Biography

Mosley was born in Los Angeles, California. He grew up in the Imperial Courts project with his mother Eloise Harris in Watts. In 1974, he founded the Watts Repertory Company.

Mosley is a licensed private helicopter pilot in real life, but when on the set of Magnum P.I. he was not allowed to do his own stunts. A pilot wearing a body stocking with muscles would be used instead. In 2013 at the HAI Heli-Expo in Las Vegas, a ceremony for the restored MD 500D helicopter was held. Both Mosley and fellow Magnum P.I. co-star Larry Manetti autographed the nose of the helicopter.

His daughter is Ch-a Mosley. She co-founded the Las Vegas based "Affluent Lifestyle Concierge" with Nana Rush, daughter of veteran NBA Referee Eddie F. Rush.

Career

Mosley appeared as Monk in Terminal Island (1973). Other actors in the feature were Phyllis Davis, Don Marshall, Ena Hartman and Tom Selleck. Selleck would later become Magnum P.I.. His most prominent film role to date was his 1976 starring turn as the title character in Leadbelly, directed by Gordon Parks. In an article in the November 1982 issue of Ebony magazine, it was reported that this was his favorite role.

He has guest-starred on shows such as Night Court, Starsky and Hutch, Kojak, The Rockford Files, Baretta, and Sanford and Son; he also had a role in Roots: The Next Generation. He made a memorable appearance in the 1973 film The Mack, as the militant brother of the main character Goldie. He appeared in other blaxploitation films including Hit Man (1972), Sweet Jesus, Preacherman (1973), Darktown Strutters (1975) and The River Niger (1976). His other film credits include McQ (1974) with John Wayne, The Greatest (1977, as Sonny Liston), Semi-Tough (1977), Heart Condition (1990) and Pentathlon (1994). He also starred in Hangin' With Mr. Cooper (1992-1993) as Coach Ricketts in a recurring role with comedian/actor Mark Curry, and in A Thin Line Between Love & Hate (1996) with Martin Lawrence, Bobby Brown, and Lynn Whitfield.

He appeared in Magnum, P.I. as Tom Selleck's friend and a helicopter pilot who operates his own tourist charter Island Hoppers from 1980-1988. He appeared in season five of Las Vegas as the billionaire friend of Montecito owner A.J. Cooper (Tom Selleck).

Filmography

• The New Centurions (1972)
• Hit Man (1972)
• The Mack (1973)
• Sweet Jesus, Preacherman (1973)
• Terminal Island (1973)
• McQ (1974)
• Darktown Strutters (1975)
• The River Niger (1976)
• Stay Hungry (1976)
• Leadbelly (1976)
• The Greatest (1977)
• Big Time (1977)
• Semi-Tough (1977)
• Cruise Into Terror (1978)
• The Jericho Mile (1979)
• Steel (1979)
• Attica (1980)
• Pray TV (1980)
• The White Lions (1981)
• Heart Condition (1990)
• Unlawful Entry (1992)
• Pentathlon (1994)
• A Thin Line Between Love and Hate (1996)
• Letters from a Killer (1998)
• Hammerlock (2000)

[ Source: Wikipedia ]