TC in »Magnum«: Actor Roger E. Mosley died

Enlarge image

Roger E. Mosley in the helicopter - 1992, when »Magnum« had already ended

Photo: William Nation/Getty Images

Roger E. Mosley was doing well in the 1970s when Hollywood was cashing in on the so-called blaxploitation movies.

Among other things, Mosley played the boxer Sunny Liston in the Muhammad Ali film The Greatest;

he received critical acclaim for his portrayal of blues singer Leadbelly in the biopic of the same name.

But it was a TV role that made the now deceased actor world famous: he was TC on »Magnum«.

Enlarge image

Mosley and starring Tom Selleck in »Magnum«

Photo: CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images

Theodor Calvin, known only by his initials, is the owner of a helicopter charter company called Island Hoppers in the TV series set in Hawaii.

Again and again he helps his mustachioed friend from Vietnam War days, Thomas Magnum (Tom Selleck), when he needs support with his assignments as a private investigator - even if the good-natured TC grumbles again and again that Magnum does not want to pay for his services.

In the role of TC, Roger E. Mosley was one of the core crew of the series, which ran successfully for eight seasons from 1980 to 1988 on CBS.

»Magnum« was shown on German television from 1984 and became an instant hit – although (or because?) many references to the protagonists' Vietnam War past were removed in the ARD version.

John Hillerman, who played the odd estate manager Jonathan Higgins in »Magnum«, died in 2017.

Roger E. Mosley was born on December 18, 1938 in Los Angeles and grew up in the Watts neighborhood.

His film career began in 1972. In one of his first major motion pictures, "Terminal Island" (German distribution title "Männer wie die Tiger"), Mosley starred alongside Tom Selleck, who portrayed a sadistic doctor in the blaxploitation film about a prison island .

In a later interview, Mosley describes his title role in »Leadbelly« (1976) as his favourite.

He had other roles in films such as »Hit Man«, »Mack« or »McQ«.

He came out of retirement for a cameo when the series that made him famous was rebooted in 2019: Mosley played the new TC's barber in an episode of Magnum PI.

Roger E. Mosley died Sunday at a Los Angeles hospital from injuries sustained in a car accident on Thursday, the Los Angeles Times and The Hollywood Reporter reported, referring to the actor's daughter.

Mosley was 83 years old.

The broadcaster CNN refers to a Facebook message from the daughter, according to which Mosley died peacefully with his family.

"We could never mourn such a great man," the Facebook post said.

“We would loathe any tears shed in his name, TERRIBLE.

It's time to celebrate the legacy he left for all of us.

I love you, daddy."

feb/dpa