The “Officer and a Gentleman” actor recently starred in “The Color Purple” musical and HBO’s “Watchmen” series.
Louis Gossett Jr., a prolific Hollywood trailblazer who became the first Black performer to win Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars for his role in 1982’s An Officer and a Gentleman, has died at age 87.
The Emmy-winning Roots actor reportedly died Thursday night in Santa Monica, Calif., his nephew told the Associated Press. The cause of death was not revealed.
In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Gossett’s family added, “It is with our heartfelt regret to confirm our beloved father passed away this morning. We would like to thank everyone for their condolences at this time. Please respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time.”
Gossett, who previously revealed his prostate cancer battle, made his Broadway debut in Take a Giant Step when he was in high school. He went on to star in A Raisin in the Sun, a role that he played first on Broadway and then again in the 1961 film adaptation.
In addition to his history-making turn opposite Richard Gere in An Officer and a Gentleman and the monumental 1977 miniseries Roots, Gossett Jr. sustained his on screen career for decades. This included recent appearances as comic book character Hooded Justice in the popular HBO series Watchmen, and in a supporting role in last year’s The Color Purple musical movie.
Actor Louis Gossett Jr. attends the Hollywood Walk Of Fame Honors at Taglyan Complex on October 25, 2016 in Los Angeles, California.
Born in New York City, Gossett Jr. was a high school athlete who later went to New York University on a basketball and drama scholarship, which led to his eventual Broadway debut in a 1953 production of Take a Giant Step.
He later appeared opposite Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee and Diana Sands in a 1959 adaptation of A Raisin in the Sun, before making his Hollywood debut starring in the 1961 movie version of the stage project.
In later years, he opened up about racism he experienced as he rose to prominence in the entertainment industry, which led him to establish the Eracism Foundation to combat racial bias in the culture at large.
In 2010, Gossett Jr. announced that he had early-stage prostate cancer and in 2020 he was hospitalized after contracting COVID-19.
Gossett Jr. is survived by his cousin, The Closer actor Robert Gossett, and two sons: Satie, a producer-director he had with his second wife, Christina Mangosing, and Sharron, a chef whom he adopted when Sharron was 7 years old.
He last appeared in the 2023 remake of The Color Purple and on the TV series Kingdom Business.
Throughout his life, Gossett was married and divorced three times. He is survived by Satie and Sharron, his adult sons.
