Louis Gossett Jr.

Personal Info

Known For
Acting
Born
May 27, 1936 (87 years old)
Died
March 29, 2024
Place of Birth
Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
Popular Genres
Drama Comedy Action
Career Span
– 2024

Louis Gossett Jr.

2 wins
160 nominations
2 Oscars
143 credits

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.

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Personal Info

Born
May 27, 1936
From
Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
Known For
Acting
Career
– 2024

Award Recognition

2
Wins
160
Nominations
2
Oscars

Complete Filmography

2024

IF as Lewis (voice) Award

2023

The Color Purple as Ol' Mister Award
Outlaw Johnny Black as Reverend Tharrington (voice) (uncredited) Award

2022

Sidney as Self Award
Three Months as Benny

2021

Not to Forget as Pastor John
I Forgive as God (voice)

2020

The Reason as Pastor Jim
The Cuban as Luis Garcia
Miracle in East Texas as Irving Tanner Jr.

2019

Hal as Self
Foster Boy as Judge George Taylor
Supervized as Pendle
The Gang Activists as Self

2018

Breaking Brooklyn as Miles Bryant

2017

Undercover Grandpa as Mother
King of the Dancehall as The Bishop
Double Play as Coco
Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes / Feeling Heart as Self

2016

Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise as Self
A.C. Green: Iron Virgin as Himself

2015

Boiling Pot as Detective Haven

2014

And the Oscar Goes To... as Self (archive footage) Award
A Fighting Man as Cubby
The Dependables as Lou Jones

2013

Miracle at Gate 213 as Roy Peddington

2012

Smitty as Mr. Smith
The Undershepherd as Bishop Redford

2011

The Grace Card as George Wright
Dog Jack as Grown up Jed

2010

Why Did I Get Married Too? as Porter Award

2009

The Perfect Game as Cool Papa Bell Award
Amazing Racer as Max Donovan
Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy as Self
The Least Among You as Samuel Benton

2008

Delgo as King Zahn (voice)
The Black List: Volume One as Himself
A Love Story of Today as Self
Stanley Kramer: A Man's Search for Truth as Self
A Special Kind of Love as Self

2007

Daddy's Little Girls as Willie Award
Stories USA as Doc (segment "Club Soda") Award
The 50 Greatest Television Dramas as Self
Cover as Detective Hicks

2006

Solar Attack as President Ryan Gordon
All In as Caps
Club Soda as Doc

2005

Left Behind: World at War as President Geral Fitzhugh
Lackawanna Blues as Ol'lem Taylor

2004

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

2003

Momentum as Raymond Addison
Jasper, Texas as R.C. Horn

2002

Deceived as Col. David Garrett
What About Your Friends: Weekend Get-Away as Dr. Barnes

2001

For Love of Olivia as Daniel Stewart
Dr. Lucille

2000

The Color of Love: Jacey's Story as Lou Hastings
The Inspectors 2: A Shred of Evidence as Frank
The Highwayman as Phil Bishop

1999

Y2K as Morgan
Strange Justice as Vernon Jordan
Love Songs as Reuben

1998

Legend of the Mummy as Corbeck Award
The Inspectors as Inspector Frank Hughes
Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood as Self

1997

To Dance with Olivia as Daniel Stewart
In His Father's Shoes as Frank Crosby / Richard

1996

Captive Heart: The James Mink Story as James Mink
Inside as Questioner
Run for the Dream: The Gail Devers Story as Bob Kersee
Managua as Paul

1995

The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies as Self
Iron Eagle on the Attack as Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair
Zooman as Rueben Tate
Ray Alexander: A Menu for Murder as Ray Alexander
A Father for Charlie as Walter Osgood
Kings of the Ring: Four Legends of Heavyweight Boxing as Narrator

1994

Blue Chips as Father Dawkins (uncredited) Award
A Good Man in Africa as Prof. Sam Adekunle
Flashfire as Ben Durand
Ray Alexander: A Taste For Justice as Ray Alexander
Curse of the Starving Class as Ellis

1993

Father & Son: Dangerous Relations
Monolith as Capt. MacCandless

1992

Iron Eagle III as Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair Award
Diggstown as "Honey" Roy Palmer
Liberators: Fighting on Two Fronts in World War II as Reader

1991

Toy Soldiers as Dean Parker
Carolina Skeletons as James Bragg
Cover-Up as Lou Jackson
The Josephine Baker Story as Sidney Williams
Keeper of the City as Det. James Dela

1990

Sudie and Simpson as Simpson
El Diablo as Van Leek
Zora is My Name!

1989

The Punisher as Jake Berkowitz Award

1988

Iron Eagle II as Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair
Roots: The Gift as Fiddler
Goodbye, Miss 4th of July as Big John Creed
Sam Found Out: A Triple Play as Sam

1987

The Principal as Jake Phillips
Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood as Self
A Gathering of Old Men as Mathu
The Father Clements Story

1986

Firewalker as Leo Porter
Iron Eagle as Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair

1985

Enemy Mine as Jeriba 'Jerry' Shigan Award

1984

Finders Keepers as Century
The Guardian as John Mack

1983

Jaws 3-D as Calvin Bouchard Award
The Making of Jaws 3-D: Sharks Don't Die as narrator

1982

An Officer and a Gentleman as Sergeant Emil Foley Award
I Love Liberty as Self
Benny's Place as Benny Moore

1981

Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy "Satchel" Paige as Leroy 'Satchel' Paige

1980

It Rained All Night the Day I Left as Leo Garcia

1979

Lawman Without a Gun as Tom Hayward

1978

To Kill a Cop as Everett Walker Award
The Lazarus Syndrome as Dr. MacArthur St. Clair

1977

The Choirboys as Calvin Motts Award
The Deep as Henri Cloche Award
Little Ladies of the Night as Russ Garfield
Freeman as Rex

1976

The River Niger as Dr. Dudley Stanton
J.D.'s Revenge as Rev. Elija Bliss

1975

Delancey Street: The Crisis Within as Otis James
Black Bart as Black Bart

1974

It's Good to Be Alive as Sam Brockington
The White Dawn as Portagee
Sidekicks as Jason O'Rourke

1973

The Laughing Policeman as Insp. James Larrimore SFPD

1972

Travels with My Aunt as Wordsworth

1971

Skin Game as Jason O'Rourke

1970

The Landlord as Copee Johnson

1969

The Bushbaby as Tembo

1968

Companions in Nightmare as Lt. Adam McKay

1961

A Raisin in the Sun as George Murchison Award

1960

The New Girl as Mary's Brother

Everbrook (The Home)
Forget to Remember
Straight Up as Cosmo
Crimes of Violence as Self - Host
Gridiron Gang as Host

Photos & Videos

Featured in Trailers

IF
The Color Purple
An Officer and a Gentleman
The Perfect Game
Daddy's Little Girls
The Punisher
Enemy Mine
Sidney

Career Statistics

Roles by Genre
Genre Evolution