Remembering Oscar Winner Louis Gossett Jr.
Written by Trevor Anderson on March 31, 2024
EBONY pays tribute to iconic star Louis Gossett Jr., who has died at 87. The first Black actor to win the Academy AwardⓇ for Best Supporting Actor, Gossett Jr. leaves an indelible mark on stage and screen.
With a slew of credits on stage, television and film, Gossett Jr. played Drill Sergeant Emil Foley in the 1982 hit film An Officer and a Gentleman. His powerful performance earned him an Oscar, making him the first African American to win in the Best Supporting Actor category. He recalled his iconic win in a 2017 interview with EBONY.
In 2020, the American Black Film Festival (ABFF) honored Gossett Jr. with the Hollywood Legacy Award for his contributions to the entertainment industry.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1936, Gossett started as an athlete, but a sports injury led him to the theater. He made his stage debut at 17 in a school production of You Can’t Take It with You and Broadway soon followed.
Gossett Jr. played a small role in Broadway’s Take a Giant Step. He joined the original cast of A Raisin in the Sun in 1959 and received critical acclaim for portraying George Murchison, one of Beneatha Younger’s two romantic interests. He also appeared in Broadway’s Golden Boy in 1964. In 2002, he gave a four-night tour de force playing Billy Flynn in the long-running Broadway production of Chicago.
Part of the all-star cast of the blockbuster 1977 TV mini-series Roots, Gossett Jr. won an Emmy for his portrayal of Fiddler, a musician who mentored Kunta Kinte. He was nominated for seven Emmys throughout his lifetime.
Other notable films include The Landlord (1970), The Deep (1977), Diggstown (1992), Why Did I Get Married Too (2010) and many more. Gossett Jr. was most recently seen in the musical movie version of The Color Purple (2023) playing Ol’ Mister.
His credits also include more than 100 appearances on television, including roles on The Partridge Family, Watchmen and BET+’s Kingdom Business.
Gossett Jr. is survived by his sons, Satie and Sharron Gossett, and several grandchildren.
The post Remembering Oscar Winner Louis Gossett Jr. appeared first on EBONY.
