About

Known credits:
159
Birthday:
1936-05-27
Place of birth:
Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
Website:
N/A

Louis Gossett Jr.

Overview

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.

Known for

Acting
2024 IF Actor Lewis (voice) 68
Fair
2023 The Color Purple Actor Ol' Mister 63
Fair
2023 Outlaw Johnny Black Actor Reverend Tharrington (voice) (uncredited) 58
Average
2022 Sidney Actor Self 59
Average
2022 Three Months Actor Benny 60
Fair
2021 Not to Forget Actor Pastor John 59
Average
2021 I Forgive Actor God (voice) 59
Average
2020 The Reason Actor Pastor Jim 59
Average
2020 The Cuban Actor Luis Garcia 58
Average
2020 Miracle in East Texas Actor Irving Tanner Jr. N/A
N/A
2019 Foster Boy Actor Judge George Taylor 59
Average
2019 Supervized Actor Pendle 58
Average
2019 The Gang Activists Actor Self N/A
N/A
2019 Hal Actor Self 59
Average
2018 Breaking Brooklyn Actor Miles Bryant 59
Average
2017 Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes / Feeling Heart Actor Self 59
Average
2017 Undercover Grandpa Actor Mother 58
Average
2017 Double Play Actor Coco 58
Average
2017 King of the Dancehall Actor The Bishop 59
Average
2016 Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise Actor Self 59
Average
2016 A.C. Green: Iron Virgin Actor Himself N/A
N/A
2015 Boiling Pot Actor Detective Haven 58
Average
2015 The Spoils Before Dying Actor Duke Webster 67
Fair
2015 The Book of Negroes Actor Daddy Moses 69
Fair
2014 Pride of Lions Actor Lou Jones 58
Average
2014 A Fighting Man Actor Cubby 58
Average
2014 And the Oscar Goes To... Actor Self (archive footage) 59
Average
2013 Miracle at Gate 213 Actor Roy Peddington N/A
N/A
2012 Smitty Actor Mr. Smith 59
Average
2012 The Undershepherd Actor Bishop Redford 58
Average
2011 Dog Jack Actor Grown up Jed 58
Average
2011 The Grace Card Actor George Wright 60
Fair
2010 Why Did I Get Married Too? Actor Porter 60
Fair
2009 The Perfect Game Actor Cool Papa Bell 61
Fair
2009 The Least Among You Actor Samuel Benton 59
Average
2009 Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy Actor Self 59
Average
2008 Delgo Actor King Zahn (voice) 57
Average
2008 A Love Story of Today Actor Self N/A
N/A
2008 Stanley Kramer: A Man's Search for Truth Actor Self N/A
N/A
2008 A Special Kind of Love Actor Self N/A
N/A
2008 The Black List: Volume One Actor Himself 59
Average
2007 Stories USA Actor Doc (segment "Club Soda") 58
Average
2007 Cover Actor Detective Hicks 58
Average
2007 Daddy's Little Girls Actor Willie 60
Fair
2007 The 50 Greatest Television Dramas Actor Self N/A
N/A
2006 Club Soda Actor Doc N/A
N/A
2006 Solar Attack Actor President Ryan Gordon 58
Average
2006 All In Actor Caps 58
Average
2005 Left Behind: World at War Actor President Geral Fitzhugh 56
Average
2005 Lackawanna Blues Actor Ol'lem Taylor 59
Average
2005 Black in the 80s Actor N/A
N/A
2004 The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made Actor Rev. Elija Bliss (archive footage) 58
Average
2003 Jasper, Texas Actor R.C. Horn 59
Average
2003 Momentum Actor Raymond Addison 58
Average
2002 What About Your Friends: Weekend Get-Away Actor Dr. Barnes 58
Average
2002 Deceived Actor Col. David Garrett 59
Average
2001 For Love of Olivia Actor Daniel Stewart N/A
N/A
2000 The Color of Love: Jacey's Story Actor Lou Hastings 59
Average
2000 The Inspectors 2: A Shred of Evidence Actor Frank 58
Average
2000 The Highwayman Actor Phil Bishop 58
Average
1999 Strange Justice Actor Vernon Jordan 59
Average
1999 Y2K Actor Morgan 58
Average
1999 Love Songs Actor Reuben 59
Average
1998 The Inspectors Actor Inspector Frank Hughes 58
Average
1998 Legend of the Mummy Actor Corbeck 58
Average
1998 Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood Actor Self N/A
N/A
1997 In His Father's Shoes Actor Frank Crosby / Richard N/A
N/A
1997 To Dance with Olivia Actor Daniel Stewart 58
Average
1996 Inside Actor Questioner 58
Average
1996 Run for the Dream: The Gail Devers Story Actor Bob Kersee N/A
N/A
1996 Captive Heart: The James Mink Story Actor James Mink 58
Average
1996 Managua Actor Paul 58
Average
1995 Iron Eagle on the Attack Actor Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair 57
Average
1995 The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies Actor Self 59
Average
1995 Ray Alexander: A Menu for Murder Actor Ray Alexander N/A
N/A
1995 Zooman Actor Rueben Tate 58
Average
1995 A Father for Charlie Actor Walter Osgood 59
Average
1995 Kings of the Ring: Four Legends of Heavyweight Boxing Actor Narrator N/A
N/A
1994 Flashfire Actor Ben Durand 59
Average
1994 Curse of the Starving Class Actor Ellis 58
Average
1994 A Good Man in Africa Actor Prof. Sam Adekunle 58
Average
1994 Ray Alexander: A Taste For Justice Actor Ray Alexander N/A
N/A
1994 Blue Chips Actor Father Dawkins (uncredited) 59
Average
1993 Return to Lonesome Dove Actor Isom Pickett 69
Fair
1993 Monolith Actor Capt. MacCandless 58
Average
1993 Father & Son: Dangerous Relations Actor 59
Average
1992 Liberators: Fighting on Two Fronts in World War II Actor Reader 59
Average
1992 Diggstown Actor "Honey" Roy Palmer 59
Average
1992 Iron Eagle III Actor Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair 56
Average
1991 Keeper of the City Actor Det. James Dela 58
Average
1991 Carolina Skeletons Actor James Bragg 59
Average
1991 Toy Soldiers Actor Dean Parker 61
Fair
1991 The Josephine Baker Story Actor Sidney Williams 59
Average
1991 Cover-Up Actor Lou Jackson 57
Average
1990 Sudie and Simpson Actor Simpson 58
Average
1990 El Diablo Actor Van Leek 58
Average
1990 Zora is My Name! Actor N/A
N/A
1989 The Punisher Actor Jake Berkowitz 57
Average
1989 Gideon Oliver Actor 69
Fair
1988 Roots: The Gift Actor Fiddler 59
Average
1988 Goodbye, Miss 4th of July Actor Big John Creed N/A
N/A
1988 Iron Eagle II Actor Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair 56
Average
1988 Sam Found Out: A Triple Play Actor Sam N/A
N/A
1987 The Father Clements Story Actor N/A
N/A
1987 The Principal Actor Jake Phillips 61
Fair
1987 A Gathering of Old Men Actor Mathu 59
Average
1986 Firewalker Actor Leo Porter 57
Average
1986 Iron Eagle Actor Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair 57
Average
1985 Enemy Mine Actor Jeriba 'Jerry' Shigan 65
Fair
1984 The Guardian Actor John Mack 58
Average
1984 Finders Keepers Actor Century 58
Average
1983 Sadat Actor Anwar al-Sadat N/A
N/A
1983 Jaws 3-D Actor Calvin Bouchard 48
Bad
1983 The Making of Jaws 3-D: Sharks Don't Die Actor narrator 59
Average
1982 The Powers of Matthew Star Actor Walter "Walt" Shepherd (D'Hai) 69
Fair
1982 An Officer and a Gentleman Actor Sergeant Emil Foley 66
Fair
1982 Benny's Place Actor Benny Moore 59
Average
1982 I Love Liberty Actor Self N/A
N/A
1981 Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy "Satchel" Paige Actor Leroy 'Satchel' Paige 58
Average
1980 It Rained All Night the Day I Left Actor Leo Garcia 58
Average
1979 The Lazarus Syndrome Actor MacArthur St. Clair 69
Fair
1979 Lawman Without a Gun Actor Tom Hayward N/A
N/A
1979 Backstairs at the White House Actor Levi Mercer, Houseman 68
Fair
1978 The Critical List Actor Lem Harper N/A
N/A
1978 To Kill a Cop Actor Everett Walker N/A
N/A
1978 The Lazarus Syndrome Actor Dr. MacArthur St. Clair 58
Average
1977 Freeman Actor Rex 59
Average
1977 The Choirboys Actor Calvin Motts 58
Average
1977 The Deep Actor Henri Cloche 59
Average
1977 Little Ladies of the Night Actor Russ Garfield 58
Average
1976 J.D.'s Revenge Actor Rev. Elija Bliss 59
Average
1976 The River Niger Actor Dr. Dudley Stanton 59
Average
1975 Delancey Street: The Crisis Within Actor Otis James N/A
N/A
1975 Black Bart Actor Black Bart 58
Average
1974 The White Dawn Actor Portagee 59
Average
1974 Sidekicks Actor Jason O'Rourke 58
Average
1974 It's Good to Be Alive Actor Sam Brockington 59
Average
1973 The Laughing Policeman Actor Insp. James Larrimore SFPD 59
Average
1972 Travels with My Aunt Actor Wordsworth 58
Average
1971 Skin Game Actor Jason O'Rourke 59
Average
1970 The Young Rebels Actor 68
Fair
1970 The Landlord Actor Copee Johnson 58
Average
1969 The Bushbaby Actor Tembo 59
Average
1968 Companions in Nightmare Actor Lt. Adam McKay 59
Average
1961 A Raisin in the Sun Actor George Murchison 62
Fair
1960 The New Girl Actor Mary's Brother N/A
N/A
Forget to Remember Actor N/A
N/A
Crimes of Violence Actor Self - Host N/A
N/A
Gridiron Gang Actor Host N/A
N/A
Straight Up Actor Cosmo N/A
N/A
Everbrook (The Home) Actor N/A
N/A

Directing
1999 Love Songs Directing Director 59
Average

Production
2001 For Love of Olivia Production Executive Producer N/A
N/A
2000 The Color of Love: Jacey's Story Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1997 In His Father's Shoes Production Executive Producer N/A
N/A
1997 To Dance with Olivia Production Executive Producer 58
Average
1996 Inside Production Executive Producer 58
Average
1995 A Father for Charlie Production Executive Producer 59
Average

Crew
2024 IF Crew In Memory Of 68
Fair