Louis Gossett Jr. passed away at the age of 87. He was the very first Black actor who won an Oscar for his supporting acting.
Gossett died Thursday night, according to his nephew. The cause of death has not yet been released.
Gossett viewed the early years of his career as a reverse Cinderella. Success found him when he was young and pushed him to win his Academy Award in “An Officer and a Gentleman”.
He made his Broadway debut at the age of 16 with a role in “Take a Giant Step.”
Gossett said in his 2010 memoir, “An Actor and a Gentleman”, “I knew too many things to be nervous.” In retrospect, I should not have been nervous when I walked onto that stage. But I was not.
Gossett is a famous actor who studied at New York University before he became famous.
He was cast in the Broadway play “A Raisin in the Sun” in 1959. Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, and others were in the cast.
He played in the films “An Officer and a Gentleman”, Roots, and Enemy Mine. ”
Gossett won a Golden Globe for the same role.
In his memoir, he wrote: “More important, it was an acknowledgment of my status as a Black Actor. ”
Gossett writes in the book “50 Oscar Nights” of 2024 that “the Oscar allowed me good parts to be selected in films such as ‘Enemy Mine,’ ‘Sadat’ and ‘Iron Eagle.'”
Gossett’s career has been filled with many guest appearances. Gossett has made many guest appearances in his career, including “Bonanza”, The Rockford Files”, The Mod Squad”, McCloud, and an unforgettable performance alongside Richard Pryor on “The Partridge Family”.
Gossett was hospitalized for substance abuse and a variety of other illnesses. He was diagnosed in 2010 with toxic mold syndrome. In 2020 he was hospitalized for COVID-19.
Robert Gossett, his first cousin, is the producer/director Satie.
