Mourning for actor
Louis Gossett Jr. dead at the age of 87
Oscar-winning actor Louis Gossett Jr. is dead. He died at the age of 87. "It is with deep regret that we must confirm that our beloved father passed away this morning," the US actor's family said in a statement on Friday.
Gossett was recognized with Hollywood's most coveted trophy in 1983 for his role as fearsome US Navy instructor Emil Foley in the film "An Officer and a Gentleman" as the first black supporting actor.
"Great validation"
Only two black actors had won the acting Oscar before him: Hattie McDaniel (1940) for Best Supporting Female Actor in "Gone with the Wind" and Sidney Poitier as the lead actor in "Lilies of the Field" (1964). "More than anything, it was a great affirmation of my position as a black actor," Gossett later said of the award in his memoirs.
In this book, published in 2010, Gossett wrote openly about the racism he encountered early on in Hollywood. Among other things, he was handcuffed to a tree after being stopped for walking in Beverly Hills at night. He also talked about the difficulties of getting jobs, the unequal pay compared to white actors and the fight against drugs and alcohol.
On stage at the age of 17
Born on May 27, 1936, the native New Yorker was already on stage at the age of 17. The 1.90 meter tall student could also have made a career in basketball, but Gossett opted for acting. He made his first film appearance in 1961 alongside Poitier in the drama "A Spot in the Sun". His television role as a slave in the southern series "Roots" (1977) earned him an Emmy trophy.
Gossett did not limit himself to social dramas: In the adventure film "The Deep" with Jacqueline Bisset and Nick Nolte, he played a gangster, in Wolfgang Petersen's science fiction film "Enemy Mine - Beloved Enemy" he played an extraterrestrial being, in the action series "The Steel Eagle" he was seen as a fighter pilot.
The actor, who also worked as a producer, director, social activist and founder of the Eracism Foundation to combat racism, died in a rehabilitation center in California, according to the Washington Post.
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