Roger E Mosley – Magnum PI actor – dies after car crash, aged 83
The actor starred as helicopter pilot TC in all eight seasons of the original series.
Magnum PI actor Roger E Mosley has died aged 83, after being involved in a car accident in Lynwood, Los Angeles last week.
The actor famously played Theodore 'TC' Calvin, the helicopter pilot and friend of Tom Selleck's titular character, in all eight seasons of the original Magnum PI.
Mosley's daughter Ch-a confirmed his death to The Hollywood Reporter. She later wrote a tribute to her father on Facebook, saying: "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."
Mosley's notable film roles included his acclaimed performance as musician Huddie Ledbetter, known for The Midnight Special, in 1976's Leadbelly, and a series of blaxploitation films, such as the classic The Mack (1973), Hit Man (1972), Sweet Jesus, Preacherman (1973) and Darktown Strutters (1975).
His most well-known role was in much-loved US crime drama Magnum, PI; appearing in more than 150 episodes between 1980 and 1988. The series was created by Donald Bellisario and Glen A Larson, and Mosley's TC was a friend of Selleck's Magnum from their days in Vietnam.
Mosley was also celebrated as a high school track and field coach, "who cultivated the talent and changed the lives of student athletes over three decades", according to the LA Times.
"My dad was always a man of the community," Ch-a told the publication. "Even while famous and having this successful career in Hollywood, he continued to work with youth — most recently working as a track coach in the Monrovia [Unified School District]."
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