Ronald Goshop, the veteran actor who died this week, was an influential figure at Excelsior High School, where he served as a teacher for over 20 years in the arts department.

Among the many who have been under his tutelage was Stede Flash.

Known in Jamaican theatre circles as Jookie Jam, Flash credits Goshop with spurring his interest in acting.

“My first time meeting Ronald Goshop was 1980 at Excelsior High School, when I was in second form. He was our art teacher, and I had a lot of conversations with him about drama. At that time I was doing a lot of church plays and school festivals,” Flash recalled in an interview with the Jamaica Observer. “Third and fourth form I was totally into drama; I was president of Excelsior Drama Club and Goshop would come over each day to help us rehearse. We entered [Jamaica Cultural Development Commission annual] Festival that same year and won gold for our piece.”

Based in New York, Flash says he has not seen Goshop in many years, but never forgot his role as a mentor.

No details of Goshop’s death were available at press time. However, a post on
CVM Television’s X account said his body was discovered on August 14 at his home.

A graduate of Kingston College and the Jamaica School of Art, he was established in theatre before getting the break as Mackie on Royal Palm Estate, a popular soap opera that aired for several seasons on CVM Television during the 1990s.

“I wanted Royal Palm Estate to represent Jamaica’s class structure. Reggie Carter was the plantation owner, Munair Zacca was the ‘gangster’, Paul Issa was the lawyer, Cyrene Tomlinson was the housekeeper, John Jones was the pastor, and Mackie represented the lumpen element. He made sure Backra house was clean, him clean him shoes, but at the same time he got the least amount of money,” said Lennie Little-White, creator of the hour-long drama.

He added that Mackie was the most popular character on the show and the laid-back Goshop became a star. It influenced Little-White to create a spin-off series called
Traxx which saw Goshop reprising his role as Mackie, now a nightclub owner after winning the lottery.

While not as successful as Royal Palm Estate, Traxx featured the biggest names in Jamaican theatre, among them Oliver Samuels as Mackie’s uncle Son Son, Leonie Forbes, Carl Bradshaw, Deon Silvera, Volier Johnson, and Audrey Reid.

The affable Goshop also appeared in The Mighty Quinn, the 1989 movie starring Denzel Washington and Sheryl Lee Ralph.

Minister of Culture and Entertainment Olivia Grange, in expressing regret at the passing of actor, said Goshop was the actors’ actor — respected and admired by his peers for his talent, skills and dedication to his profession.

“Ronald’s talent and charm shone brightly on our screens, and his performances brought joy, laughter, and excitement to countless viewers, making him a household name. His versatility was evident in the acting arena as he was also a talented big screen actor with roles in movies such as The Mighty Quinn and Dancehall Queen,” Grange said, offering condolence to his relatives, friends, and associates in the industry.