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Louis Gossett Jr., the first black man to win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, has died at the age of 87. His first cousin, Neil L. Gossett, confirmed the news of his unfortunate passing on March 29.
The actor of the miniseries Roots died in a rehabilitation center in Santa Monica, California. Although the immediate cause of his passing is unknown, Gossett had been battling prostate cancer and respiratory disease in recent years.
About Louis Gossett Jr.’s Hollywood Career
Spanning nearly seven decades, his contributions to the acting industry include his Oscar-winning role as a Marine drill instructor in An Officer and a Gentleman. The Academy Awards honored him with the Best Supporting Actor award at the 55th edition of the ceremony in 1983. As the first African-American to win this Oscar, he defeated fellow nominees Charles Durning, John Lithgow, James Mason, and Robert Preston. Susan Sarandon and Christopher Reeve presented the veteran with a golden trophy.
The charismatic Brooklyn-born actor also received an Emmy Award for his role in the 1977 miniseries Roots, based on the novel by Alex Haley. In addition to being the first black Best Supporting Actor Oscar winner, he was also the first black actor to win the overall Academy win since Sidney Poitier’s 1953 honor.
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After attending New York University, Gossett was one of the most famous actors of his time. The former college basketball player’s talents also extended to Broadway and other major stages. He appeared in plays such as Jean Genet’s anti-colonialist The Blacks, Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, and Conor Cruise O’Brien’s Murderous Angels.
Despite his good standing as an actor, White filmmakers made various characterizations of him and commented that he was not behaving “black enough” on camera. He prompted her to “use those dark phrases”.
Louis Gossett Jr.’s health struggles
In 1989, he told The New York Times how his hopes were dealt a blow when the offers did not come. When the pressure began to mount, depression overtook him, as he became addicted to cocaine and alcohol. Other health issues include his 2010 prostate cancer diagnosis. In December 2020, he was also hospitalized due to COVID-19.
Gossett also struggled with respiratory illness, caused by toxic mold in his old Malibu home.
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