Louis Gossett Jr.
Acting
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.
TV Shows(65)
Watchmen
Old Man / Will Reeves
2019
The Good Fight
Carl Reddick
2017
The Spoils Before Dying
Duke Webster
2015
The Book of Negroes
Daddy Moses
2015
Madam Secretary
Laurent Vasseur
2014
Extant
Quinn
2014
Hawaii Five-0
Lou's father
2010
Celebrity Ghost Stories
Self
2009
Psych
Lloyd Marr
2006
Black in the 80s
2005
The Batman
Lucius Fox (voice)
2004
Half & Half
Ray Willis
2002
The Dead Zone
Pastor David Lewis
2002
Family Guy
Drill Sargent (voice)
1999
Hercules
Chiron (voice)
1998
Stargate SG-1
Gerak
1997
Early Edition
Jim Matthews
1996
Promised Land
Anderson Walker
1996
Touched by an Angel
Anderson Walker
1994
ER
Leo Malcolm
1994
Ellen
Sgt. Timko
1994
Return to Lonesome Dove
Isom Pickett
1993
Picket Fences
Rick Jennings
1992
Captain Planet and the Planeteers
Commander Clash (voice)
1990
Gideon Oliver
1989
American Experience
Narrator (voice)
1988
Sadat
Anwar al-Sadat
1983
The Powers of Matthew Star
Walter "Walt" Shepherd (D'Hai)
1982
Palmerstown, U.S.A.
1980
The Lazarus Syndrome
MacArthur St. Clair
1979
Backstairs at the White House
Levi Mercer, Houseman
1979
The Critical List
Lem Harper
1978
To Kill a Cop
Everett Walker
1978
Please Turn the Page
Self
1977
Roots
Fiddler
1977
Saturday Night Live
Self - Host
1975
The Jeffersons
1975
The Rockford Files
Marcus Aurelius Hayes / O'Brien
1974
Harry O
Cleon Jackson
1974
Little House on the Prairie
Henry Hill
1974
Petrocelli
Kurt Olson, DA
1974
Good Times
1974
The Six Million Dollar Man
O'Flaherty
1974
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
Self
1973
Police Story
1973
The Rookies
1972
Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law
Lt. Carl Fellows
1971
Alias Smith and Jones
1971
The Partridge Family
Sam Simon
1970
The Young Rebels
1970
McCloud
1970
Love, American Style
Freddy
1969
The Bill Cosby Show
Hurricane Smith
1969
The Bold Ones: The New Doctors
Dr. Karnes
1969
The Mod Squad
Smitty
1968
Cowboy in Africa
Fulah
1967
The Invaders
Ollie
1967
Daktari
Mkono
1966
The Merv Griffin Show
Self
1962
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self
1962
The Mike Douglas Show
Self
1961
Bonanza
Buck Walter
1959
The Oscars
Self
1953
The Ed Sullivan Show
Self
1948
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Nominee
1944
Movies(145)
Sin
Elijah
2025
IF
Lewis (voice)
2024
The Color Purple
Ol' Mister
2023
Outlaw Johnny Black
Reverend Tharrington (voice) (uncredited)
2023
Sidney
Self
2022
Three Months
Benny
2022
Not to Forget
Pastor John
2021
I Forgive
God (voice)
2021
The Reason
Pastor Jim
2020
The Cuban
Luis Garcia
2020
Miracle in East Texas
Irving Tanner Jr.
2020
Foster Boy
Judge George Taylor
2019
Supervized
Pendle
2019
The Gang Activists
Self
2019
Hal
Self
2019
Breaking Brooklyn
Miles Bryant
2018
Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes / Feeling Heart
Self
2017
Undercover Grandpa
Mother
2017
Double Play
Coco
2017
King of the Dancehall
The Bishop
2017
Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise
Self
2016
A.C. Green: Iron Virgin
Himself
2016
Boiling Pot
Detective Haven
2015
The Dependables
Lou Jones
2014
A Fighting Man
Cubby
2014
Miracle at Gate 213
Roy Peddington
2013
Breaking at the Edge
Floyd
2013
Smitty
Mr. Smith
2012
The Undershepherd
Bishop Redford
2012
Dog Jack
Grown up Jed
2011
The Grace Card
George Wright
2011
Why Did I Get Married Too?
Porter
2010
The Perfect Game
Cool Papa Bell
2009
Amazing Racer
Max Donovan
2009
The Least Among You
Samuel Benton
2009
Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy
Self
2009
Delgo
King Zahn (voice)
2008
Stanley Kramer: A Man's Search for Truth
Self
2008
A Special Kind of Love
Self
2008
A Love Story of Today
Self
2008
The Black List: Volume One
Self
2008
Stories USA
Doc (segment "Club Soda")
2007
Cover
Detective Hicks
2007
Daddy's Little Girls
Willie
2007
The 50 Greatest Television Dramas
Self
2007
Club Soda
Doc
2006
Solar Attack
President Ryan Gordon
2006
All In
Caps
2006
Left Behind: World at War
President Geral Fitzhugh
2005
Lackawanna Blues
Ol'lem Taylor
2005
Jasper, Texas
R.C. Horn
2003
Momentum
Raymond Addison
2003
What About Your Friends: Weekend Get-Away
Dr. Barnes
2002
Deceived
Col. David Garrett
2002
For Love of Olivia
Daniel Stewart
2001
Dr. Lucille
2001
The Color of Love: Jacey's Story
Lou Hastings
2000
The Inspectors 2: A Shred of Evidence
Frank
2000
The Highwayman
Phil Bishop
2000
Strange Justice
Vernon Jordan
1999
Y2K
Morgan
1999
Love Songs
Reuben
1999
The Inspectors
Inspector Frank Hughes
1998
The Wall That Heals
Self - Host
1998
Legend of the Mummy
Corbeck
1998
Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood
Self
1998
In His Father's Shoes
Frank Crosby / Richard
1997
To Dance with Olivia
Daniel Stewart
1997
Inside
Questioner
1996
Run for the Dream: The Gail Devers Story
Bob Kersee
1996
Captive Heart: The James Mink Story
James Mink
1996
Managua
Paul
1996
Iron Eagle on the Attack
Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair
1995
The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies
Self
1995
Ray Alexander: A Menu for Murder
Ray Alexander
1995
Zooman
Rueben Tate
1995
A Father for Charlie
Walter Osgood
1995
Kings of the Ring: Four Legends of Heavyweight Boxing
Narrator
1995
Flashfire
Ben Durand
1994
Curse of the Starving Class
Ellis
1994
A Good Man in Africa
Prof. Sam Adekunle
1994
Ray Alexander: A Taste For Justice
Ray Alexander
1994
Blue Chips
Father Dawkins (uncredited)
1994
Monolith
Capt. MacCandless
1993
Father & Son: Dangerous Relations
Leonard Clay
1993
Liberators: Fighting on Two Fronts in World War II
Reader (voice)
1992
Diggstown
"Honey" Roy Palmer
1992
Iron Eagle III
Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair
1992
Keeper of the City
Det. James Dela
1991
Carolina Skeletons
James Bragg
1991
Toy Soldiers
Dean Parker
1991
The Josephine Baker Story
Sidney Williams
1991
Cover-Up
Lou Jackson
1991
Sudie and Simpson
Simpson
1990
El Diablo
Van Leek
1990
Zora is My Name!
1990
The Punisher
Jake Berkowitz
1989
Roots: The Gift
Fiddler
1988
Goodbye, Miss 4th of July
Big John Creed
1988
Iron Eagle II
Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair
1988
Sam Found Out: A Triple Play
Sam
1988
The Father Clements Story
1987
The Principal
Jake Phillips
1987
Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood
Self
1987
A Gathering of Old Men
Mathu
1987
Firewalker
Leo Porter
1986
Iron Eagle
Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair
1986
Enemy Mine
Jeriba 'Jerry' Shigan
1985
The Guardian
John Mack
1984
Finders Keepers
Century
1984
Jaws 3-D
Calvin Bouchard
1983
The Making of Jaws 3-D: Sharks Don't Die
narrator
1983
An Officer and a Gentleman
Sergeant Emil Foley
1982
Benny's Place
Benny Moore
1982
I Love Liberty
Self
1982
Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy "Satchel" Paige
Leroy 'Satchel' Paige
1981
It Rained All Night the Day I Left
Leo Garcia
1980
The Lazarus Syndrome
Dr. MacArthur St. Clair
1979
Lawman Without a Gun
Tom Hayward
1979
To Kill a Cop
Everett Walker
1978
The Sentry Collection Presents Ben Vereen: His Roots
Self
1978
Freeman
Rex
1977
The Choirboys
Calvin Motts
1977
The Deep
Henri Cloche
1977
Little Ladies of the Night
Russ Garfield
1977
J.D.'s Revenge
Rev. Elija Bliss
1976
The River Niger
Dr. Dudley Stanton
1976
Delancey Street: The Crisis Within
Otis James
1975
Black Bart
Black Bart
1975
The White Dawn
Portagee
1974
Sidekicks
Jason O'Rourke
1974
It's Good to Be Alive
Sam Brockington
1974
The Laughing Policeman
Insp. James Larrimore SFPD
1973
Travels with My Aunt
Wordsworth
1972
Skin Game
Jason O'Rourke
1971
The Landlord
Copee Johnson
1970
The Bushbaby
Tembo
1969
Companions in Nightmare
Lt. Adam McKay
1968
A Raisin in the Sun
George Murchison
1961
The New Girl
Mary's Brother
1960
Gridiron Gang
Host
Straight Up
Cosmo
Crimes of Violence
Self - Host
Forget to Remember
Unplugged
Amos Burton (voice)