A legendary actor, Louis Gossett Jr., who was the first black man to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, died at the age of 87. He passed away on March 29, 2024, at a rehabilitation center in Santa Monica, California. The cause of his death has not been revealed yet.
Louis Gossett Jr. Career
Gossett Jr. exhibited a remarkable career for nearly seven decades of his life, and his most important achievement was winning the Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 1983 for his role as a Marine drill instructor in the film titled An Officer and a Gentleman.” Through this, he became the first African American to receive a prestigious award. He defeated his fellow nominees, such as Charles Durning, John Lithgow, James Mason, and Robert Preston.
He earned his first acting credit in his Brooklyn high school’s production of “You Can’t Take It with You” while he was sidelined from the basketball team with an injury.
For his great performance in the critically acclaimed miniseries “Roots” based on Alex Haley’s novel, he won an Emmy Award in 1977. He not only became the first Black Best Supporting Actor Oscar winner but also the first Black actor to win an Academy Award overall since Sidney Poitier’s honor in 1953.
Louis Gossett Jr. as a Versatile Talent
Louis Gossett Jr. was born in Brooklyn and completed his education at New York University, and he was the most famous actor of his time. He showcased his talent by appearing in many plays such as “The Blacks,” “A Raisin in the Sun,” and “Murderous Angels.”
He has often faced racial discrimination from White filmmakers who subjected him to pigeonholed characterizations, demanding that he act more “Black” on camera. He founded the Eracism Foundation to help create a world where racism doesn’t exist.
Louis Gossett Jr. Health Struggles
Gossett Jr. has been suffering from severe health issues in recent years, such as he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2010 and a respiratory illness caused by toxic mold in his old Malibu home. He was also hospitalized with COVID-19 in December 2020.
He has also suffered depression and addiction to cocaine and alcohol due to a lack of offers after his Oscar win in 1989.
