Louis Gossett Jr., Oscar-winning star of ‘An Officer and a Gentleman,’ dead at 87

WNews
WNews 3 Min Read
Highlights
  • Louis Gossett Jr died at Age of 87
  • Oscar-winning star of ‘An Officer and a Gentleman

Louis Gossett Jr., who won an Academy Award for his performance in “An Officer and a Gentleman” and an Emmy for the groundbreaking miniseries “Roots,” has died at age 87, according to a statement from his family.

“It is with our heartfelt regret to confirm our beloved father passed away this morning. We would like to thank everyone for their condolences at this time. Please respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time,” the family’s statement, shared by Gossett’s longtime publicist, read.

Gossett became the first Black man to win an Oscar for a supporting role in 1983 for his work as the tough drill instructor, training a character played by Richard Gere, in “An Officer and a Gentleman.”

“Lou was a sweetheart. He took his job very seriously. He did his research. He stayed in character the whole time,” his co-star Richard Gere said in a statement to CNN. “He was the drill sergeant 24 hours a day, and it showed clearly in his performance. He drove every scene he was in. A tough guy with a heart of gold.”

- Advertisement -

The hit movie followed by six years his portrayal of Fiddler, who takes the newly arrived slave Kunta Kinte under his wing in ABC’s adaptation of Alex Haley’s book.

Tall at 6’4”, Gossett became known for authority-figure roles that took advantage of his physicality, playing a boxer in the movie “Diggstown,” the villain in the movie “The Deep” and an alien pilot (hidden under heavy makeup), marooned on a dangerous planet with his human foe, in the sci-fi allegory “Enemy Mine.” He also starred in the “Iron Eagle” movies, which produced several sequels.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Gossett credited a high school English teacher with steering him toward acting, which he pursued while also playing basketball, even trying out for the New York Knicks. He studied drama while attending New York University, and early in his career appeared on stage and later in the movie version of “A Raisin in the Sun,” opposite Sidney Poitier, which launched his career in Hollywood. (Poitier was the first Black man to win an Oscar, in the 1960s for “Lilies of the Field.”)

Gossett played several historical figures, including Egyptian leader Anwar Sadat and baseball legend Satchel Paige in TV movies during the 1980s.

Off-screen, Gossett helped found the Eracism Foundation in the 1990s, an organization committed to ending racism, which Gossett spoke of experiencing in Hollywood.

- Advertisement -

“I had to really learn the importance of what it takes to survive in this town, and I had to act as if I was second class,” he said.  “I had to ingest the onus of being an African American person in America.”

Share This Article
Leave a comment
Report a Bug/Suggest Feature

Notice a bug on the site or want to suggest a feature. Please fill out the information below and one of our IT will look at the bug/feature report. If we have any questions or want more information, we will reach out vis email.

Reading: Louis Gossett Jr., Oscar-winning star of ‘An Officer and a Gentleman,’ dead at 87

(C) 2012 – 2024  | WNews Broadcasting Corp, a W-World Company | All Rights Reserved

Connect
with Us

Report a Error with this Story

Notice a error or facts with this story, please submit the information below and someone from our newsroom will review it and change if required 

Beta

Welcome to The New W.News

It is with great pleasure that we welcome you to W.News 6, the most extensive update ever. Please bear with us as we continue to work on and fine tune the new site. WNewsNetwork.com will remain online until June 30, 2024.