The world is reacting to the loss of one of its most legendary actors and the first Black man to win an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, Louis Gossett Jr. He was 87.
According to The Associated Press, Gossett died in Santa Monica, California, in the morning hours of March 29. His cause of death has not been revealed.
Gossett began his acting career in high school in the Brooklyn production of “You Can’t Take It with You” after suffering from an injury while on his school’s basketball team. The then 16-year-old’s English teacher convinced him to audition for “Take a Giant Step” in Manhattan, and he got the role, making his Broadway debut in 1953.
In his 2010 memoir, “An Actor and a Gentleman,” he wrote, “I was hooked — and so was my audience. … I knew too little to be nervous. In retrospect, I should have been scared to death as I walked onto that stage, but I wasn’t.”
Gossett went on to attend New York University with basketball and drama scholarships and later studied acting with Marilyn Monroe, Steve McQueen and Martin Landau at the Actors Studio. He later starred with Sidney Poitier and Ruby Dee in the 1959 production of “A Raisin in the Sun” on Broadway. Gossett also starred in the film version in 1961 and went on to act in more than 50 movies.
In 1977, Gossett starred as Fiddler in the groundbreaking miniseries about slavery, “Roots” with John Amos, Ben Vereen and LeVar Burton. The Broadway star won an Emmy for his performance and in 1982, he went on to star as Sgt. Emil Foley in “An Officer and a Gentleman,” the role that earned him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, making him the first Black man to win an Academy Award in that category in 1983.
The Oscar winner later told CBS News that he didn’t hear his name being called after winning the coveted award.
“My agent hit me in the chest and said, ‘They mentioned your name!’ And I had to look at him ’cause I thought I was asleep,” said Gossett, “And I looked around and there was applause. Not supposed to be possible. So, that’s a piece of history.” Gossett also won a Golden Globe Award for his performance.
Gosset went on to star in numerous television shows and films, including “Iron Eagle” and three sequels of the action film. He also starred in “Diggestown,” “The Josephine Baker Story,” “A Good Man in Africa,” “Why Did I Get Married Too?” and “The Book of Negroes,” just to name a few.
In 2023, Gossett also starred in the musical version of “The Color Purple” as the grumpy patriarch. The film also starred Fantasia Barrino, Colman Domingo and David Alan Grier, and all three shared moving tributes to the legendary actor on social media.
Barrino shared a post that included a picture of the duo on the set of “The Color Purple” as well as a video of her serenading Gossett on his last day of filming.
“Louis Gossett Jr what an Awesome Man you were and the stories you told us, I’ll never ever forget,” she wrote. “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.”
Domingo also shared a post with the caption, “We lost a true great. A true legend. What an honor to have been able to give him his flowers on his last day of his final film, ‘The Color Purple’ where he played my father. Fantasia sang it best…He ran his race for us. We are forever indebted. May we stand firmly on his shoulders. Lift him up today. R.I.P.”
Grier shared a story about Gossett at the Toronto Film Festival years ago.
“Rest in peace Lou Gossett Jr. one of my fave acting heroes. Hung out with him years ago at the Toronto Film Festival,” he wrote. “I bailed at 2 AM as he bid me good evening and strolled down the street with a girl on each arm. I saw him at breakfast the next morning lookin fresh as a daisy he winked at me n said ‘You couldn’t hang, could you?’ My man!!!!!!”
Tyler Perry, who directed Gossett in “Why Did I Get Married Too?” also paid tribute to Gossett on social media.
“It’s always hard to say goodbye to a legend! Thank you my friend for not only allowing me to work with you but also all of the incredible work you gave us,” he wrote. “May your soul rest in perfect peace. God bless you!”
Fans weighed in with their condolences as well on social media.
“A painful one this. Like a member of the family growing up in our household. RIP Louis Gossett JR,” noted one fan on X. “We lost a true legend today. Rest in power, Louis Gossett Jr.,” added another.
Gossett is survived by his two sons, Satie and Sharron.