Roger E Mosley: Tributes pour in after Magnum PI actor dies in car crash

Roger E Mosley at the TV Land Awards in Universal City, California. Credit: AP

Roger E Mosley, best known for his role as the helicopter pilot Theodore "TC" Calvin on Magnum, P.I, died on Sunday aged 83.

The American actor had been injured in a car accident last week, which had left him paralyzed from the shoulders down and in a critical condition.

The actor's daughter Ch-a Mosley said on Saturday that her dad was "fighting hard" after the accident.

"We could never mourn such an amazing man. He would HATE any crying done in his name," she wrote in an emotional tribute on Facebook on Sunday.

"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."

Since Mosley's death was announced tributes have poured in from around the world.

Stephen Hill, who played Mosley's character TC for the relaunch of Magnum P.I, said "we have all been honoured by the example of your life".

"Rest In Power to the King, Father, Husband, Friend, Trailblazer, Black Power-Man, Coach, Gentleman, Powerhouse Talent, and Mentor Roger E. Mosley," he wrote in an Instagram post.

Fellow actor, Richard Brooks, also took to social media to pay his own respects.

"Such sad news… This has been a tough few weeks. We’ve lost another great actor & legend today. I enjoyed working with Roger so much," he said in a tweet.

"He really came thru for me when I produced my first play. He was the best. Condolences to the Mosley family."

The cast of Magnum PI, from left, Roger E Mosley, Tom Selleck, and Larry Manetti. Credit: AP

Roger Earl Mosley was born on 18 December 1938 and raised by his mother within the Imperial Courts project in Watts, southern Los Angeles.

He landed his first TV casting in 1971 in the CBS detective show Cannon, which he followed up with several small TV jobs.

Film roles throughout the 1970s for Mosley soon followed, including appearances in McQ, The River Niger and Semi-Tough.

Mosley appeared in over 150 episodes of Magnum, P.I alongside Tom Selleck in the crime-adventure series, which ran for eight seasons from 1980 until 1988.

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His character ran a helicopter business and was often on hand to get Selleck’s lead PI out of tricky situations on the Hawaiian island.

Mosley also had credits in other acclaimed series such as Starsky and Hutch and Walker, Texas Ranger, as well as films including A Thin Line Between Love & Hate.

He leaves behind his wife of 60 years Toni, daughter Ch-a and son Brandonn, grandson Austin.