Gossett had been ill for a long time, and it was eventually determined that the cause was the deadly mold in his Malibu home.
Digital Desk: Louis Gossett Jr, the first Black man to win an Emmy for his performance in the V miniseries "Roots" and an Oscar for supporting actor for "An Officer and a Gentleman," has passed away. He was eighty-seven.
Neal L. Gossett, the actor's first cousin, told The Associated Press that Gossett passed away in Santa Monica, California. Gossett passed away early on March 29th, according to a family statement. The cause of death remained unknown.
Gossett's cousin remembered him as a man who walked with Nelson Mandela, a terrific joketeller, and a relative who confronted and defeated racism with humor and dignity. "Never mind the big houses in Malibu and the Rolls-Royces; never mind the glamour and glitz." The humanity of the individuals he stood for is what matters, according to his cousin.
Gossett had been ill for a long time, and it was eventually determined that the cause was the deadly mold in his Malibu home. In 2010, he also had a prostate cancer diagnosis, although he disclosed that since the disease was discovered early, he was anticipated to fully recover.
In the groundbreaking 1977 miniseries "Roots," which portrayed the horrors of enslavement on television, Gossett made his breakthrough on the small screen as Fiddler. Ben Vereen, LeVar Burton, and John Amos were among the cast members.
Gossett became the third Black Oscar nominee in the supporting actor category in 1983. He won an Oscar for his portrayal of the formidable Marine drill instructor in the film "An Officer and a Gentleman," which starred Richard Gere and Debra Winger. For the same part, he also received a Golden Globe.
“More than anything, it was a huge affirmation of my position as a Black actor,” he wrote in his 2010 memoir, ‘An Actor and a Gentleman’.
He is survived by sons Satie, a producer-director from his second marriage, and Sharron, a chef whom he adopted after seeing the 7-year-old in a TV segment on children in desperate situations. His first cousin is actor Robert Gossett.
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