Versatility is a skill that all of the best actors possess, and Academy Award winner Louis Gossett Jr. is certainly someone who had that to a tee. With roles ranging from a drill instructor in An Officer and a Gentleman to a role in the upcoming 2024 movie IF, his talents spanned as long of a range as his. Today we honor the Academy Award winner’s life and times, as we mourn Louis’ death, at the age of 87.
The AP reported Gossett’s passing last night, after receiving a statement from his cousin Neal L. Gossettt. No cause of death was revealed at the time of this announcement, though the Roots actor was previously diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2010, and had even battled COVID-19 in 2020.
What could be considered the crowning achievement of Louis Gossett Jr.’s career is not only his role as the hard nosed Sgt. Emil Foley in 1982’s An Officer and a Gentleman, but also the 1983 Oscar win that came as a result. Being the third Black actor to be nominated for an Academy Award, and the first to win Best Supporting Actor, Gossett would credit that night as opening many of the doors to roles the world at large also remembers him for.
We here at CinemaBlend would like to send our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Louis Gossett Jr., as they navigate this time of remembrance and grief.
More to come…