Roger E. Mosley, a veteran actor best known for playing helicopter pilot Theodore “T.C.” Calvin on the CBS drama series Magnum, P.I. died Sunday. He was 83.
The actor’s daughter, Ch-a Mosley, shared the news of her father’s death with a statement on Facebook.
“He was surrounded by family as he transcended peacefully. We could never mourn such an amazing man. He would HATE any crying done in his name,” she wrote. “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 family did not disclose his cause of death. However, in a Facebook post on Friday, his daughter said her dad had recently been involved in a car accident that left him paralyzed from the shoulders down and was in critical condition.
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Born Roger Earl Mosley in Los Angeles in December 1938, he grew up in a housing project in Watts.
Mosley would go on to have a prolific acting career. He appeared on a string of hit TV shows, including Night Court, Kung Fu, Starsky and Hutch, Kojak, The Rockford Files, Sanford and Son, and Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper.
He starred on the original Magnum P.I. for its entire run opposite Tom Selleck from 1980 to 1988.
Mosley’s character ran a helicopter charter business and often helped private investigator Magnum evade danger by flying him around the Hawaiian island of Oahu. Mosley returned for the reboot of the series in 2019, as a different character named John Booky.
He also had roles in the films McQ (1974), The Greatest (1977) Semi-Tough (1977), Heart Condition (1990), and Pentathlon (1994).
His most prominent film role was as the tile character in Leadbelly (1976), a biography of musician Huddie Ledbetter that was directed by Gordon Parks.
