Louis Gossett Jr.

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

Family Guy

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

Hawaii Five-0

Stargate SG-1

Saturday Night Live

ER

Psych

Bonanza

All Movies (145)

• Sin2025 · as Elijah
• IF2024 · as Lewis (voice)
• The Color Purple2023 · as Ol' Mister
• Outlaw Johnny Black2023 · as Reverend Tharrington (voice) (uncredited)
• Sidney2022 · as Self
• Three Months2022 · as Benny
• Not to Forget2021 · as Pastor John
• I Forgive2021 · as God (voice)
• The Reason2020 · as Pastor Jim
• The Cuban2020 · as Luis Garcia
• Miracle in East Texas2020 · as Irving Tanner Jr.
• Foster Boy2019 · as Judge George Taylor
• Supervized2019 · as Pendle
• The Gang Activists2019 · as Self
• Hal2019 · as Self
• Breaking Brooklyn2018 · as Miles Bryant
• Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes / Feeling Heart2017 · as Self
• Undercover Grandpa2017 · as Mother
• Double Play2017 · as Coco
• King of the Dancehall2017 · as The Bishop
• Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise2016 · as Self
• A.C. Green: Iron Virgin2016 · as Himself
• Boiling Pot2015 · as Detective Haven
• The Dependables2014 · as Lou Jones
• A Fighting Man2014 · as Cubby
• Miracle at Gate 2132013 · as Roy Peddington
• Breaking at the Edge2013 · as Floyd
• Smitty2012 · as Mr. Smith
• The Undershepherd2012 · as Bishop Redford
• Dog Jack2011 · as Grown up Jed
• The Grace Card2011 · as George Wright
• Why Did I Get Married Too?2010 · as Porter
• The Perfect Game2009 · as Cool Papa Bell
• Amazing Racer2009 · as Max Donovan
• The Least Among You2009 · as Samuel Benton
• Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy2009 · as Self
• Delgo2008 · as King Zahn (voice)
• Stanley Kramer: A Man's Search for Truth2008 · as Self
• A Love Story of Today2008 · as Self
• A Special Kind of Love2008 · as Self
• The Black List: Volume One2008 · as Self
• Stories USA2007 · as Doc (segment "Club Soda")
• Cover2007 · as Detective Hicks
• Daddy's Little Girls2007 · as Willie
• The 50 Greatest Television Dramas2007 · as Self
• Club Soda2006 · as Doc
• Solar Attack2006 · as President Ryan Gordon
• All In2006 · as Caps
• Left Behind: World at War2005 · as President Geral Fitzhugh
• Lackawanna Blues2005 · as Ol'lem Taylor
• Jasper, Texas2003 · as R.C. Horn
• Momentum2003 · as Raymond Addison
• What About Your Friends: Weekend Get-Away2002 · as Dr. Barnes
• Deceived2002 · as Col. David Garrett
• For Love of Olivia2001 · as Daniel Stewart
• Dr. Lucille2001
• The Color of Love: Jacey's Story2000 · as Lou Hastings
• The Inspectors 2: A Shred of Evidence2000 · as Frank
• The Highwayman2000 · as Phil Bishop
• Strange Justice1999 · as Vernon Jordan
• Y2K1999 · as Morgan
• Love Songs1999 · as Reuben
• The Inspectors1998 · as Inspector Frank Hughes
• The Wall That Heals1998 · as Self - Host
• Legend of the Mummy1998 · as Corbeck
• Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood1998 · as Self
• In His Father's Shoes1997 · as Frank Crosby / Richard
• To Dance with Olivia1997 · as Daniel Stewart
• Inside1996 · as Questioner
• Run for the Dream: The Gail Devers Story1996 · as Bob Kersee
• Captive Heart: The James Mink Story1996 · as James Mink
• Managua1996 · as Paul
• Iron Eagle on the Attack1995 · as Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair
• The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies1995 · as Self
• Ray Alexander: A Menu for Murder1995 · as Ray Alexander
• Zooman1995 · as Rueben Tate
• A Father for Charlie1995 · as Walter Osgood
• Kings of the Ring: Four Legends of Heavyweight Boxing1995 · as Narrator
• Flashfire1994 · as Ben Durand
• Curse of the Starving Class1994 · as Ellis
• A Good Man in Africa1994 · as Prof. Sam Adekunle
• Ray Alexander: A Taste For Justice1994 · as Ray Alexander
• Blue Chips1994 · as Father Dawkins (uncredited)
• Monolith1993 · as Capt. MacCandless
• Father & Son: Dangerous Relations1993 · as Leonard Clay
• Liberators: Fighting on Two Fronts in World War II1992 · as Reader (voice)
• Gridiron Gang1992 · as Host
• Diggstown1992 · as "Honey" Roy Palmer
• Iron Eagle III1992 · as Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair
• Keeper of the City1991 · as Det. James Dela
• Carolina Skeletons1991 · as James Bragg
• Toy Soldiers1991 · as Dean Parker
• The Josephine Baker Story1991 · as Sidney Williams
• Cover-Up1991 · as Lou Jackson
• Sudie and Simpson1990 · as Simpson
• El Diablo1990 · as Van Leek
• Zora is My Name!1990
• The Punisher1989 · as Jake Berkowitz
• Roots: The Gift1988 · as Fiddler
• Goodbye, Miss 4th of July1988 · as Big John Creed
• Iron Eagle II1988 · as Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair
• Sam Found Out: A Triple Play1988 · as Sam
• Straight Up1988 · as Cosmo
• The Father Clements Story1987
• The Principal1987 · as Jake Phillips
• Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood1987 · as Self
• A Gathering of Old Men1987 · as Mathu
• Firewalker1986 · as Leo Porter
• Iron Eagle1986 · as Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair
• Enemy Mine1985 · as Jeriba 'Jerry' Shigan
• The Guardian1984 · as John Mack
• Finders Keepers1984 · as Century
• Jaws 3-D1983 · as Calvin Bouchard
• The Making of Jaws 3-D: Sharks Don't Die1983 · as narrator
• An Officer and a Gentleman1982 · as Sergeant Emil Foley
• Benny's Place1982 · as Benny Moore
• I Love Liberty1982 · as Self
• Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy "Satchel" Paige1981 · as Leroy 'Satchel' Paige
• It Rained All Night the Day I Left1980 · as Leo Garcia
• The Lazarus Syndrome1979 · as Dr. MacArthur St. Clair
• Lawman Without a Gun1979 · as Tom Hayward
• To Kill a Cop1978 · as Everett Walker
• The Sentry Collection Presents Ben Vereen: His Roots1978 · as Self
• Freeman1977 · as Rex
• The Choirboys1977 · as Calvin Motts
• The Deep1977 · as Henri Cloche
• Little Ladies of the Night1977 · as Russ Garfield
• J.D.'s Revenge1976 · as Rev. Elija Bliss
• The River Niger1976 · as Dr. Dudley Stanton
• Delancey Street: The Crisis Within1975 · as Otis James
• Black Bart1975 · as Black Bart
• The White Dawn1974 · as Portagee
• Sidekicks1974 · as Jason O'Rourke
• It's Good to Be Alive1974 · as Sam Brockington
• The Laughing Policeman1973 · as Insp. James Larrimore SFPD
• Travels with My Aunt1972 · as Wordsworth
• Skin Game1971 · as Jason O'Rourke
• The Landlord1970 · as Copee Johnson
• The Bushbaby1969 · as Tembo
• Companions in Nightmare1968 · as Lt. Adam McKay
• A Raisin in the Sun1961 · as George Murchison
• The New Girl1960 · as Mary's Brother
• Crimes of Violence— · as Self - Host
• Forget to Remember—
• Unplugged— · as Amos Burton (voice)

All TV Shows (74)

• Watchmen2019 · as Old Man / Will Reeves
• The Good Fight2017 · as Carl Reddick
• The Spoils Before Dying2015 · as Duke Webster
• The Book of Negroes2015 · as Daddy Moses
• Madam Secretary2014 · as Laurent Vasseur
• Extant2014 · as Quinn
• Hawaii Five-02010 · as Lou's father
• Celebrity Ghost Stories2009 · as Self
• Psych2006 · as Lloyd Marr
• Black in the 80s2005
• The Batman2004 · as Lucius Fox (voice)
• Half & Half2002 · as Ray Willis
• The Dead Zone2002 · as Pastor David Lewis
• Family Guy1999 · as Drill Sargent (voice)
• Hercules1998 · as Chiron (voice)
• Stargate SG-11997 · as Gerak
• Early Edition1996 · as Jim Matthews
• Promised Land1996 · as Anderson Walker
• Touched by an Angel1994 · as Anderson Walker
• ER1994 · as Leo Malcolm
• Ellen1994 · as Sgt. Timko
• Return to Lonesome Dove1993 · as Isom Pickett
• Picket Fences1992 · as Rick Jennings
• Captain Planet and the Planeteers1990 · as Commander Clash (voice)
• Gideon Oliver1989
• American Experience1988 · as Narrator (voice)
• Sadat1983 · as Anwar al-Sadat
• The Powers of Matthew Star1982 · as Walter "Walt" Shepherd (D'Hai)
• Palmerstown, U.S.A.1980
• The Lazarus Syndrome1979 · as MacArthur St. Clair
• Backstairs at the White House1979 · as Levi Mercer, Houseman
• The Critical List1978 · as Lem Harper
• To Kill a Cop1978 · as Everett Walker
• Please Turn the Page1977 · as Self
• Roots1977 · as Fiddler
• Saturday Night Live1975 · as Self - Host
• The Jeffersons1975
• The Rockford Files1974 · as Marcus Aurelius Hayes / O'Brien
• The Rockford Files1974 · as Marcus Aurelius 'Gabby' Hayes
• Harry O1974 · as Cleon Jackson
• Little House on the Prairie1974 · as Henry Hill
• Petrocelli1974 · as Kurt Olson, DA
• Petrocelli1974 · as District Attorney Kurt Olson
• Good Times1974
• The Six Million Dollar Man1974 · as O'Flaherty
• The American Film Institute Salute to ...1973 · as Self
• Police Story1973
• The Rookies1972
• Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law1971 · as Lt. Carl Fellows
• Alias Smith and Jones1971
• The Partridge Family1970 · as Sam Simon
• The Young Rebels1970
• McCloud1970
• Love, American Style1969 · as Freddy
• The Bill Cosby Show1969 · as Hurricane Smith
• The Bold Ones: The New Doctors1969 · as Dr. Karnes
• The Mod Squad1968 · as Smitty
• The Mod Squad1968 · as Charley Jameson
• The Mod Squad1968 · as Lloyd
• Cowboy in Africa1967 · as Fulah
• Cowboy in Africa1967 · as Joseph Hemera
• The Invaders1967 · as Ollie
• Daktari1966 · as Mkono
• The Merv Griffin Show1962 · as Self
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson1962 · as Self
• The Mike Douglas Show1961 · as Self
• Bonanza1959 · as Buck Walter
• The Oscars1953 · as Self
• The Ed Sullivan Show1948 · as Self
• Golden Globe Awards1944 · as Self - Nominee
• Golden Globe Awards1944 · as Self - Audience Member
• Golden Globe Awards1944 · as Self - Presenter
• Golden Globe Awards1944 · as Self - Host
• Golden Globe Awards1944 · as Self - Nominee / Presenter