Roger E. Mosley

Roger E. Mosley
Mosley in 1980
Born Roger Earl Mosley
(1938-12-18) December 18, 1938
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation Actor
Years active 1971-2014
Partner(s) Toni Laudermick (1976-present)
Children 3

Roger Earl Mosley (born December 18, 1938) is a retired American actor, director and writer best known for his role as the helicopter pilot Theodore "T.C." Calvin in the television series, Magnum, P.I..[1]

Biography

Mosley was born in Los Angeles, California. He grew up in the Imperial Courts public housing with his mother Eloise Harris in Watts. In 1974, he founded the Watts Repertory Company.[2]

Mosley is a licensed private helicopter pilot in real life, but when on the set of Magnum P.I. he was not allowed to do his own stunts; a pilot wearing a body stocking with false muscles would be used instead.[3] In 2013 at the HAI Heli-Expo in Las Vegas, a ceremony for the restored MD 500D helicopter was held. Both Mosley and fellow Magnum P.I. co-star Larry Manetti autographed the nose of the helicopter.[4]

Career

Mosley appeared as Monk in Terminal Island (1973). Other actors in the feature were Phyllis Davis, Don Marshall, Ena Hartman and Tom Selleck,[5] who would later star in the television series Magnum, P.I..[6] Mosley's most prominent film role was his 1976 starring turn as the title character in Leadbelly, directed by Gordon Parks.[7] In an article in the November, 1982 issue of Ebony magazine, it was revealed that this was his favorite role.[8]

He appeared in Magnum, P.I. as Tom Selleck's friend and helicopter pilot Theodore "T.C." Calvin, who operates his own tourist charter, Island Hoppers [9], from 1980-1988. He appeared in season five of Las Vegas as the billionaire friend of Montecito owner A.J. Cooper (Tom Selleck).

He has guest-starred on such shows as Night Court,[10] Kung Fu, Starsky and Hutch, Kojak, The Rockford Files, Baretta, and Sanford and Son; he also played a role in Roots: The Next Generations. Mosley made a memorable appearance in the 1973 film The Mack[11] as the militant brother of the main character Goldie.[12] He appeared in other blaxploitation films including Hit Man (1972), Sweet Jesus, Preacherman (1973), Darktown Strutters (1975), and The River Niger (1976). His other film credits include McQ (1974) with John Wayne,[13] The Greatest (1977, as Sonny Liston), Semi-Tough (1977), Heart Condition (1990) and Pentathlon (1994).[14] He also starred in the television series Hangin' With Mr. Cooper (1992-1993) as Coach Ricketts in a recurring role with comedian/actor Mark Curry, and in the film A Thin Line Between Love & Hate (1996) with Martin Lawrence, Lynn Whitfield, and Bobby Brown.[15] He also appeared as a celebrity guest on The $25,000 Pyramid for a week's worth of shows in July 1983, July 1984, in June 1985.

Partial filmography

References

  1. ↑ http://www.tomselleck.de Roger E. Mosley Biographie
  2. ↑ Loki Radoslav Pon Press, 1 Apr 2012 - Performing Arts Roger E. Mosley Pon Press, 2012 ISBN 9786137817421
  3. ↑ articles.latimes.com Helicopters Keep His Life in a Whirl : 'It's Like Flying a Plane, Except You . . . Go Sideways' by Lynn Simross June 07, 1985
  4. ↑ Police Helicopter Pilot Helicopter Aviation & Beyond Magnum PI Helicopter Flies Again In Hawaii
  5. ↑ New York Times Movies Terminal Island (1973)
  6. ↑ New York Times Movies & TV Tom Selleck
  7. ↑ Bastrop Visitor Center Leadbelly 1976, starring Roger E. Mosley and Paul Benjamin, directed by Gordon Parks.
  8. ↑ Ebony Magazine November 1982 Page 85 Roger Mosley Continued
  9. ↑ Huffington Post TV 'Magnum P.I.' Cast: Where Are They Now? by Kim Potts
  10. ↑ TV Guide Episode Detail: Puppy Love - Night Court
  11. ↑ http://www.tomselleck.de Roger E. Mosley - Biographie
  12. ↑ cinephilia The Mack USA 1973
  13. ↑ John Wayne: Actor, Artist, Hero By Richard D. McGhee Filmography Page 365
  14. ↑ Jet Magazine Page 62 Movies to see
  15. ↑ Historical Dictionary of African American Cinema by Torriano S. Berry, Venise T. Berry Page 335 Thin Line Between Love And Hate
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