Louis Gossett Jr., Oscar, Emmy Winner, Dies At 87

LOS ANGELES, CA — Louis Gossett Jr., who became the first Black man to win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in "An Officer and a Gentleman," has died, according to reports. He was 87.

Gossett, who also won an Emmy for his role in the TV miniseries "Roots," died Friday morning in Santa Monica, California, the Associated Press reported.

"It is with our heartfelt regret to confirm our beloved father passed away this morning," the actor's family said in a statement reported by NBC News. "We would like to thank everyone for their condolences at this time. Please respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time."

Gossett's movie and television credits, listed on IMDB.com, are extensive and include a wide range of roles. "A Raisin in the Sun" in 1961, was Gossett's earliest credited movie role, and he appeared in 2023's "The Color Purple," according to the IMDB list, along with the Iron Eagle movie series.

On TV, he won an Emmy for his performance as the old slave Fiddler in the 1977 miniseries "Roots," and made numerous appearances in TV series. He starred as Satchel Paige in the 1981 TV movie biography of the pitcher, "Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy 'Satchel' Paige," the first Black man to pitch in the World Series.

His portrayal of the hard-nosed Gunnery Sgt. Emil Foley in "An Officer and a Gentleman," which starred Richard Gere and Debra Winger, was long remembered and at the 55th Academy Awards in 1983 he became only the second Black man to win an acting Oscar, 19 years after Sidney Poitier won best actor for "Lilies of the Field," the NBC report said.

His cousin, Neal L. Gossett, told the Associated Press that Gossett, who once walked with Nelson Mandela, faced and fought racism with dignity and humor.

“Never mind the awards, never mind the glitz and glamor, the Rolls-Royces and the big houses in Malibu. It’s about the humanity of the people that he stood for,” his cousin said.

Gossett experienced plenty of racism over the course of his career. In 1968, while in Hollywood to film a made-for-TV movie, Gossett was provided with a convertible by Universal Studios.

The Associated Press report said Gossett was stopped twice by Los Angeles County sheriff's officers, the second time holding him until the car rental agency confirmed he was supposed to have the car.

“Though I understood that I had no choice but to put up with this abuse, it was a terrible way to be treated, a humiliating way to feel,” Gossett wrote in his memoir. “I realized this was happening because I was Black and had been showing off with a fancy car — which, in their view, I had no right to be driving.”

After dinner at the hotel, he went for a walk and was stopped a block away by a police officer, who told him he broke a law prohibiting walking around residential Beverly Hills after 9 p.m. Two other officers arrived and Gossett said he was chained to a tree and handcuffed for three hours. He was eventually freed when the original police car returned, the AP report said.

Read more from the Associated Press here.