Louis Gossett Jr.
Known For
Acting
Gender
Male
Birthday
May 27, 1936 (90 years old)
Place of Birth
Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
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.
Known For
| 2025 | SinElijah | |
| 2024 | IFLewis (voice) | |
| 2023 | The Color PurpleOl' Mister | |
| 2023 | Outlaw Johnny BlackReverend Tharrington (voice) (uncredited) | |
| 2022 | Three MonthsBenny | |
| 2022 | SidneySelf | |
| 2021 | I ForgiveGod (voice) | |
| 2021 | Not to ForgetPastor John | |
| 2020 | Miracle in East TexasIrving Tanner Jr. | |
| 2020 | The CubanLuis Garcia | |
| 2020 | The ReasonPastor Jim | |
| 2019 | HalSelf | |
| 2019 | SupervizedPendle | |
| 2019 | The Gang ActivistsSelf | |
| 2019 | Foster BoyJudge George Taylor | |
| 2019 | WatchmenOld Man / Will Reeves | |
| 2018 | Breaking BrooklynMiles Bryant | |
| 2017 | Double PlayCoco | |
| 2017 | Undercover GrandpaMother | |
| 2017 | King of the DancehallThe Bishop | |
| 2017 | Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes / Feeling HeartSelf | |
| 2017 | The Good FightCarl Reddick | |
| 2016 | Maya Angelou: And Still I RiseSelf | |
| 2016 | A.C. Green: Iron VirginHimself | |
| 2015 | Boiling PotDetective Haven | |
| 2015 | The Book of NegroesDaddy Moses | |
| 2015 | The Spoils Before DyingDuke Webster | |
| 2014 | The DependablesLou Jones | |
| 2014 | A Fighting ManCubby | |
| 2014 | ExtantQuinn | |
| 2014 | Madam SecretaryLaurent Vasseur | |
| 2013 | Miracle at Gate 213Roy Peddington | |
| 2013 | Breaking at the EdgeFloyd | |
| 2012 | SmittyMr. Smith | |
| 2012 | The UndershepherdBishop Redford | |
| 2011 | Dog JackGrown up Jed | |
| 2011 | The Grace CardGeorge Wright | |
| 2010 | Why Did I Get Married Too?Porter | |
| 2010 | Hawaii Five-0Lou's father | |
| 2009 | Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black ComedySelf | |
| 2009 | The Least Among YouSamuel Benton | |
| 2009 | The Perfect GameCool Papa Bell | |
| 2009 | Amazing RacerMax Donovan | |
| 2009 | Celebrity Ghost StoriesSelf | |
| 2008 | DelgoKing Zahn (voice) | |
| 2008 | Stanley Kramer: A Man's Search for TruthSelf | |
| 2008 | The Black List: Volume OneSelf | |
| 2008 | A Love Story of TodaySelf | |
| 2008 | A Special Kind of LoveSelf | |
| 2007 | The 50 Greatest Television DramasSelf | |
| 2007 | Daddy's Little GirlsWillie | |
| 2007 | CoverDetective Hicks | |
| 2007 | Stories USADoc (segment "Club Soda") | |
| 2006 | Solar AttackPresident Ryan Gordon | |
| 2006 | Club SodaDoc | |
| 2006 | All InCaps | |
| 2006 | PsychLloyd Marr | |
| 2005 | Left Behind: World at WarPresident Geral Fitzhugh | |
| 2005 | Lackawanna BluesOl'lem Taylor | |
| 2005 | Black in the 80s | |
| 2004 | The BatmanLucius Fox (voice) | |
| 2003 | MomentumRaymond Addison | |
| 2003 | Jasper, TexasR.C. Horn | |
| 2002 | DeceivedCol. David Garrett | |
| 2002 | What About Your Friends: Weekend Get-AwayDr. Barnes | |
| 2002 | Half & HalfRay Willis | |
| 2002 | The Dead ZonePastor David Lewis | |
| 2001 | For Love of OliviaDaniel Stewart | |
| 2001 | Dr. Lucille | |
| 2000 | The Inspectors 2: A Shred of EvidenceFrank | |
| 2000 | The Color of Love: Jacey's StoryLou Hastings | |
| 2000 | The HighwaymanPhil Bishop | |
| 1999 | Y2KMorgan | |
| 1999 | Strange JusticeVernon Jordan | |
| 1999 | Love SongsReuben | |
| 1999 | Family GuyDrill Sargent (voice) | |
| 1998 | Legend of the MummyCorbeck | |
| 1998 | The InspectorsInspector Frank Hughes | |
| 1998 | Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in HollywoodSelf | |
| 1998 | The Wall That HealsSelf - Host | |
| 1998 | HerculesChiron (voice) | |
| 1997 | In His Father's ShoesFrank Crosby / Richard | |
| 1997 | To Dance with OliviaDaniel Stewart | |
| 1997 | Stargate SG-1Gerak | |
| 1996 | ManaguaPaul | |
| 1996 | Run for the Dream: The Gail Devers StoryBob Kersee | |
| 1996 | InsideQuestioner | |
| 1996 | Captive Heart: The James Mink StoryJames Mink | |
| 1996 | Early EditionJim Matthews | |
| 1996 | Promised LandAnderson Walker | |
| 1995 | Iron Eagle on the AttackCharles 'Chappy' Sinclair | |
| 1995 | A Father for CharlieWalter Osgood | |
| 1995 | The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American MoviesSelf | |
| 1995 | Kings of the Ring: Four Legends of Heavyweight BoxingNarrator | |
| 1995 | Ray Alexander: A Menu for MurderRay Alexander | |
| 1995 | ZoomanRueben Tate | |
| 1994 | FlashfireBen Durand | |
| 1994 | Curse of the Starving ClassEllis | |
| 1994 | Blue ChipsFather Dawkins (uncredited) | |
| 1994 | A Good Man in AfricaProf. Sam Adekunle | |
| 1994 | Ray Alexander: A Taste For JusticeRay Alexander | |
| 1994 | ERLeo Malcolm | |
| 1994 | EllenSgt. Timko | |
| 1994 | Touched by an AngelAnderson Walker | |
| 1993 | MonolithCapt. MacCandless | |
| 1993 | Father & Son: Dangerous RelationsLeonard Clay | |
| 1993 | Return to Lonesome DoveIsom Pickett | |
| 1992 | Iron Eagle IIICharles 'Chappy' Sinclair | |
| 1992 | Diggstown"Honey" Roy Palmer | |
| 1992 | Liberators: Fighting on Two Fronts in World War IIReader (voice) | |
| 1992 | Picket FencesRick Jennings | |
| 1991 | Toy SoldiersDean Parker | |
| 1991 | Cover-UpLou Jackson | |
| 1991 | The Josephine Baker StorySidney Williams | |
| 1991 | Carolina SkeletonsJames Bragg | |
| 1991 | Keeper of the CityDet. James Dela | |
| 1990 | El DiabloVan Leek | |
| 1990 | Sudie and SimpsonSimpson | |
| 1990 | Zora is My Name! | |
| 1990 | Captain Planet and the PlaneteersCommander Clash (voice) | |
| 1989 | The PunisherJake Berkowitz | |
| 1989 | Gideon Oliver | |
| 1988 | Iron Eagle IICharles 'Chappy' Sinclair | |
| 1988 | Roots: The GiftFiddler | |
| 1988 | Sam Found Out: A Triple PlaySam | |
| 1988 | Goodbye, Miss 4th of JulyBig John Creed | |
| 1988 | American ExperienceNarrator (voice) | |
| 1987 | The PrincipalJake Phillips | |
| 1987 | A Gathering of Old MenMathu | |
| 1987 | The Father Clements Story | |
| 1987 | Happy 100th Birthday, HollywoodSelf | |
| 1986 | Iron EagleCharles 'Chappy' Sinclair | |
| 1986 | FirewalkerLeo Porter | |
| 1985 | Enemy MineJeriba 'Jerry' Shigan | |
| 1984 | Finders KeepersCentury | |
| 1984 | The GuardianJohn Mack | |
| 1983 | Jaws 3-DCalvin Bouchard | |
| 1983 | The Making of Jaws 3-D: Sharks Don't Dienarrator | |
| 1983 | SadatAnwar al-Sadat | |
| 1982 | An Officer and a GentlemanSergeant Emil Foley | |
| 1982 | I Love LibertySelf | |
| 1982 | Benny's PlaceBenny Moore | |
| 1982 | The Powers of Matthew StarWalter "Walt" Shepherd (D'Hai) | |
| 1981 | Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy "Satchel" PaigeLeroy 'Satchel' Paige | |
| 1980 | It Rained All Night the Day I LeftLeo Garcia | |
| 1980 | Palmerstown, U.S.A. | |
| 1979 | The Lazarus SyndromeDr. MacArthur St. Clair | |
| 1979 | Lawman Without a GunTom Hayward | |
| 1979 | Backstairs at the White HouseLevi Mercer, Houseman | |
| 1979 | The Lazarus SyndromeMacArthur St. Clair | |
| 1978 | To Kill a CopEverett Walker | |
| 1978 | The Sentry Collection Presents Ben Vereen: His RootsSelf | |
| 1978 | The Critical ListLem Harper | |
| 1978 | To Kill a CopEverett Walker | |
| 1977 | FreemanRex | |
| 1977 | The DeepHenri Cloche | |
| 1977 | The ChoirboysCalvin Motts | |
| 1977 | Little Ladies of the NightRuss Garfield | |
| 1977 | RootsFiddler | |
| 1977 | Please Turn the PageSelf | |
| 1976 | J.D.'s RevengeRev. Elija Bliss | |
| 1976 | The River NigerDr. Dudley Stanton | |
| 1975 | Black BartBlack Bart | |
| 1975 | Delancey Street: The Crisis WithinOtis James | |
| 1975 | The Jeffersons | |
| 1975 | Saturday Night LiveSelf - Host | |
| 1974 | The White DawnPortagee | |
| 1974 | It's Good to Be AliveSam Brockington | |
| 1974 | SidekicksJason O'Rourke | |
| 1974 | Good Times | |
| 1974 | Little House on the PrairieHenry Hill | |
| 1974 | The Six Million Dollar ManO'Flaherty | |
| 1974 | The Rockford FilesMarcus Aurelius Hayes / O'Brien | |
| 1974 | The Rockford FilesMarcus Aurelius 'Gabby' Hayes | |
| 1974 | PetrocelliKurt Olson, DA | |
| 1974 | PetrocelliDistrict Attorney Kurt Olson | |
| 1974 | Harry OCleon Jackson | |
| 1973 | The Laughing PolicemanInsp. James Larrimore SFPD | |
| 1973 | Police Story | |
| 1973 | The American Film Institute Salute to ...Self | |
| 1972 | Travels with My AuntWordsworth | |
| 1972 | The Rookies | |
| 1971 | Skin GameJason O'Rourke | |
| 1971 | Alias Smith and Jones | |
| 1971 | Owen Marshall: Counselor at LawLt. Carl Fellows | |
| 1970 | The LandlordCopee Johnson | |
| 1970 | McCloud | |
| 1970 | The Young Rebels | |
| 1970 | The Partridge FamilySam Simon | |
| 1969 | The BushbabyTembo | |
| 1969 | The Bill Cosby ShowHurricane Smith | |
| 1969 | Love, American StyleFreddy | |
| 1969 | The Bold Ones: The New DoctorsDr. Karnes | |
| 1968 | Companions in NightmareLt. Adam McKay | |
| 1968 | The Mod SquadSmitty | |
| 1968 | The Mod SquadLloyd | |
| 1968 | The Mod SquadCharley Jameson | |
| 1967 | Cowboy in AfricaFulah | |
| 1967 | Cowboy in AfricaJoseph Hemera | |
| 1967 | The InvadersOllie | |
| 1966 | DaktariMkono | |
| 1962 | The Merv Griffin ShowSelf | |
| 1962 | The Tonight Show Starring Johnny CarsonSelf | |
| 1961 | A Raisin in the SunGeorge Murchison | |
| 1961 | The Mike Douglas ShowSelf | |
| 1960 | The New GirlMary's Brother | |
| 1959 | BonanzaBuck Walter | |
| 1953 | The OscarsSelf | |
| 1948 | The Ed Sullivan ShowSelf | |
| 1944 | Golden Globe AwardsSelf - Nominee | |
| 1944 | Golden Globe AwardsSelf - Audience Member | |
| 1944 | Golden Globe AwardsSelf - Presenter | |
| 1944 | Golden Globe AwardsSelf - Host | |
| 1944 | Golden Globe AwardsSelf - Nominee / Presenter | |
| - | Gridiron GangHost | |
| - | Straight UpCosmo | |
| - | Crimes of ViolenceSelf - Host | |
| - | Forget to Remember | |
| - | UnpluggedAmos Burton (voice) |
| 2010 | For Love of Liberty: The Story of America's Black PatriotsExecutive Producer | |
| 2001 | For Love of OliviaExecutive Producer | |
| 2000 | The Color of Love: Jacey's StoryExecutive Producer | |
| 1997 | In His Father's ShoesExecutive Producer | |
| 1997 | To Dance with OliviaExecutive Producer | |
| 1996 | InsideExecutive Producer | |
| 1995 | A Father for CharlieExecutive Producer |
| 1999 | Love SongsDirector | |
| 1982 | The Powers of Matthew StarDirector |
| 2024 | IFIn Memory Of |