Acting
Louis Gossett Jr.
Born 1936-05-27
Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
Department: Acting
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
Prominent works featuring Louis Gossett Jr.
TV
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Family Guy
1999
TMDB3.7
TV
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Hawaii Five-0
2010
TMDB3.9
TV
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Stargate SG-1
1997
TMDB4.2
TV
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The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962
TMDB3.8
TV
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Watchmen
2019
TMDB3.8
Movie
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IF
2024
TMDB3.5
TV
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Saturday Night Live
1975
TMDB3.5
TV
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Psych
2006
TMDB4.0
TV
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Little House on the Prairie
1974
TMDB4.0
Movie
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Jaws 3-D
1983
TMDB2.3
Filmography & Credits
Complete career catalog (230 titles)
| Poster | Title | Character / Role | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Sin | Elijah | Movie | 2025 |
 | IF | Lewis (voice) | Movie | 2024 |
| IF | In Memory Of | Movie | 2024 |
 | The Color Purple | Ol' Mister | Movie | 2023 |
 | Outlaw Johnny Black | Reverend Tharrington (voice) (uncredited) | Movie | 2023 |
 | Sidney | Self | Movie | 2022 |
 | Three Months | Benny | Movie | 2022 |
 | Not to Forget | Pastor John | Movie | 2021 |
 | I Forgive | God (voice) | Movie | 2021 |
 | The Reason | Pastor Jim | Movie | 2020 |
 | The Cuban | Luis Garcia | Movie | 2020 |
 | Miracle in East Texas | Irving Tanner Jr. | Movie | 2020 |
 | Watchmen | Old Man / Will Reeves | TV Series | 2019 |
 | Foster Boy | Judge George Taylor | Movie | 2019 |
 | Supervized | Pendle | Movie | 2019 |
| The Gang Activists | Self | Movie | 2019 | |
 | Hal | Self | Movie | 2019 |
 | Breaking Brooklyn | Miles Bryant | Movie | 2018 |
 | Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes / Feeling Heart | Self | Movie | 2017 |
 | Undercover Grandpa | Mother | Movie | 2017 |
 | The Good Fight | Carl Reddick | TV Series | 2017 |
 | Double Play | Coco | Movie | 2017 |
 | King of the Dancehall | The Bishop | Movie | 2017 |
 | Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise | Self | Movie | 2016 |
 | A.C. Green: Iron Virgin | Himself | Movie | 2016 |
 | Boiling Pot | Detective Haven | Movie | 2015 |
 | The Spoils Before Dying | Duke Webster | TV Series | 2015 |
 | The Book of Negroes | Daddy Moses | TV Series | 2015 |
 | Madam Secretary | Laurent Vasseur | TV Series | 2014 |
 | Extant | Quinn | TV Series | 2014 |
 | The Dependables | Lou Jones | Movie | 2014 |
 | A Fighting Man | Cubby | Movie | 2014 |
 | Miracle at Gate 213 | Roy Peddington | Movie | 2013 |
 | Breaking at the Edge | Floyd | Movie | 2013 |
 | Smitty | Mr. Smith | Movie | 2012 |
 | The Undershepherd | Bishop Redford | Movie | 2012 |
 | Dog Jack | Grown up Jed | Movie | 2011 |
 | The Grace Card | George Wright | Movie | 2011 |
 | Hawaii Five-0 | Lou's father | TV Series | 2010 |
 | Why Did I Get Married Too? | Porter | Movie | 2010 |
 | For Love of Liberty: The Story of America's Black Patriots | Executive Producer | TV Series | 2010 |
 | The Perfect Game | Cool Papa Bell | Movie | 2009 |
 | Celebrity Ghost Stories | Self | TV Series | 2009 |
 | Amazing Racer | Max Donovan | Movie | 2009 |
| The Least Among You | Samuel Benton | Movie | 2009 | |
 | Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy | Self | Movie | 2009 |
 | Delgo | King Zahn (voice) | Movie | 2008 |
| Stanley Kramer: A Man's Search for Truth | Self | Movie | 2008 | |
 | A Special Kind of Love | Self | Movie | 2008 |
 | A Love Story of Today | Self | Movie | 2008 |
 | The Black List: Volume One | Self | Movie | 2008 |
 | Stories USA | Doc (segment "Club Soda") | Movie | 2007 |
 | Cover | Detective Hicks | Movie | 2007 |
 | Daddy's Little Girls | Willie | Movie | 2007 |
 | The 50 Greatest Television Dramas | Self | Movie | 2007 |
 | Club Soda | Doc | Movie | 2006 |
 | Psych | Lloyd Marr | TV Series | 2006 |
 | Solar Attack | President Ryan Gordon | Movie | 2006 |
 | All In | Caps | Movie | 2006 |
 | Left Behind: World at War | President Geral Fitzhugh | Movie | 2005 |
 | Black in the 80s | Self | TV Series | 2005 |
 | Lackawanna Blues | Ol'lem Taylor | Movie | 2005 |
 | The Batman | Lucius Fox (voice) | TV Series | 2004 |
 | Jasper, Texas | R.C. Horn | Movie | 2003 |
 | Momentum | Raymond Addison | Movie | 2003 |
 | Half & Half | Ray Willis | TV Series | 2002 |
 | The Dead Zone | Pastor David Lewis | TV Series | 2002 |
 | What About Your Friends: Weekend Get-Away | Dr. Barnes | Movie | 2002 |
 | Deceived | Col. David Garrett | Movie | 2002 |
 | For Love of Olivia | Daniel Stewart | Movie | 2001 |
| For Love of Olivia | Executive Producer | Movie | 2001 |
 | Dr. Lucille | Self / Appearance | Movie | 2001 |
 | The Color of Love: Jacey's Story | Lou Hastings | Movie | 2000 |
| The Color of Love: Jacey's Story | Executive Producer | Movie | 2000 |
 | The Inspectors 2: A Shred of Evidence | Frank | Movie | 2000 |
 | The Highwayman | Phil Bishop | Movie | 2000 |
 | Strange Justice | Vernon Jordan | Movie | 1999 |
 | Y2K | Morgan | Movie | 1999 |
 | Love Songs | Reuben | Movie | 1999 |
| Love Songs | Director | Movie | 1999 |
 | Family Guy | Drill Sargent (voice) | TV Series | 1999 |
 | The Inspectors | Inspector Frank Hughes | Movie | 1998 |
 | Hercules | Chiron (voice) | TV Series | 1998 |
 | The Wall That Heals | Self - Host | Movie | 1998 |
 | Legend of the Mummy | Corbeck | Movie | 1998 |
 | Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood | Self | Movie | 1998 |
 | Stargate SG-1 | Gerak | TV Series | 1997 |
 | In His Father's Shoes | Frank Crosby / Richard | Movie | 1997 |
| In His Father's Shoes | Executive Producer | Movie | 1997 |
 | To Dance with Olivia | Daniel Stewart | Movie | 1997 |
| To Dance with Olivia | Executive Producer | Movie | 1997 |
 | Early Edition | Jim Matthews | TV Series | 1996 |
 | Promised Land | Anderson Walker | TV Series | 1996 |
 | Inside | Questioner | Movie | 1996 |
| Inside | Executive Producer | Movie | 1996 |
| Run for the Dream: The Gail Devers Story | Bob Kersee | Movie | 1996 | |
 | Captive Heart: The James Mink Story | James Mink | Movie | 1996 |
 | Managua | Paul | Movie | 1996 |
 | Iron Eagle on the Attack | Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair | Movie | 1995 |
 | The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies | Self | Movie | 1995 |
 | Ray Alexander: A Menu for Murder | Ray Alexander | Movie | 1995 |
 | Zooman | Rueben Tate | Movie | 1995 |
 | A Father for Charlie | Walter Osgood | Movie | 1995 |
| Kings of the Ring: Four Legends of Heavyweight Boxing | Narrator | Movie | 1995 | |
| A Father for Charlie | Executive Producer | Movie | 1995 |
 | Touched by an Angel | Anderson Walker | TV Series | 1994 |
 | ER | Leo Malcolm | TV Series | 1994 |
 | Flashfire | Ben Durand | Movie | 1994 |
 | Curse of the Starving Class | Ellis | Movie | 1994 |
 | A Good Man in Africa | Prof. Sam Adekunle | Movie | 1994 |
 | Ray Alexander: A Taste For Justice | Ray Alexander | Movie | 1994 |
 | Ellen | Sgt. Timko | TV Series | 1994 |
 | Blue Chips | Father Dawkins (uncredited) | Movie | 1994 |
 | Return to Lonesome Dove | Isom Pickett | TV Series | 1993 |
 | Monolith | Capt. MacCandless | Movie | 1993 |
 | Father & Son: Dangerous Relations | Leonard Clay | Movie | 1993 |
| Liberators: Fighting on Two Fronts in World War II | Reader (voice) | Movie | 1992 | |
 | Picket Fences | Rick Jennings | TV Series | 1992 |
 | Gridiron Gang | Host | Movie | 1992 |
 | Diggstown | "Honey" Roy Palmer | Movie | 1992 |
 | Iron Eagle III | Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair | Movie | 1992 |
 | Keeper of the City | Det. James Dela | Movie | 1991 |
 | Carolina Skeletons | James Bragg | Movie | 1991 |
 | Toy Soldiers | Dean Parker | Movie | 1991 |
 | The Josephine Baker Story | Sidney Williams | Movie | 1991 |
 | Cover-Up | Lou Jackson | Movie | 1991 |
 | Captain Planet and the Planeteers | Commander Clash (voice) | TV Series | 1990 |
 | Sudie and Simpson | Simpson | Movie | 1990 |
 | El Diablo | Van Leek | Movie | 1990 |
 | Zora is My Name! | Self / Appearance | Movie | 1990 |
 | The Punisher | Jake Berkowitz | Movie | 1989 |
| Gideon Oliver | Self / Appearance | TV Series | 1989 | |
 | Roots: The Gift | Fiddler | Movie | 1988 |
 | Goodbye, Miss 4th of July | Big John Creed | Movie | 1988 |
 | Iron Eagle II | Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair | Movie | 1988 |
 | American Experience | Narrator (voice) | TV Series | 1988 |
 | Sam Found Out: A Triple Play | Sam | Movie | 1988 |
| Straight Up | Cosmo | Movie | 1988 | |
 | The Father Clements Story | Self / Appearance | Movie | 1987 |
 | The Principal | Jake Phillips | Movie | 1987 |
 | Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood | Self | Movie | 1987 |
 | A Gathering of Old Men | Mathu | Movie | 1987 |
 | Firewalker | Leo Porter | Movie | 1986 |
 | Iron Eagle | Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair | Movie | 1986 |
 | Enemy Mine | Jeriba 'Jerry' Shigan | Movie | 1985 |
 | The Guardian | John Mack | Movie | 1984 |
 | Finders Keepers | Century | Movie | 1984 |
| Sadat | Anwar al-Sadat | TV Series | 1983 | |
 | Jaws 3-D | Calvin Bouchard | Movie | 1983 |
 | The Making of Jaws 3-D: Sharks Don't Die | narrator | Movie | 1983 |
 | The Powers of Matthew Star | Walter "Walt" Shepherd (D'Hai) | TV Series | 1982 |
| The Powers of Matthew Star | Director | TV Series | 1982 |
 | An Officer and a Gentleman | Sergeant Emil Foley | Movie | 1982 |
 | Benny's Place | Benny Moore | Movie | 1982 |
 | I Love Liberty | Self | Movie | 1982 |
 | American Playhouse | Self / Appearance | TV Series | 1982 |
 | Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy "Satchel" Paige | Leroy 'Satchel' Paige | Movie | 1981 |
 | It Rained All Night the Day I Left | Leo Garcia | Movie | 1980 |
 | Palmerstown, U.S.A. | Self / Appearance | TV Series | 1980 |
 | The Lazarus Syndrome | Dr. MacArthur St. Clair | Movie | 1979 |
 | The Lazarus Syndrome | MacArthur St. Clair | TV Series | 1979 |
 | Lawman Without a Gun | Tom Hayward | Movie | 1979 |
 | Backstairs at the White House | Levi Mercer, Houseman | TV Series | 1979 |
 | The Critical List | Lem Harper | TV Series | 1978 |
 | To Kill a Cop | Everett Walker | Movie | 1978 |
 | To Kill a Cop | Everett Walker | TV Series | 1978 |
| The Sentry Collection Presents Ben Vereen: His Roots | Self | Movie | 1978 | |
 | Freeman | Rex | Movie | 1977 |
 | The Choirboys | Calvin Motts | Movie | 1977 |
 | The Deep | Henri Cloche | Movie | 1977 |
| Please Turn the Page | Self | TV Series | 1977 | |
 | Roots | Fiddler | TV Series | 1977 |
 | Little Ladies of the Night | Russ Garfield | Movie | 1977 |
 | J.D.'s Revenge | Rev. Elija Bliss | Movie | 1976 |
 | The River Niger | Dr. Dudley Stanton | Movie | 1976 |
 | Saturday Night Live | Self - Host | TV Series | 1975 |
 | Delancey Street: The Crisis Within | Otis James | Movie | 1975 |
 | The Jeffersons | Self / Appearance | TV Series | 1975 |
 | Black Bart | Black Bart | Movie | 1975 |
 | The Rockford Files | Marcus Aurelius Hayes / O'Brien | TV Series | 1974 |
| The Rockford Files | Marcus Aurelius 'Gabby' Hayes | TV Series | 1974 |
 | Harry O | Cleon Jackson | TV Series | 1974 |
 | Little House on the Prairie | Henry Hill | TV Series | 1974 |
 | Petrocelli | Kurt Olson, DA | TV Series | 1974 |
| Petrocelli | District Attorney Kurt Olson | TV Series | 1974 |
 | The White Dawn | Portagee | Movie | 1974 |
 | Sidekicks | Jason O'Rourke | Movie | 1974 |
 | It's Good to Be Alive | Sam Brockington | Movie | 1974 |
 | Good Times | Self / Appearance | TV Series | 1974 |
 | The Six Million Dollar Man | O'Flaherty | TV Series | 1974 |
 | The Laughing Policeman | Insp. James Larrimore SFPD | Movie | 1973 |
 | The American Film Institute Salute to ... | Self | TV Series | 1973 |
 | Police Story | Self / Appearance | TV Series | 1973 |
 | Travels with My Aunt | Wordsworth | Movie | 1972 |
 | The Rookies | Self / Appearance | TV Series | 1972 |
 | Skin Game | Jason O'Rourke | Movie | 1971 |
 | Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law | Lt. Carl Fellows | TV Series | 1971 |
 | Alias Smith and Jones | Self / Appearance | TV Series | 1971 |
 | The Partridge Family | Sam Simon | TV Series | 1970 |
 | The Young Rebels | Self / Appearance | TV Series | 1970 |
 | The Landlord | Copee Johnson | Movie | 1970 |
 | McCloud | Self / Appearance | TV Series | 1970 |
 | Love, American Style | Freddy | TV Series | 1969 |
 | The Bill Cosby Show | Hurricane Smith | TV Series | 1969 |
 | The Bold Ones: The New Doctors | Dr. Karnes | TV Series | 1969 |
 | The Bushbaby | Tembo | Movie | 1969 |
 | Companions in Nightmare | Lt. Adam McKay | Movie | 1968 |
 | The Mod Squad | Smitty | TV Series | 1968 |
| The Mod Squad | Lloyd | TV Series | 1968 |
| The Mod Squad | Charley Jameson | TV Series | 1968 |
 | Cowboy in Africa | Fulah | TV Series | 1967 |
| Cowboy in Africa | Joseph Hemera | TV Series | 1967 |
 | The Invaders | Ollie | TV Series | 1967 |
 | Daktari | Mkono | TV Series | 1966 |
 | The Merv Griffin Show | Self | TV Series | 1962 |
 | The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | Self | TV Series | 1962 |
 | The Mike Douglas Show | Self | TV Series | 1961 |
 | A Raisin in the Sun | George Murchison | Movie | 1961 |
| The New Girl | Mary's Brother | Movie | 1960 | |
 | Bonanza | Buck Walter | TV Series | 1959 |
 | The Oscars | Self | TV Series | 1953 |
 | The Ed Sullivan Show | Self | TV Series | 1948 |
 | Golden Globe Awards | Self - Nominee | TV Series | 1944 |
| Golden Globe Awards | Self - Audience Member | TV Series | 1944 |
| Golden Globe Awards | Self - Presenter | TV Series | 1944 |
| Golden Globe Awards | Self - Host | TV Series | 1944 |
| Golden Globe Awards | Self - Nominee / Presenter | TV Series | 1944 |
| Crimes of Violence | Self - Host | Movie | — | |
| Forget to Remember | Self / Appearance | Movie | — | |
 | Unplugged | Amos Burton (voice) | Movie | — |