‘Magnum P.I.’ actor Roger E. Mosley dies aged 83
Roger E. Mosley has died at the age of 83 years old. The veteran actor and filmmaker is perhaps best known for his run on Magnum P.I, in which he starred alongside Tom Selleck. Mosley died on Sunday morning at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. His daughter, Ch-a Mosley, has confirmed that his death was the result of injuries sustained in a car accident three days prior.
Breaking the sad news in a recent statement, Ch-a said: “We could never mourn such an amazing man. He would HATE any crying done in his name. It is time to celebrate the legacy he left for us all. I love you daddy. You loved me too. My heart is heavy, but I am strong. I will care for mommy, your love of almost 60 years. You raised me well, and she is in good hands. Rest easy.”
In 1972, Mosley appeared in The New Centurions, which provided him with one of his earliest roles. Throughout the 1970s, he appeared in a multitude of other films, including Hit Man, The Mack, Terminal Island, McQ, Darktown Strutters, Stay Hungry, Leadbelly, Drum, Semi-Tough, and The Jericho Mile. In the 1980s, he starred in Attica and The White Lions before going on to bag roles in Heart Condition, A Thin Line Between Love and Hate, and Letters from a Killer in the 1990s.
Roger E. Mosley’s most iconic role saw him star as helicopter pilot Theodore T.C. Calvin, a friend of Tom Selleck’s titular character in Magnum P.I. Mosley appeared in 160 episodes of the beloved series from 1980 to 1988.
Mosley would later reprise the role as a special guest in the rebooted Magnum P.I. series, with appearances in 2010 and 2021. The actor came out of retirement to star as the barber of the new T.C. Calvin, who was played by Stephen Hill. The role in the revived series would be his last.
Speaking to TVLine in 2019, Hill said: “Working with Roger E. Mosley was an inspiring way to begin Black History Month. It is truly an honour 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 is survived by his wife Antoinette, three children, two grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.
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