Louis Gossett Jr., Trailblazing Oscar & Emmy Winner Who Worked 70 Years, Dies at 87

Louis Gossett Jr., who became just the third Black Oscar winner when he took home the prize for “An Officer and a Gentleman,” has died. He was 87.

THR reports that Gossett's family has confirmed he died Friday morning. In a statement, they said, "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's cause of death was not revealed, but he was no stranger to health battles — he struggled with alcohol and cocaine addiction in the '80s and '90s, endured toxic mold syndrome, and beat prostate cancer.

Though Gossett was one of the most successful and prolific — with 200 credits to his name — actors of his generation, his cousin said, "Never mind the awards, never mind the glitz and glamour, the Rolls-Royces and the big houses in Malibu. It's about the humanity of the people that he stood for."

Gossett was born May 27, 1936, in Brooklyn. He made his stage debut at just 17 in 1953 in "Take a Giant Step" (1953) — the first play written by a Black playwright on Broadway — and continued on his stage work in such shows as "A Raisin in the Sun" (1959), "The Blacks" (1961), "Tambourines to Glory" (1963), and "The Zulu and the Zayda" (1965).

He made his TV debut on "The Big Story" in 1957, and made his feature film debut in 1969's "The Bushbaby," the early beginnings of what would be an impactful career.

"Louis was a groundbreaker, a brilliant, kind man, and an incendiary presence on screen," Oscar winner Lee Grant wrote on social media. "Each of us was lucky to have him."

In fact, Gossett's staggering career lasted so long — he worked right up until last year, appearing in "The Color Purple" — it veered into Lillian Gish territory, but while he was a staple on TV (a 1975 episode of "The Jeffersons" was one of that show's best) and appeared in such films as "The Landlord" (1970), "Skin Game" (1971), "Travels with My Aunt" (1972), "The Laughing Policeman" (1973), and "The River Niger" (1976), it was a role he initially resented that became his long-overdue breakthrough.

In 1977, Gossett played Fiddler in the groundbreaking miniseries "Roots." He did not like the part, which he saw as that of an "Uncle Tom," at first. Following research, he came to understand why Fiddler was so ingratiating — he had no choice. He imbued the part with tremendous humanity, winning an Emmy for his work.

That same year, he was the villain in the box-office smash "The Deep." More quality TV work followed — "Backstairs at the White House" (1979), "Palmerstown, U.S.A." (1981), "Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy 'Satchel' Paige" (1981) — and then came his Oscar for playing hard-nosed drill sergeant Emil Foley in "An Officer and a Gentleman." The 1982 romantic drama, starring Richard Gere and Debra Winger, was one of the biggest hits of the year, helping Gossett to make history as only the third Black actor to win an Oscar, after Hattie McDaniel and Sidney Poitier.

The part was initially written for a white actor, but director Taylor Hackford had an epiphany while researching the film. He said Friday, "When I visited the Navy Officers Flight Training Center in Pensacola, FLA, I discovered that many of the Drill Instructors there were men of color. I found it interesting that Black & Brown enlisted men had ‘make-or-break’ control over whether white college graduates would become officers and fighter pilots. At that moment I changed the casting profile for Sargent Foley and started meeting actors of color. Lou Gossett came to see me — I knew and admired his stage work. He told me that he’d served in the US Army as a Ranger, so in addition to being an accomplished actor, he knew military life — I hired him on the spot. Lou Gossett’s Sargent Foley may have been the first Black character in American cinema to have absolute authority over white characters. The Academy recognized his consummate performance by voting him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.  He definitely deserved it.”

After another acclaimed turn in a TV miniseries, 1983's "Sadat," some of his other films included "Jaws 3-D" (1983), “Enemy Mine” (1985), the “Iron Eagle” series (1986-1995), "The Principal" (1987), "Toy Soldiers" (1991), and "Why Did I Get Married Too" (2010).

In 2010, Gossett published his memoir, "An Actor and a Gentleman," and embarked on a publicity tour. The book dealt with his personal demons, how he handled systemic racism, and his encounters with a who's-who of famous performers of the 20th century — Sidney Poitier, Paul Newman, Shirley Booth, Sammy Davis Jr., Steve McQueen, Richard Gere, Maggie Smith, Halle Berry, Gena Rowlands, and more.

In more recent years, Gossett guest-starred on “Boardwalk Empire” (2013) and “The Watchmen” (2019). He closed his career with two appearances on BET's "Kingdom Business" (2022 & 2023).

In 2015, Gossett Jr. told Variety his favorite role ever was playing slain Egyptian president Anwar Sadat, who made peace with Israel.

He explained, “It was a challenge to play someone with history like that. His spirit was very much like Mandela’s. He transitioned from a hawk to a dove. He’d lost his brother and people he loved. He said he’d be willing to step into Israel in the name of peace. Mandela was willing to come out of prison with a smile on his face.”

He was nominated for a Golden Globe for that miniseries, and won Globes for both "An Officer and a Gentleman" and his work on the miniseries "The Josephine Baker Story" (1991).

Jennifer Hudson eulogized him on social media as "a true legend of the stage and screen," thanking him for "paving the way."

"The Color Purple" star Fantasia Barrino wrote of Gossett on social media, "Louis Gossett Jr 🥲 what an Awesome Man you were and the stories you told us, I’ll never ever forget. You left behind so many tokens for us and paved the way for Black Actors and Actresses. You will be missed, but Man did you Live a Blessed Life. #WeLoveYouForever 💜💜💜💜."

Colman Domingo, a 2024 Oscar nominee and another of Gossett's "The Color Purple" castmates, remembered the star on social media, writing, "Was able to capture my 'dad' the legendary Louis Gossett Jr. He was open and generous. Kind beyond measure. Regal. We owe so much to him."