Louis Gossett Jr.
US actor and Oscar winner has died
Louis Gossett Jr. died in Santa Monica.
© imago images/Starface
Louis Gossett Jr. has died at the age of 87. The actor won an Oscar for his role in “An Officer and a Gentleman.”
Mourning for Louis Gossett Jr.: The US actor died on Friday morning (March 29) at the age of 87 in Santa Monica, California. His family confirmed this to the Associated Press. The cause of death was not revealed.
Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1936, he made his Broadway acting debut in 1953 at the age of 16. Gossett attended New York University on a basketball and acting scholarship and was able to make a name for himself with, among other things, the play “A Raisin in the Sun.” In 1961, he made his film acting debut in the film version of “A Raisin in the Sun.” In 1977, he received a Primetime Emmy Award for his role in the series “Roots,” which tells of seven generations of an African-American family and slavery.
Oscar for role opposite Richard Gere
In “An Officer and a Gentleman,” Louis Gossett Jr. played a naval instructor alongside Richard Gere (74) and won an Oscar in the “Best Supporting Actor” category. When he accepted the Golden Boy award in 1983, he became the first Black performer to win in that category. He also received a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor for the role. His other films include “Enemy Mine” (1985) and “The Steel Eagle” (1986). He was last seen in the musical version of “The Color Purple” in 2023 as Old Mister Johnson.