Complicating the galactic balance of power after the fall of the Replicators is Gerak, a Jaffa leader who vies with Teal'c for political control of the newly emerging Jaffa nation.


Louis Gossett Jr. first caught a break at his Broadway audition for Take a Giant Step (1953) where, beating out 400 other candidates, the then 16-year-old actor landed the lead. After attending NYU on a basketball scholarship, Gossett was drafted by the New York Knicks but instead chose to commit to a promising acting career. His choice was rewarded with roles in the stage and film versions of the groundbreaking drama A Raisin in the Sun, which, in turn, led to numerous appearances on network series in the 1960s and '70s. This culminated in an Emmy Award in 1977 for his eloquent portrayal of Fiddler in the landmark ABC miniseries Roots.

Several performances earned him critical acclaim, particularly his starring performances in such feature films as The Landlord, The Skin Game with James Garner, Travels With My Aunt, the film adaptation of the Tony Award-winning drama The River Niger and The Deep, opposite Nick Nolte and Jacqueline Bisset. His role as the tough, by-the-book drill sergeant in An Officer and a Gentleman won him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

Among the film and television credits that followed were his role as Egyptian president Anwar Sadat in Sadat, the sci-fi adventure Enemy Mine, and the four-film action-adventure series Iron Eagle, which introduced him to a whole new generation of moviegoers. He portrayed a down-and-out boxer in Diggstown, a heroic headmaster in Toy Soldier, and also starred in such socially themed projects as To Dance With Olivia and the critically acclaimed Jasper, Texas.

In addition to an Oscar and an Emmy, Gossett has received multiple Golden Globe Awards and a People's Choice Award. Organizations such as the NAACP, CARE and the United States Armed Forces have used his likeness to personify their causes and missions.

Currently, Gossett is creating a nonprofit foundation aimed at developing and promoting entertainment that helps bring awareness and education on such issues as racism and ignorance, and that helps combat social apathy regarding these issues.