Moses Gunn was an award-winning actor on stage and screen. In the 1960s he helped expand opportunities for African-American actors when he co-founded the Negro Ensemble Company, which boasts among its alumni notables like Denzel Washington, , , and . In his own career, he played iconic roles both big and small, earning an Obie, or Off-Broadway Theater Award, and an NAACP Image Award, as well as nominations for a Tony and an Emmy. From Othello on Broadway to beloved sitcoms like The Cosby Show , Gunn was always a star. Here are a few of our favorite Moses Gunn roles.