Louis Gossett Jr., the Oscar– winning star An officer and a gentleman, he died. According to Associated press, Gossett passed away on Friday morning in Santa Monica, California. His family did not reveal the cause of death. He was 87 years old.
Born in Brooklyn in 1936, Gossett attended NYU where he studied theater. (A high school English teacher encouraged him to try out for a role on Broadway — and he got the part, at age 16, in Take a giant step.) He had decades of success on stage, film and television. After working regularly on Broadway throughout the 1960s and 1970s, he made his screen debut as Violinist in the landmark TV miniseries. Rootswhich earned him an Emmy Award.
After Roots His Hollywood career took off, and a few years later Gossett won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as the stern gunnery sergeant in An officer and a gentleman. Gossett was only the first African-American to win that specific Oscar and only the third overall to win an acting Oscar.
Some of Gossett’s other film credits include The landlord, JD’s Revenge, 3-D Jaws, Enemy mine, Iron Eagle, The punisher, Blue ChipsIt is The perfect game. On television, you may have seen him on shows ranging from Bonanza for The Mod Squad forLittle House on the Prairie for The Rockford Files for Touched by an angel. His work on Broadway included appearances in The table set, A raisin in the sun, Zulu and ZaydaIt is Chicago.
Gossett continued to work steadily during his later years. He appeared as Ol’ Mister in the musical version of The color purple which premiered last year, and he will soon be heard as the voice of one of the characters in IF, the Ryan Reynolds comedy about a man who can talk to children’s imaginary friends. Gossett leaves an impressive body of work marked by unforgettable performances.
Actors Who Admitted They Hated Their Own Movies
These big movie stars publicly expressed their discontent with the films they starred in.
