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.

Three Months
Benny
2022

Miracle in East Texas
Irving Tanner Jr.
2020

Smitty
Mr. Smith
2012

Dog Jack
Grown up Jed
2011

Why Did I Get Married Too?
Porter
2010

The Perfect Game
Cool Papa Bell
2009
The Least Among You
Samuel Benton
2009

Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy
Self
2009

Delgo
King Zahn (voice)
2008

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

Momentum
Raymond Addison
2003

Deceived
Col. David Garrett
2002

The Inspectors 2: A Shred of Evidence
Frank
2000

Y2K
Morgan
1999

Managua
Paul
1996

Iron Eagle on the Attack
Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair
1995

Monolith
Capt. MacCandless
1993

Diggstown
"Honey" Roy Palmer
1992

Iron Eagle III
Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair
1992

Toy Soldiers
Dean Parker
1991

The Josephine Baker Story
Sidney Williams
1991

Cover-Up
Lou Jackson
1991

El Diablo
Van Leek
1990

The Punisher
Jake Berkowitz
1989

Roots: The Gift
Fiddler
1988

Iron Eagle II
Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair
1988

The Principal
Jake Phillips
1987

A Gathering of Old Men
Mathu
1987

Firewalker
Leo Porter
1986

Iron Eagle
Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair
1986

Enemy Mine
Jeriba 'Jerry' Shigan
1985

Finders Keepers
Century
1984

Jaws 3-D
Calvin Bouchard
1983

An Officer and a Gentleman
Sergeant Emil Foley
1982

I Love Liberty
Self
1982

Freeman
Rex
1977

The Choirboys
Calvin Motts
1977

The Deep
Henri Cloche
1977

J.D.'s Revenge
Rev. Elija Bliss
1976

The River Niger
Dr. Dudley Stanton
1976

The White Dawn
Portagee
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

A Raisin in the Sun
George Murchison
1961
The New Girl
Mary's Brother
1960
Gridiron Gang
Host

IF
Lewis (voice)
2024

The Color Purple
Ol' Mister
2023

Outlaw Johnny Black
Reverend Tharrington (voice) (uncredited)
2023

Sidney
Self
2022

I Forgive
God (voice)
2021

Breaking Brooklyn
Miles Bryant
2018

Undercover Grandpa
Mother
2017

Double Play
Coco
2017

Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise
Self
2016

Boiling Pot
Detective Haven
2015

The Dependables
Lou Jones
2014

A Fighting Man
Cubby
2014

Miracle at Gate 213
Roy Peddington
2013
Stanley Kramer: A Man's Search for Truth
Self
2008

Lackawanna Blues
Ol'lem Taylor
2005

The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made
Rev. Elija Bliss (archive footage)
2004

For Love of Olivia
Daniel Stewart
2001

The Color of Love: Jacey's Story
Lou Hastings
2000

The Highwayman
Phil Bishop
2000

The Inspectors
Inspector Frank Hughes
1998

Legend of the Mummy
Corbeck
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

The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies
Self
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

Blue Chips
Father Dawkins (uncredited)
1994

Father & Son: Dangerous Relations
1993
Liberators: Fighting on Two Fronts in World War II
Reader
1992

Carolina Skeletons
James Bragg
1991
Sudie and Simpson
Simpson
1990

Zora is My Name!
1990

Goodbye, Miss 4th of July
Big John Creed
1988

Sam Found Out: A Triple Play
Sam
1988

The Father Clements Story
1987

The Guardian
John Mack
1984

It Rained All Night the Day I Left
Leo Garcia
1980

Lawman Without a Gun
Tom Hayward
1979

The Lazarus Syndrome
Dr. MacArthur St. Clair
1978

Little Ladies of the Night
Russ Garfield
1977

Delancey Street: The Crisis Within
Otis James
1975

Black Bart
Black Bart
1975

Sidekicks
Jason O'Rourke
1974

It's Good to Be Alive
Sam Brockington
1974

The Bushbaby
Tembo
1969

Everbrook (The Home)

Companions in Nightmare
Lt. Adam McKay
1968
Straight Up
Cosmo

Not to Forget
Pastor John
2021

The Reason
Pastor Jim
2020

The Cuban
Luis Garcia
2020

Foster Boy
Judge George Taylor
2019

Supervized
Pendle
2019
The Gang Activists
Self
2019

Hal
Self
2019

Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes / Feeling Heart
Self
2017

King of the Dancehall
The Bishop
2017

A.C. Green: Iron Virgin
Himself
2016

And the Oscar Goes To...
Self (archive footage)
2014

The Undershepherd
Bishop Redford
2012

The Grace Card
George Wright
2011

Amazing Racer
Max Donovan
2009

A Love Story of Today
Self
2008

A Special Kind of Love
Self
2008

The Black List: Volume One
Himself
2008

Stories USA
Doc (segment "Club Soda")
2007

The Batman
Lucius Fox (voice) · (3 episodes)
2004

Jasper, Texas
R.C. Horn
2003

Half & Half
Ray Willis · (2 episodes)
2002

The Dead Zone
Pastor David Lewis · (1 episode)
2002

What About Your Friends: Weekend Get-Away
Dr. Barnes
2002

Dr. Lucille
2001

Strange Justice
Vernon Jordan
1999

Love Songs
Reuben
1999

Family Guy
Drill Sargent (voice) · (1 episode)
1999

Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood
Self
1998

Stargate SG-1
Gerak · (5 episodes)
1997

Early Edition
Jim Matthews · (1 episode)
1996

Ray Alexander: A Menu for Murder
Ray Alexander
1995

Zooman
Rueben Tate
1995

ER
Leo Malcolm · (1 episode)
1994

Ray Alexander: A Taste For Justice
Ray Alexander
1994

Return to Lonesome Dove
Isom Pickett · (4 episodes)
1993

Keeper of the City
Det. James Dela
1991

Captain Planet and the Planeteers
Commander Clash (voice) · (2 episodes)
1990

Gideon Oliver
(5 episodes)
1989

Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood
Self
1987

The Making of Jaws 3-D: Sharks Don't Die
narrator
1983

Benny's Place
Benny Moore
1982

Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy "Satchel" Paige
Leroy 'Satchel' Paige
1981
Crimes of Violence
Self - Host
Forget to Remember

Watchmen
Old Man / Will Reeves · (7 episodes)
2019

The Good Fight
Carl Reddick · (1 episode)
2017

The Spoils Before Dying
Duke Webster · (6 episodes)
2015

The Book of Negroes
Daddy Moses · (6 episodes)
2015

Madam Secretary
Father Laurent Vasseur · (1 episode)
2014

Extant
Quinn · (4 episodes)
2014

Hawaii Five-0
Lou's father · (1 episode)
2010

Celebrity Ghost Stories
Self · (1 episode)
2009

Psych
Lloyd Marr · (1 episode)
2006
Black in the 80s
(3 episodes)
2005

Hercules
Chiron (voice) · (1 episode)
1998

Promised Land
Anderson Walker · (1 episode)
1996

Touched by an Angel
Anderson Walker · (1 episode)
1994

Ellen
Sgt. Timko · (1 episode)
1994

American Experience
Self - Narrator · (1 episode)
1988
Sadat
Anwar al-Sadat · (2 episodes)
1983

The Powers of Matthew Star
Walter "Walt" Shepherd (D'Hai) · (22 episodes)
1982

Palmerstown, U.S.A.
(1 episode)
1980

The Lazarus Syndrome
MacArthur St. Clair · (10 episodes)
1979

Backstairs at the White House
Levi Mercer, Houseman · (4 episodes)
1979

The Critical List
Lem Harper · (2 episodes)
1978

To Kill a Cop
Everett Walker
1978
Please Turn the Page
Self · (1 episode)
1977

Roots
Fiddler · (3 episodes)
1977

Saturday Night Live
Self - Host · (1 episode)
1975

The Jeffersons
(1 episode)
1975

The Rockford Files
Marcus Aurelius Hayes / O'Brien · (1 episode)
1974

The Rockford Files
Marcus Aurelius 'Gabby' Hayes · (1 episode)
1974

Harry O
Cleon Jackson · (1 episode)
1974

Little House on the Prairie
(1 episode)
1974

Petrocelli
Kurt Olson, DA · (1 episode)
1974

Petrocelli
District Attorney Kurt Olson · (1 episode)
1974

Good Times
(2 episodes)
1974

The Six Million Dollar Man
O'Flaherty · (1 episode)
1974

The American Film Institute Salute to ...
Self · (1 episode)
1973

Police Story
(2 episodes)
1973

The Rookies
(1 episode)
1972

Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law
Lt. Carl Fellows · (1 episode)
1971

Alias Smith and Jones
(1 episode)
1971

The Partridge Family
Sam Simon · (1 episode)
1970

The Young Rebels
(15 episodes)
1970

McCloud
(1 episode)
1970

Love, American Style
Freddy · (1 episode)
1969

The Bill Cosby Show
Hurricane Smith · (1 episode)
1969

The Bold Ones: The New Doctors
Dr. Karnes · (1 episode)
1969

The Mod Squad
Smitty · (1 episode)
1968

The Mod Squad
Charley Jameson · (1 episode)
1968

The Mod Squad
Lloyd · (1 episode)
1968

Cowboy in Africa
Fulah · (1 episode)
1967

Cowboy in Africa
Joseph Hemera · (1 episode)
1967

The Invaders
Ollie · (1 episode)
1967

Daktari
Mkono · (1 episode)
1966

The Merv Griffin Show
Self · (1 episode)
1962

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self · (2 episodes)
1962

The Mike Douglas Show
Self · (1 episode)
1961

Bonanza
Buck Walter · (1 episode)
1959

The Oscars
Self · (2 episodes)
1953

The Ed Sullivan Show
Self · (1 episode)
1948

Golden Globe Awards
Self - Winner · (1 episode)
1944

Golden Globe Awards
Self - Audience Member · (2 episodes)
1944

Golden Globe Awards
Self - Presenter · (2 episodes)
1944

Golden Globe Awards
Self - Host · (1 episode)
1944

Golden Globe Awards
Self - Nominee / Presenter · (1 episode)
1944