Louis Gossett Jr., 1st Black man to win supporting actor Oscar, dies at 87

Gossett's first cousin Neal L. Gossett told The Associated Press that the actor died Thursday night in Santa Monica, California.
Gossett's cousin remembered a man who walked with Nelson Mandela and who also was a great joke teller, a relative who faced and fought racism with dignity and humour.

“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,” his cousin said...

Gossett broke through on the small screen as Fiddler in the groundbreaking 1977 miniseries "Roots," which depicted the atrocities of slavery on TV. The sprawling cast included Ben Vereen, LeVar Burton and John Amos.

Gossett became the third Black Oscar nominee in the supporting actor category in 1983. He won for his performance as the intimidating Marine drill instructor in "An Officer and a Gentleman" opposite Richard Gere and Debra Winger. He also won a Golden Globe for the same role....

From the LA Times obit, re "An Officer and a Gentleman":

Gossett knew as soon as he saw the script that playing military taskmaster Emil Foley in 1982’s “An Officer and a Gentleman” was a special opportunity. While Richard Gere, Debra Winger and the other stars stayed in Port Townsend on the Olympic Peninsula, Gossett bunked with a company of Marines miles from the set.

“They put the steel in my butt, so that when I’d walk on the set and shout, ‘Get down and give me 50’ to the cast, by God, they’d do it.”

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RIP Lou Gossett Jr.

Many of the lines we cannot print here but a great role portrayed by a great actor.

Rest In Peace Lou Gossett Jr.
He played many good roles in movies.
I always remember the movie “An Officer and a Gentleman “ and Lou Gossett kept calling Richard Gere “Mayo-Nase”

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James
On the Llano Estacado

I toured all around Fort Worden in Port Townsend Washington in 1985. It was like being on the set of "Officer and a Gentleman".
Lou Gossett Jr. always brought something special to anything he was in. "Enemy Mine" is one of his best.

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Y. B. Ord & A. Ree

I liked him in Return to Lonesome Dove. I especially liked the part when he takes two horses to run down Cherokee Jack Jackson. That was good writing, directing, and acting.

I am not an expert on his work, but I recall him in "strong" roles, playing characters who were not always likeable. Sci-fi fans will remember him as Gerak, the Free Jaffa Leader who got turned to the darkside by the Ori, in the Stargate series. RIP.

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Release the Kraken

Also the sci-fi movie he did with Dennis Quaid, 'Enemy Mine'. RIP

And don't forget Diggstown...really enjoyed that one.

A huge loss of another one-of-a-kind. Great actor and human being. Turned in a powerful performance every time. Rest in peace

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First time I saw him was as Fiddler. Good actor and good man. RIP.

Very good actor, RIP , sir and God Bless.

RIP. Him and James Garner did wonderful in The Skin Game and I am another who loved him as the Drak in Enemy Mine.

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KM
S&WCA 3110 S&WHF 625

He played Anwar Sadat in the movie. A strong and believable performance.

Kevin

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This is certainly a sad loss. He was an actor I actually liked. May he Rest in Peace.

One of my favorites was him with Chuck Norris in a movie called "Firewalker".

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