Roger E. Mosley

Template:Short description Template:Use American English Template:Improve lead Template:Wikidata image Roger Earl Mosley (Template:IPAc-en; December 18, 1938 – August 7, 2022) was an American actor, director, and writer best known for his role as the helicopter pilot Theodore "T.C." Calvin in the CBS television series Magnum, P.I., which originally aired from 1980 until 1988.

Early life and education

Born on December 18, 1938, in Los Angeles, California, and raised by his mother, Eloise, Mosley grew up in the Imperial Courts public housing in the Watts neighborhood Mosley attended Jordan High School.

Career

Mosley appeared as Monk in Terminal Island (1973). Other actors in the feature were Phyllis Davis, Don Marshall, Ena Hartman, and Tom Selleck, who would later star in the television series Magnum, P.I. which would also feature Mosley. In 1974, Mosley founded the Watts Repertory Company.

Mosley's most prominent film role was his 1976 starring turn as the title character in Leadbelly, a biography of the musician directed by Gordon Parks. In an article in the November 1982 issue of Ebony, Mosley said that this was his favorite role.

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

Mosley came out of retirement to appear on the Magnum, P.I. reboot episode "A Kiss Before Dying" as Booky, T.C.'s barber, on March 11, 2019. Actor Stephen Hill, who played T.C. in the new series, said, "It is truly an honor for us to welcome an original cast member of Magnum, P.I.; one who embodied the role of T.C. with such thoughtful and dignified talent."

Mosley guest-starred on such shows as Night Court, Kung Fu, Starsky & 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 as the militant brother of the main character Goldie. He appeared in other blaxploitation films of the period, including Hit Man (1972); Sweet Jesus, Preacherman (1973); Darktown Strutters (1975); and The River Niger (1976).

Mosley's other film credits include McQ (1974) with John Wayne, The Greatest (1977, as Sonny Liston), Semi-Tough (1977), Heart Condition (1990), and Pentathlon (1994). 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 and Hate (1996) with Martin Lawrence, Lynn Whitfield, and Bobby Brown.

Additionally, he appeared as a celebrity guest on The $25,000 Pyramid for a week's worth of shows in July 1983, July 1984, and June 1985.

Personal life

Mosley was married to Antoinette Laudermilk; they were together for nearly sixty years.

Mosley became a certified private helicopter pilot. When making Magnum, P.I., he was not allowed to do his own stunts. A pilot wearing a body stocking with false muscles was used instead. Mosley did not smoke, use drugs or drink alcohol, and insisted that his Magnum, P.I. character also did not.

At the 2013 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.

Car crash and death

On August 4, 2022, Mosley was involved in a major car crash in Lynwood, California, leaving him in critical condition, paralyzed from the shoulders down. He later died from his injuries on August 7, 2022, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center at the age of 83.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role(s)
1972	The New Centurions	Truck Driver
	Hickey & Boggs
	Hit Man	Huey
1973	The Mack	Olinga Mickens
	Sweet Jesus, Preacherman	Holmes / Lee
	Terminal Island	Monk
1974	McQ	Rosey
1975	Darktown Strutters	Mellow
1976	The River Niger	Big Moe Hayes
	Stay Hungry	Newton
	Leadbelly	Huddie "Lead Belly" Ledbetter
	Drum	Slave
1977	The Greatest	Sonny Liston
	Big Time	J.J.
	Semi-Tough	Puddin Patterson Sr.
1978	Cruise Into Terror	Nathan
1979	The Jericho Mile	Cotton Crown
	Steel	Lionel
1980	Attica	Frank Green
	Pray TV	Willie Washington/Leroy Washington
1981	The White Lions	John Kani
1990	Heart Condition	Captain Wendt
1992	Unlawful Entry	Officer Roy Cole
1994	Pentathlon	John Creese
1996	A Thin Line Between Love and Hate	Smitty
1998	Letters from a Killer	Horton
2000	Walker, Texas Ranger	Carter
	Hammerlock	Sgt. James Hammer

Partial television credits

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1971	Cannon	Porter	Episode: "Death Is a Double-Cross"
1972	Sanford and Son	Norman Blood	Episode: "Blood is Thicker than Junk"
1974	Kojak	Stutz	Episode: "You Can't Tell a Hurt Man How to Holler"
	Kung Fu	Seth	Episode: "In Uncertain Bondage"
1975	McCloud	Dolan	Episode: "Return to The Alamo"
	Switch	Walter	Episode: "Las Vegas Roundabout"
	The Rookies	Rawlins	Episode: "Dead Heat"
	Baretta	Det. Rudy Davis	Episode: "Sharper than a Serpent's Tooth"
1977	The Rockford Files	Electric Larry	Episode: "Dirty Money, Black Light”
1977	Starsky & Hutch	The Baron	Episode: "The Set-Up: Part 2"
1979	Starsky & Hutch	Big Red McGee	Episode: "Huggy Can't Go Home"
	I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings	Bailey Sr.	TV movie
1980–1988	Magnum, P.I.	Theodore 'TC' Calvin	158 episodes
1986	Danger Bay	Hari Mubaru	Episode: "The Leopard's Spots"
1987	The Love Boat	Jeffrey T. Gilbert	Episode: "Who Killed Maxwell Thorn?"
1992–1993	Hangin' with Mr. Cooper	Coach Ricketts	10 episodes
1994	The Sinbad Show	Sgt. Al Beckley	Episode: "Adoption: Part 2"
	RoboCop	Frank Uno	Episode: "Ghosts of War"
1996	Women: Stories of Passion	Freddy	Episode: "The Boxer"
	In the House	Buff	Episode: "To Die For"
1999–2000	Rude Awakening	Milton 'Milt' Johnson	20 episodes
2001	Arliss	Mudcat Burrell	Episode: "Like No Business I Know"
2003	What Should You Do?	Kidnapper
	The District	Temple's Father	Episode: "Bloodlines"
2007	Las Vegas	Roger	Episode: "When Life Gives You Lemon Bars"
2019; 2021	Magnum P.I.	John Booky	2 episodes

External links

• Roger E. Mosley Honored @ Crenshaw LIVE! 5/30/2018 (Video)#
• Interview with Roger E. Mosley, KUT's In Black America series, on the American Archive of Public Broadcasting, May 1, 1984
• Roger E. Mosley at IMDbTemplate:EditAtWikidata
• Template:PAGENAMEBASE discography at Discogs