uncredited)

Inside

Questioner

For Love of Olivia

Daniel Stewart

Miracle at Gate 213

Roy Peddington

It Rained All Night the Day I Left

Leo Garcia

Stanley Kramer: A Man's Search for Truth

Self

A Good Man in Africa

Prof. Sam Adekunle

Outlaw Johnny Black

Reverend Tharrington (voice) (uncredited)

Goodbye, Miss 4th of July

Big John Creed

Boiling Pot

Detective Haven

Companions in Nightmare

Lt. Adam McKay

Captive Heart: The James Mink Story

James Mink

Liberators: Fighting on Two Fronts in World War II

Reader (voice)

A Fighting Man

Cubby

To Dance with Olivia

Daniel Stewart

Straight Up

Cosmo

Double Play

Coco

The Highwayman

Phil Bishop

Kings of the Ring: Four Legends of Heavyweight Boxing

Narrator

Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise

Self

Lawman Without a Gun

Tom Hayward

Undercover Grandpa

Mother

Breaking Brooklyn

Miles Bryant

Zora is My Name!

King of the Dancehall

The Bishop

Hal

Self

Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes / Feeling Heart

Self

The Black List: Volume One

Self

Ray Alexander: A Taste For Justice

Ray Alexander

Ray Alexander: A Menu for Murder

Ray Alexander

Keeper of the City

Det. James Dela

Strange Justice

Vernon Jordan

What About Your Friends: Weekend Get-Away

Dr. Barnes

Supervized

Pendle

A.C. Green: Iron Virgin

Himself

Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy "Satchel" Paige

Leroy 'Satchel' Paige

The Gang Activists

Self

Zooman

Rueben Tate

The Cuban

Luis Garcia

Jasper, Texas

R.C. Horn

Love Songs

Reuben

Benny's Place

Benny Moore

The Grace Card

George Wright

Foster Boy

Judge George Taylor

The Reason

Pastor Jim

A Love Story of Today

Self

A Special Kind of Love

Self

The Making of Jaws 3-D: Sharks Don't Die

narrator

Stories USA

Doc (segment "Club Soda")

Crimes of Violence

Self - Host

Forget to Remember

Not to Forget

Pastor John

To Kill a Cop

Everett Walker

The Undershepherd

Bishop Redford

Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood

Self

Amazing Racer

Max Donovan

Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood

Self

Dr. Lucille

The Wall That Heals

Self - Host

Sin

Elijah

Unplugged

Amos Burton (voice)

Breaking at the Edge

Floyd

The Sentry Collection Presents Ben Vereen: His Roots

Self

Iron Eagle III

Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair

Freeman

Rex

The 50 Greatest Television Dramas

Self

The Principal

Jake Phillips

An Officer and a Gentleman

Sergeant Emil Foley

Toy Soldiers

Dean Parker

Momentum

Raymond Addison

The Deep

Henri Cloche

Iron Eagle

Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair

Finders Keepers

Century

Delgo

King Zahn (voice)

Skin Game

Jason O'Rourke

Travels with My Aunt

Wordsworth

The White Dawn

Portagee

The Inspectors 2: A Shred of Evidence

Frank

Iron Eagle II

Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair

Enemy Mine

Jeriba 'Jerry' Shigan

The Punisher

Jake Berkowitz

Firewalker

Leo Porter

The New Girl

Mary's Brother

Solar Attack

President Ryan Gordon

Iron Eagle on the Attack

Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair

Why Did I Get Married Too?

Porter

I Love Liberty

Self

The Laughing Policeman

Insp. James Larrimore SFPD

A Raisin in the Sun

George Murchison

Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy

Self

J.D.'s Revenge

Rev. Elija Bliss

Daddy's Little Girls

Willie

Left Behind: World at War

President Geral Fitzhugh

The Landlord

Copee Johnson

Y2K

Morgan

Club Soda

Doc

Jaws 3-D

Calvin Bouchard

The Least Among You

Samuel Benton

Miracle in East Texas

Irving Tanner Jr.

The Choirboys

Calvin Motts

All In

Caps

Diggstown

"Honey" Roy Palmer

El Diablo

Van Leek

Dog Jack

Grown up Jed

Cover

Detective Hicks

Three Months

Benny

Managua

Paul

The Perfect Game

Cool Papa Bell

The River Niger

Dr. Dudley Stanton

A Gathering of Old Men

Mathu

Smitty

Mr. Smith

Cover-Up

Lou Jackson

The Josephine Baker Story

Sidney Williams

Roots: The Gift

Fiddler

Gridiron Gang

Host

Deceived

Col. David Garrett

Monolith

Capt. MacCandless

The Color Purple

Ol' Mister

The Lazarus Syndrome

Dr. MacArthur St. Clair

Little Ladies of the Night

Russ Garfield

Carolina Skeletons

James Bragg

Black Bart

It's Good to Be Alive

Sam Brockington

Sudie and Simpson

Simpson

Lackawanna Blues

Ol'lem Taylor

In His Father's Shoes

Frank Crosby / Richard

Legend of the Mummy

Corbeck

Flashfire

Ben Durand

The Bushbaby

Tembo

Lewis (voice)

Curse of the Starving Class

Ellis

Run for the Dream: The Gail Devers Story

Bob Kersee

Father & Son: Dangerous Relations

Leonard Clay

A Father for Charlie

Walter Osgood

The Color of Love: Jacey's Story

Lou Hastings

Sidekicks

Jason O'Rourke

The Guardian

John Mack

I Forgive

God (voice)

The Father Clements Story

The Inspectors

Inspector Frank Hughes

The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies

Self

The Dependables

Lou Jones

Sidney

Self

Sam Found Out: A Triple Play

Sam

Delancey Street: The Crisis Within

Otis James

Blue Chips

Father Dawkins (uncredited)

Inside

Questioner

For Love of Olivia

Daniel Stewart

Miracle at Gate 213

Roy Peddington

It Rained All Night the Day I Left

Leo Garcia

Stanley Kramer: A Man's Search for Truth

Self

A Good Man in Africa

Prof. Sam Adekunle

Outlaw Johnny Black

Reverend Tharrington (voice) (uncredited)

Goodbye, Miss 4th of July

Big John Creed

Boiling Pot

Detective Haven

Companions in Nightmare

Lt. Adam McKay

Captive Heart: The James Mink Story

James Mink

Liberators: Fighting on Two Fronts in World War II

Reader (voice)

A Fighting Man

Cubby

To Dance with Olivia

Daniel Stewart

Straight Up

Cosmo

Double Play

Coco

The Highwayman

Phil Bishop

Kings of the Ring: Four Legends of Heavyweight Boxing

Narrator

Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise

Self

Lawman Without a Gun

Tom Hayward

Undercover Grandpa

Mother

Breaking Brooklyn

Miles Bryant

Zora is My Name!

King of the Dancehall

The Bishop

Hal

Self

Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes / Feeling Heart

Self

The Black List: Volume One

Self

Ray Alexander: A Taste For Justice

Ray Alexander

Ray Alexander: A Menu for Murder

Ray Alexander

Keeper of the City

Det. James Dela

Strange Justice

Vernon Jordan

What About Your Friends: Weekend Get-Away

Dr. Barnes

Supervized

Pendle

A.C. Green: Iron Virgin

Himself

Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy "Satchel" Paige

Leroy 'Satchel' Paige

The Gang Activists

Self

Zooman

Rueben Tate

The Cuban

Luis Garcia

Jasper, Texas

R.C. Horn

Love Songs

Reuben

Benny's Place

Benny Moore

The Grace Card

George Wright

Foster Boy

Judge George Taylor

The Reason

Pastor Jim

A Love Story of Today

Self

A Special Kind of Love

Self

The Making of Jaws 3-D: Sharks Don't Die

narrator

Stories USA

Doc (segment "Club Soda")

Crimes of Violence

Self - Host

Forget to Remember

Not to Forget

Pastor John

To Kill a Cop

Everett Walker

The Undershepherd

Bishop Redford

Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood

Self

Amazing Racer

Max Donovan

Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood

Self

Dr. Lucille

The Wall That Heals

Self - Host

Sin

Elijah

Unplugged

Amos Burton (voice)

Breaking at the Edge

Floyd

The Sentry Collection Presents Ben Vereen: His Roots

Self

Director

Love Songs

Director

Love Songs

Director

Other Credits

Inside

Executive Producer

In His Father's Shoes

Executive Producer

For Love of Olivia

Executive Producer

To Dance with Olivia

Executive Producer

The Color of Love: Jacey's Story

Executive Producer

In Memory Of

A Father for Charlie

Executive Producer

Inside

Executive Producer

In His Father's Shoes

Executive Producer

For Love of Olivia

Executive Producer

To Dance with Olivia

Executive Producer

The Color of Love: Jacey's Story

Executive Producer

In Memory Of

A Father for Charlie

Executive Producer