Around the world, Roger E. Mosley was known as helicopter pilot Theodore “TC” Calvin on the 1980s television series Magnum, PI, but in the Los Angeles area, he was also known as a high school track and field coach. was He nurtured talent and changed the lives of student-athletes for over 30 years.
Mosley died Sunday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after being injured in a car accident Thursday in Lynnwood, his daughter, Cha Mosley, told the Los Angeles Times.
After the crash left him paralyzed from the shoulders down, Mosley was taken to St. Francis Medical Center in Lynnwood and transferred to Cedars Sinai.his death First reported by Rich Gonzalez PrepCalTrack covering high school track and field in California
“My father has always been a community person,” Cha Mosley told The Times on Sunday. Most recently, I worked as a track coach in Monrovia (Unified School District).”
“He personally coached me. I was the first hurdler he trained to run the 400m hurdles. He made me a champion. , learned what it means to win….He has a work ethic, stands on his own feet, has a good education and has all the tools he needs to be successful in life. It gave me a powerful moral compass to get into.”
Mosley appeared as a former Marine TC in more than 150 episodes of the hit crime drama Magnum, PI, which ran for eight seasons on CBS and ended in 1988. PI” reboots as John Bookie, a wise barber and Vietnam War veteran.
Mosley starred in a number of films and television series, including ‘Sanford and Son’, ‘The Love Boat’ and ‘Roots: Next Generations’ before rising to fame with ‘Magnum, PI’. In 1973, he starred in the prison thriller ‘Terminal Island’ opposite future ‘Magnum, PI’ castmate Tom Selleck. The following year, he co-starred with John Wayne in the police drama McQ.
He also played Hudi Ledbetter, aka Lead Berry, in Gordon Parkes’ 1976 biopic about the blues musician, and professional boxer Sonny Liston in the 1977 Muhammad Ali biopic, The Greatest.
After “Magnum, PI,” Mosley made a television resume with recurring appearances in other shows, including the 1990s sitcoms “You Take the Kids,” “Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper,” and the Showtime series “Rude Awakening.” continued to create On the big screen, Mosley’s later credits include the 1996 romantic comedy his thriller The Thin Line Between Love and Hate and his 1998 crime drama Letters from a Killer. .
His penultimate role was Grandpa Faison in the 2010 comedy series FCU: Fact Checkers Unit. In a moment of perfect circles after nearly his decade-long hiatus, Mosley made his way onto the small screen one last time for the new ‘Magnum PI’ starring Jay Hernandez in the lead role and Stephen Hill as his TC. came back.
“Empower the King, Father, Husband, Friend, Trailblazer, Black Powerman, Coach, Gentleman, Powerhouse Talent and Mentor Roger E. Mosley,” Hill wrote on Instagram on Sunday.
“We are all honored by your example in life.”
Mosley grew up in a royal housing project in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. Beyond his screen career, Mosley became a prominent and influential figure in the high school track and field scene in Los Angeles, coaching a variety of other sports, including swimming and basketball.
“He was always imparting knowledge,” said Mike Knowles, who met Cha Mosley while training him at John Muir High School in Pasadena, saying he and Mosley became longtime friends and coaching partners. I told you before
“Ask him anything and you’ll get a complete answer, not just a partial answer….He was an encyclopedia of knowledge on many things.”
Knowles said Mosley was a perfectionist and had repeatedly turned down offers to coach track and field at the college level.
“He was a tough coach,” Knowles said. “But all his athletes looked up to him….they may not always have liked the way he coached…and taught them how it goes in life.” And that’s basically what he did to all of us.
“He didn’t have to do it. He had the money. He had the prestige. He didn’t have to spend time back in the community. But he did.”
Mosley was bequeathed to his daughter and wife, Antoinette “Toni” Mosley.
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