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Acting

Louis Gossett Jr.

Acting · Born 1936-05-27 · Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

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.

Credits · 198

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