Louis Gossett Jr.

Person

Louis Gossett Jr.

Born 27 May 1936 Died 29 March 2024, aged 87 Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA TMDB ↗

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.

FR·01

The numbers

Computed from the record
23age in their first credit on record (1959)
66years on screen and counting
11credits in 1974, their busiest year
181dated credits on record
FR·02

Movie credits

Newest first
No poster

Forget to Remember
Unplugged poster

Unplugged

as Amos Burton (voice)
Sin poster Age: 89

Sin

2025
as Elijah
IF poster Age: 87

IF

2024
as Lewis (voice)
The Color Purple poster Age: 87

The Color Purple

2023
as Ol' Mister
Outlaw Johnny Black poster Age: 87

Outlaw Johnny Black

2023
as Reverend Tharrington (voice) (uncredited)
Three Months poster Age: 85

Three Months

2022
as Benny
Not to Forget poster Age: 85

Not to Forget

2021
as Pastor John
I Forgive poster Age: 85

I Forgive

2021
as God (voice)
The Reason poster Age: 84

The Reason

2020
as Pastor Jim
The Cuban poster Age: 84

The Cuban

2020
as Luis Garcia
Miracle in East Texas poster Age: 83

Miracle in East Texas

2020
as Irving Tanner Jr.
Foster Boy poster Age: 83

Foster Boy

2019
as Judge George Taylor
Supervized poster Age: 83

Supervized

2019
as Pendle
Breaking Brooklyn poster Age: 81

Breaking Brooklyn

2018
as Miles Bryant
Undercover Grandpa poster Age: 81

Undercover Grandpa

2017
as Mother
Double Play poster Age: 80

Double Play

2017
as Coco
King of the Dancehall poster Age: 80

King of the Dancehall

2017
as The Bishop
Boiling Pot poster Age: 79

Boiling Pot

2015
as Detective Haven
The Dependables poster Age: 78

The Dependables

2014
as Lou Jones
A Fighting Man poster Age: 77

A Fighting Man

2014
as Cubby
Miracle at Gate 213 poster Age: 77

Miracle at Gate 213

2013
as Roy Peddington
Breaking at the Edge poster Age: 76

Breaking at the Edge

2013
as Floyd
Smitty poster Age: 75

Smitty

2012
as Mr. Smith
The Undershepherd poster Age: 75

The Undershepherd

2012
as Bishop Redford
Dog Jack poster Age: 75

Dog Jack

2011
as Grown up Jed
The Grace Card poster Age: 74

The Grace Card

2011
as George Wright
Why Did I Get Married Too? poster Age: 73

Why Did I Get Married Too?

2010
as Porter
The Perfect Game poster Age: 73

The Perfect Game

2009
as Cool Papa Bell
Amazing Racer poster Age: 72

Amazing Racer

2009
as Max Donovan
No poster
Age: 72

The Least Among You

2009
as Samuel Benton
Delgo poster Age: 72

Delgo

2008
as King Zahn (voice)
Stories USA poster Age: 71

Stories USA

2007
as Doc (segment "Club Soda")
Cover poster Age: 70

Cover

2007
as Detective Hicks
Daddy's Little Girls poster Age: 70

Daddy's Little Girls

2007
as Willie
Club Soda poster Age: 70

Club Soda

2006
as Doc
Solar Attack poster Age: 69

Solar Attack

2006
as President Ryan Gordon
All In poster Age: 69

All In

2006
as Caps
Left Behind: World at War poster Age: 69

Left Behind: World at War

2005
as President Geral Fitzhugh
Lackawanna Blues poster Age: 68

Lackawanna Blues

2005
as Ol'lem Taylor
Jasper, Texas poster Age: 67

Jasper, Texas

2003
as R.C. Horn
Momentum poster Age: 66

Momentum

2003
as Raymond Addison
What About Your Friends: Weekend Get-Away poster Age: 66

What About Your Friends: Weekend Get-Away

2002
as Dr. Barnes
Deceived poster Age: 65

Deceived

2002
as Col. David Garrett
For Love of Olivia poster Age: 64

For Love of Olivia

2001
as Daniel Stewart
Dr. Lucille poster Age: 64

Dr. Lucille

2001
The Color of Love: Jacey's Story poster Age: 63

The Color of Love: Jacey's Story

2000
as Lou Hastings
The Inspectors 2: A Shred of Evidence poster Age: 63

The Inspectors 2: A Shred of Evidence

2000
as Frank
The Highwayman poster Age: 63

The Highwayman

2000
as Phil Bishop
Strange Justice poster Age: 63

Strange Justice

1999
as Vernon Jordan
Y2K poster Age: 63

Y2K

1999
as Morgan
Love Songs poster Age: 62

Love Songs

1999
as Reuben
The Inspectors poster Age: 62

The Inspectors

1998
as Inspector Frank Hughes
Legend of the Mummy poster Age: 61

Legend of the Mummy

1998
as Corbeck
In His Father's Shoes poster Age: 61

In His Father's Shoes

1997
as Frank Crosby / Richard
To Dance with Olivia poster Age: 60

To Dance with Olivia

1997
as Daniel Stewart
Inside poster Age: 60

Inside

1996
as Questioner
No poster
Age: 60

Run for the Dream: The Gail Devers Story

1996
as Bob Kersee
Captive Heart: The James Mink Story poster Age: 59

Captive Heart: The James Mink Story

1996
as James Mink
Managua poster Age: 59

Managua

1996
as Paul
Iron Eagle on the Attack poster Age: 59

Iron Eagle on the Attack

1995
as Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair
Ray Alexander: A Menu for Murder poster Age: 58

Ray Alexander: A Menu for Murder

1995
as Ray Alexander
Zooman poster Age: 58

Zooman

1995
as Rueben Tate
A Father for Charlie poster Age: 58

A Father for Charlie

1995
as Walter Osgood
Flashfire poster Age: 58

Flashfire

1994
as Ben Durand
Curse of the Starving Class poster Age: 58

Curse of the Starving Class

1994
as Ellis
A Good Man in Africa poster Age: 58

A Good Man in Africa

1994
as Prof. Sam Adekunle
Ray Alexander: A Taste For Justice poster Age: 57

Ray Alexander: A Taste For Justice

1994
as Ray Alexander
Blue Chips poster Age: 57

Blue Chips

1994
as Father Dawkins (uncredited)
Monolith poster Age: 57

Monolith

1993
as Capt. MacCandless
Father & Son: Dangerous Relations poster Age: 56

Father & Son: Dangerous Relations

1993
as Leonard Clay
No poster
Age: 56

Liberators: Fighting on Two Fronts in World War II

1992
as Reader (voice)
Diggstown poster Age: 56

Diggstown

1992
as "Honey" Roy Palmer
Iron Eagle III poster Age: 55

Iron Eagle III

1992
as Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair
Keeper of the City poster Age: 55

Keeper of the City

1991
as Det. James Dela
Carolina Skeletons poster Age: 55

Carolina Skeletons

1991
as James Bragg
Toy Soldiers poster Age: 54

Toy Soldiers

1991
as Dean Parker
The Josephine Baker Story poster Age: 54

The Josephine Baker Story

1991
as Sidney Williams
Cover-Up poster Age: 54

Cover-Up

1991
as Lou Jackson
Sudie and Simpson poster Age: 54

Sudie and Simpson

1990
as Simpson
El Diablo poster Age: 54

El Diablo

1990
as Van Leek
Zora is My Name! poster Age: 53

Zora is My Name!

1990
The Punisher poster Age: 53

The Punisher

1989
as Jake Berkowitz
Roots: The Gift poster Age: 52

Roots: The Gift

1988
as Fiddler
Goodbye, Miss 4th of July poster Age: 52

Goodbye, Miss 4th of July

1988
as Big John Creed
Iron Eagle II poster Age: 52

Iron Eagle II

1988
as Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair
Sam Found Out: A Triple Play poster Age: 52

Sam Found Out: A Triple Play

1988
as Sam
No poster
Age: 51

Straight Up

1988
as Cosmo
The Father Clements Story poster Age: 51

The Father Clements Story

1987
The Principal poster Age: 51

The Principal

1987
as Jake Phillips
A Gathering of Old Men poster Age: 50

A Gathering of Old Men

1987
as Mathu
Firewalker poster Age: 50

Firewalker

1986
as Leo Porter
Iron Eagle poster Age: 49

Iron Eagle

1986
as Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair
Enemy Mine poster Age: 49

Enemy Mine

1985
as Jeriba 'Jerry' Shigan
The Guardian poster Age: 48

The Guardian

1984
as John Mack
Finders Keepers poster Age: 47

Finders Keepers

1984
as Century
Jaws 3-D poster Age: 47

Jaws 3-D

1983
as Calvin Bouchard
An Officer and a Gentleman poster Age: 46

An Officer and a Gentleman

1982
as Sergeant Emil Foley
Benny's Place poster Age: 46

Benny's Place

1982
as Benny Moore
Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy "Satchel" Paige poster Age: 45

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

1981
as Leroy 'Satchel' Paige
It Rained All Night the Day I Left poster Age: 44

It Rained All Night the Day I Left

1980
as Leo Garcia
The Lazarus Syndrome poster Age: 43

The Lazarus Syndrome

1979
as Dr. MacArthur St. Clair
Lawman Without a Gun poster Age: 43

Lawman Without a Gun

1979
as Tom Hayward
To Kill a Cop poster Age: 41

To Kill a Cop

1978
as Everett Walker
Freeman poster Age: 41

Freeman

1977
as Rex
The Choirboys poster Age: 41

The Choirboys

1977
as Calvin Motts
The Deep poster Age: 41

The Deep

1977
as Henri Cloche
Little Ladies of the Night poster Age: 40

Little Ladies of the Night

1977
as Russ Garfield
J.D.'s Revenge poster Age: 40

J.D.'s Revenge

1976
as Rev. Elija Bliss
The River Niger poster Age: 39

The River Niger

1976
as Dr. Dudley Stanton
Delancey Street: The Crisis Within poster Age: 38

Delancey Street: The Crisis Within

1975
as Otis James
Black Bart poster Age: 38

Black Bart

1975
as Black Bart
The White Dawn poster Age: 38

The White Dawn

1974
as Portagee
Sidekicks poster Age: 37

Sidekicks

1974
as Jason O'Rourke
It's Good to Be Alive poster Age: 37

It's Good to Be Alive

1974
as Sam Brockington
The Laughing Policeman poster Age: 37

The Laughing Policeman

1973
as Insp. James Larrimore SFPD
Travels with My Aunt poster Age: 36

Travels with My Aunt

1972
as Wordsworth
Skin Game poster Age: 35

Skin Game

1971
as Jason O'Rourke
The Landlord poster Age: 33

The Landlord

1970
as Copee Johnson
The Bushbaby poster Age: 33

The Bushbaby

1969
as Tembo
Companions in Nightmare poster Age: 32

Companions in Nightmare

1968
as Lt. Adam McKay
A Raisin in the Sun poster Age: 25

A Raisin in the Sun

1961
as George Murchison
No poster
Age: 23

The New Girl

1960
as Mary's Brother
FR·03

TV credits

Newest first
Watchmen poster Age: 83

Watchmen

2019
as Old Man / Will Reeves
The Good Fight poster Age: 80

The Good Fight

2017
as Carl Reddick
The Spoils Before Dying poster Age: 79

The Spoils Before Dying

2015
as Duke Webster
The Book of Negroes poster Age: 78

The Book of Negroes

2015
as Daddy Moses
Madam Secretary poster Age: 78

Madam Secretary

2014
as Laurent Vasseur
Extant poster Age: 78

Extant

2014
as Quinn
Hawaii Five-0 poster Age: 74

Hawaii Five-0

2010
as Lou's father
Psych poster Age: 70

Psych

2006
as Lloyd Marr
Black in the 80s poster Age: 68

Black in the 80s

2005
The Batman poster Age: 68

The Batman

2004
as Lucius Fox (voice)
Half & Half poster Age: 66

Half & Half

2002
as Ray Willis
The Dead Zone poster Age: 66

The Dead Zone

2002
as Pastor David Lewis
Family Guy poster Age: 62

Family Guy

1999
as Drill Sargent (voice)
Hercules poster Age: 62

Hercules

1998
as Chiron (voice)
Stargate SG-1 poster Age: 61

Stargate SG-1

1997
as Gerak
Early Edition poster Age: 60

Early Edition

1996
as Jim Matthews
Promised Land poster Age: 60

Promised Land

1996
as Anderson Walker
Touched by an Angel poster Age: 58

Touched by an Angel

1994
as Anderson Walker
ER poster Age: 58

ER

1994
as Leo Malcolm
Ellen poster Age: 57

Ellen

1994
as Sgt. Timko
Return to Lonesome Dove poster Age: 57

Return to Lonesome Dove

1993
as Isom Pickett
Picket Fences poster Age: 56

Picket Fences

1992
as Rick Jennings
Captain Planet and the Planeteers poster Age: 54

Captain Planet and the Planeteers

1990
as Commander Clash (voice)
No poster
Age: 52

Gideon Oliver

1989
American Experience poster Age: 52

American Experience

1988
as Narrator (voice)
No poster
Age: 47

Sadat

1983
as Anwar al-Sadat
The Powers of Matthew Star poster Age: 46

The Powers of Matthew Star

1982
as Walter "Walt" Shepherd (D'Hai)
Palmerstown, U.S.A. poster Age: 43

Palmerstown, U.S.A.

1980
The Lazarus Syndrome poster Age: 43

The Lazarus Syndrome

1979
as MacArthur St. Clair
Backstairs at the White House poster Age: 42

Backstairs at the White House

1979
as Levi Mercer, Houseman
The Critical List poster Age: 42

The Critical List

1978
as Lem Harper
To Kill a Cop poster Age: 41

To Kill a Cop

1978
as Everett Walker
Roots poster Age: 40

Roots

1977
as Fiddler
The Jeffersons poster Age: 38

The Jeffersons

1975
The Rockford Files poster Age: 38

The Rockford Files

1974
as Marcus Aurelius Hayes / O'Brien
The Rockford Files poster Age: 38

The Rockford Files

1974
as Marcus Aurelius 'Gabby' Hayes
Harry O poster Age: 38

Harry O

1974
as Cleon Jackson
Little House on the Prairie poster Age: 38

Little House on the Prairie

1974
as Henry Hill
Petrocelli poster Age: 38

Petrocelli

1974
as District Attorney Kurt Olson
Petrocelli poster Age: 38

Petrocelli

1974
as Kurt Olson, DA
Good Times poster Age: 37

Good Times

1974
The Six Million Dollar Man poster Age: 37

The Six Million Dollar Man

1974
as O'Flaherty
Police Story poster Age: 36

Police Story

1973
The Rookies poster Age: 36

The Rookies

1972
Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law poster Age: 35

Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law

1971
as Lt. Carl Fellows
Alias Smith and Jones poster Age: 34

Alias Smith and Jones

1971
The Partridge Family poster Age: 34

The Partridge Family

1970
as Sam Simon
The Young Rebels poster Age: 34

The Young Rebels

1970
McCloud poster Age: 33

McCloud

1970
Love, American Style poster Age: 33

Love, American Style

1969
as Freddy
The Bill Cosby Show poster Age: 33

The Bill Cosby Show

1969
as Hurricane Smith
The Bold Ones: The New Doctors poster Age: 33

The Bold Ones: The New Doctors

1969
as Dr. Karnes
The Mod Squad poster Age: 32

The Mod Squad

1968
as Smitty
The Mod Squad poster Age: 32

The Mod Squad

1968
as Charley Jameson
The Mod Squad poster Age: 32

The Mod Squad

1968
as Lloyd
Cowboy in Africa poster Age: 31

Cowboy in Africa

1967
as Joseph Hemera
Cowboy in Africa poster Age: 31

Cowboy in Africa

1967
as Fulah
The Invaders poster Age: 30

The Invaders

1967
as Ollie
Daktari poster Age: 29

Daktari

1966
as Mkono
Bonanza poster Age: 23

Bonanza

1959
as Buck Walter
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