Louis Gossett Jr., the first Black man to win an Oscar for supporting actor, passed away at the age of 87.
The Associated Press was informed on Friday by Gossett’s nephew that the actor, who was nominated for an Emmy for his work in the television series “Roots,” died on Thursday night in Santa Monica, California. It is not yet known what caused the death.
A New York City native, Gossett began his acting career on Broadway in 1953 in the production “Take a Giant Step” when he was still a student at Abraham Lincoln High School. He was a folk singer and athlete before embarking on his cinematic career in the 1960s after moving to Los Angeles.
His first major role came in 1977 when he portrayed Fiddler in “Roots”, which earned him an Emmy award for outstanding lead actor in a single appearance in a drama or comedy series.
Later in his career, Gossett’s appearance in the 1982 film “An Officer and a Gentleman” as drill instructor Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley brought him success on the big screen – making him the first Black performer to win an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Gossett also starred in several TV shows and movies in the 1980s and 90s, such as “Jaws 3-D”, “Enemy Mine”, “The Principal”, “Sadat”, “Iron Eagle”, “The Punisher”, “Toy Soldiers”, “A Good Man in Africa”, and “Blue Chips”. In 2023, he portrayed Mister Johnson in “The Color Purple”, which was his last appearance on the screen.
