Louis Gossett Jr., the first Black man to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, passed away on Friday at the age of 87 in Santa Monica, California. His family confirmed his death in a statement, requesting privacy during this difficult time. No cause of death was revealed.
Gossett's acting career spanned six decades, with notable roles in films such as the 1961 adaptation of Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun," "The Deep" (1977), and "An Officer and a Gentleman" (1982). He also won an Emmy for his portrayal of the old slave Fiddler in the groundbreaking ABC miniseries "Roots" (1977).
Born on May 27, 1936, in Brooklyn, New York, Gossett was initially drawn to athletics, particularly basketball. However, an injury led him to discover his passion for acting. While in high school, a teacher encouraged him to audition for a play, which resulted in his Broadway debut in the 1953 production of "Take a Giant Step."
Gossett's most notable stage credit was in the original cast of "A Raisin in the Sun," where he portrayed the wealthy and pretentious George Murchison, a role he reprised in the 1961 movie adaptation. Throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, he continued to act in Broadway and off-Broadway productions, as well as in films such as "The Landlord" (1970) and "Travels With My Aunt" (1972).
It was his role as Gunnery Sgt. Emil Foley in "An Officer and a Gentleman" that cemented Gossett's place in Hollywood history. He underwent rigorous training for the part, spending 10 days at a school for drill instructors at Camp Pendleton in California. His performance earned him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1983, making him only the second Black man to win an acting Oscar, 19 years after Sidney Poitier.
Despite his Oscar win, Gossett was disappointed that bigger film roles did not follow. "I was left with a lot of time on my hands," he told The New York Times in 1989. "I thought I'd get a lot of offers - and they didn't come." This disappointment led to a struggle with alcohol, cocaine, and marijuana abuse. "I had an Oscar, an Emmy, and yet I had this big hole in my soul," Gossett admitted.
After entering a residential drug-treatment program in Los Angeles, Gossett managed to overcome his addictions and continued to be a ubiquitous presence on both the big and small screens. He appeared in films such as "Jaws 3-D" (1983), "Enemy Mine" (1985), and "The Punisher" (1989), while also guest-starring on numerous television shows, including "Touched by an Angel," "ER," and "Psych."
In recent years, Gossett delivered memorable performances in HBO's "Watchmen" (2019) as the enigmatic Will Reeves and in the 2023 film musical version of "The Color Purple" as Ol' Mister Johnson. His final role was a voice part in the upcoming fantasy film "IF," scheduled for release in May.
Throughout his career, Gossett faced racism and discrimination, recounting incidents of being stopped by police and even chained to a tree in Beverly Hills. These experiences led him to found the Eracism Foundation, which aims to create a world without racism.
Louis Gossett Jr. is survived by his sons Satie, a producer-director from his second marriage, and Sharron, a chef whom he adopted after seeing him in a TV segment on children in desperate situations. His first cousin is actor Robert Gossett.
As the entertainment industry mourns the loss of this trailblazing actor, Gossett's legacy as a groundbreaking performer who paved the way for future generations of Black actors will continue to inspire and influence the world of cinema and television.
