Louis Gossett Jr.
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.
Born: 27 May 1936 • Died: 29 March 2024
Played In
Sin
Elijah
IF
Lewis (voice)
The Color Purple
Ol' Mister
Outlaw Johnny Black
Reverend Tharrington (voice) (uncredited)
Sidney
Self
Three Months
Benny
Not to Forget
Pastor John
I Forgive
God (voice)
The Reason
Pastor Jim
The Cuban
Luis Garcia
Miracle in East Texas
Irving Tanner Jr.
Watchmen
Old Man / Will Reeves
Foster Boy
Judge George Taylor
Supervized
Pendle
The Gang Activists
Self
Hal
Self
Breaking Brooklyn
Miles Bryant
Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes / Feeling Heart
Self
Undercover Grandpa
Mother
The Good Fight
Carl Reddick
Double Play
Coco
King of the Dancehall
The Bishop
Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise
Self
A.C. Green: Iron Virgin
Himself
Boiling Pot
Detective Haven
The Spoils Before Dying
Duke Webster
The Book of Negroes
Daddy Moses
Madam Secretary
Laurent Vasseur
Extant
Quinn
The Dependables
Lou Jones
A Fighting Man
Cubby
Miracle at Gate 213
Roy Peddington
Breaking at the Edge
Floyd
Smitty
Mr. Smith
The Undershepherd
Bishop Redford
Dog Jack
Grown up Jed
The Grace Card
George Wright
Hawaii Five-0
Lou's father
Why Did I Get Married Too?
Porter
The Perfect Game
Cool Papa Bell
Celebrity Ghost Stories
Self
Amazing Racer
Max Donovan
The Least Among You
Samuel Benton
Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy
Self
Delgo
King Zahn (voice)
Stanley Kramer: A Man's Search for Truth
Self
A Love Story of Today
Self
A Special Kind of Love
Self
The Black List: Volume One
Self
Stories USA
Doc (segment "Club Soda")
Cover
Detective Hicks
Daddy's Little Girls
Willie
The 50 Greatest Television Dramas
Self
Club Soda
Doc
Psych
Lloyd Marr
Solar Attack
President Ryan Gordon
All In
Caps
Left Behind: World at War
President Geral Fitzhugh
Black in the 80s
Lackawanna Blues
Ol'lem Taylor
The Batman
Lucius Fox (voice)
Jasper, Texas
R.C. Horn
Momentum
Raymond Addison
Half & Half
Ray Willis
The Dead Zone
Pastor David Lewis
What About Your Friends: Weekend Get-Away
Dr. Barnes
Deceived
Col. David Garrett
For Love of Olivia
Daniel Stewart
Dr. Lucille
The Color of Love: Jacey's Story
Lou Hastings
The Inspectors 2: A Shred of Evidence
Frank
The Highwayman
Phil Bishop
Strange Justice
Vernon Jordan
Y2K
Morgan
Love Songs
Reuben
Family Guy
Drill Sargent (voice)
The Inspectors
Inspector Frank Hughes
Hercules
Chiron (voice)
The Wall That Heals
Self - Host
Legend of the Mummy
Corbeck
Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood
Self
Stargate SG-1
Gerak
In His Father's Shoes
Frank Crosby / Richard
To Dance with Olivia
Daniel Stewart
Early Edition
Jim Matthews
Promised Land
Anderson Walker
Inside
Questioner
Run for the Dream: The Gail Devers Story
Bob Kersee
Captive Heart: The James Mink Story
James Mink
Managua
Paul
Iron Eagle on the Attack
Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair
The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies
Self
Ray Alexander: A Menu for Murder
Ray Alexander
Zooman
Rueben Tate
A Father for Charlie
Walter Osgood
Kings of the Ring: Four Legends of Heavyweight Boxing
Narrator
Touched by an Angel
Anderson Walker
ER
Leo Malcolm
Flashfire
Ben Durand
Curse of the Starving Class
Ellis
A Good Man in Africa
Prof. Sam Adekunle
Ray Alexander: A Taste For Justice
Ray Alexander
Ellen
Sgt. Timko
Blue Chips
Father Dawkins (uncredited)
Return to Lonesome Dove
Isom Pickett
Monolith
Capt. MacCandless
Father & Son: Dangerous Relations
Leonard Clay
Liberators: Fighting on Two Fronts in World War II
Reader (voice)
Picket Fences
Rick Jennings
Gridiron Gang
Host
Diggstown
"Honey" Roy Palmer
Iron Eagle III
Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair
Keeper of the City
Det. James Dela
Carolina Skeletons
James Bragg
Toy Soldiers
Dean Parker
The Josephine Baker Story
Sidney Williams
Cover-Up
Lou Jackson
Captain Planet and the Planeteers
Commander Clash (voice)
Sudie and Simpson
Simpson
El Diablo
Van Leek
Zora is My Name!
The Punisher
Jake Berkowitz
Gideon Oliver
Roots: The Gift
Fiddler
Goodbye, Miss 4th of July
Big John Creed
Iron Eagle II
Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair
American Experience
Narrator (voice)
Sam Found Out: A Triple Play
Sam
Straight Up
Cosmo
The Father Clements Story
The Principal
Jake Phillips
Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood
Self
A Gathering of Old Men
Mathu
Firewalker
Leo Porter
Iron Eagle
Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair
Enemy Mine
Jeriba 'Jerry' Shigan
The Guardian
John Mack
Finders Keepers
Century
Sadat
Anwar al-Sadat
Jaws 3-D
Calvin Bouchard
The Making of Jaws 3-D: Sharks Don't Die
narrator
The Powers of Matthew Star
Walter "Walt" Shepherd (D'Hai)
An Officer and a Gentleman
Sergeant Emil Foley
Benny's Place
Benny Moore
I Love Liberty
Self
Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy "Satchel" Paige
Leroy 'Satchel' Paige
It Rained All Night the Day I Left
Leo Garcia
Palmerstown, U.S.A.
The Lazarus Syndrome
Dr. MacArthur St. Clair
The Lazarus Syndrome
MacArthur St. Clair
Lawman Without a Gun
Tom Hayward
Backstairs at the White House
Levi Mercer, Houseman
The Critical List
Lem Harper
To Kill a Cop
Everett Walker
To Kill a Cop
Everett Walker
The Sentry Collection Presents Ben Vereen: His Roots
Self
Freeman
Rex
The Choirboys
Calvin Motts
The Deep
Henri Cloche
Please Turn the Page
Self
Roots
Fiddler
Little Ladies of the Night
Russ Garfield
J.D.'s Revenge
Rev. Elija Bliss
The River Niger
Dr. Dudley Stanton
Saturday Night Live
Self - Host
Delancey Street: The Crisis Within
Otis James
The Jeffersons
Black Bart
Black Bart
The Rockford Files
Marcus Aurelius Hayes / O'Brien
The Rockford Files
Marcus Aurelius 'Gabby' Hayes
Harry O
Cleon Jackson
Little House on the Prairie
Henry Hill
Petrocelli
Kurt Olson, DA
Petrocelli
District Attorney Kurt Olson
The White Dawn
Portagee
Sidekicks
Jason O'Rourke
It's Good to Be Alive
Sam Brockington
Good Times
The Six Million Dollar Man
O'Flaherty
The Laughing Policeman
Insp. James Larrimore SFPD
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
Self
Police Story
Travels with My Aunt
Wordsworth
The Rookies
Skin Game
Jason O'Rourke
Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law
Lt. Carl Fellows
Alias Smith and Jones
The Partridge Family
Sam Simon
The Young Rebels
The Landlord
Copee Johnson
McCloud
Love, American Style
Freddy
The Bill Cosby Show
Hurricane Smith
The Bold Ones: The New Doctors
Dr. Karnes
The Bushbaby
Tembo
Companions in Nightmare
Lt. Adam McKay
The Mod Squad
Smitty
The Mod Squad
Charley Jameson
The Mod Squad
Lloyd
Cowboy in Africa
Fulah
Cowboy in Africa
Joseph Hemera
The Invaders
Ollie
Daktari
Mkono
The Merv Griffin Show
Self
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self
The Mike Douglas Show
Self
A Raisin in the Sun
George Murchison
The New Girl
Mary's Brother
Bonanza
Buck Walter
The Oscars
Self
The Ed Sullivan Show
Self
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Nominee
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Audience Member
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Presenter
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Host
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Nominee / Presenter
Crimes of Violence
Self - Host
Forget to Remember
Unplugged
Amos Burton (voice)