Roger E Mosley

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.

Mosley was 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 muscles would be used instead. 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.

Career

Mosley appeared as Monk in Terminal Island (1973). Other actors in the feature were Phyllis Davis, Don Marshall, Ena Hartman and Tom Selleck. Selleck would later become Magnum P.I.. His most prominent film role to date was his 1976 starring turn as the title character in Leadbelly, directed by Gordon Parks. In an article in the November 1982 issue of Ebony magazine, it was reported that this was his favorite role.

He appeared in Magnum, P.I. as Tom Selleck's friend and a helicopter pilot who operates his own tourist charter Island Hoppers from 1980-1988. He appeared in season five of Las Vegas as the billionaire friend of Montecito owner A.J. Cooper (Tom Selleck).

He also guest-starred on shows such as Night Court, Starsky and Hutch, Kojak, The Rockford Files, Baretta, and Sanford and Son; he also played a role in Roots: The Next Generations. He 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 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, The Greatest (1977, as Sonny Liston), Semi-Tough (1977), Heart Condition (1990) and Pentathlon (1994). He also starred in Hangin' With Mr. Cooper (1992-1993) as Coach Ricketts in a recurring role with comedian/actor Mark Curry, and in A Thin Line Between Love & Hate (1996) with Martin Lawrence, Bobby Brown, and Lynn Whitfield.