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