Academy Award-winning actor Louis Gossett Jr. reported to have died at the age of 87. Gossett is known for being the first black man to win an Oscar for best supporting actor.
His family confirmed his death, revealing that he died on Friday morning. Gossett was a man of many talents, beginning his acting career on Broadway when he was a high school student.
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Louis Gossett Jr. Died At 87 Years Old
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According to Associated Press, Gossett’s family confirmed the news of his death, stating that he died Friday morning. However, the cause of his death has yet to be confirmed.
The family said in a statement, “It is with great sadness that we can confirm our beloved father passed away this morning. We would like to thank everyone for their condolences at this time. Please respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time.”
His first cousin was Neal L. Gossett, who spoke to him AP, revealed that he died in Santa Monica. Neal fondly remembers his cousin as a man who walked with Nelson Mandela. He also noted that Gossett was great with humor and a brother who faced racism and fought it with dignity and humor.
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“It doesn’t matter the awards, it doesn’t matter the glitz and glamour, the Rolls-Royces, and the mansions in Malibu. It’s about the humanity of the people he fought for,” Gossett’s cousin told the news outlet.
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Famous Careers of Louis Gossett
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Gosset once talked about how he had a “promising high school career.” During a conversation with Bob Costas in 1991, he opened up about his start on Broadway at an early age and how it put him on the path of show business.
“‘They’re looking for a young black boy to play the lead in a so-called Broadway show Take a Giant Step. They can’t find anyone in the business, so they go to high school. ‘Tell your mother to take you there,'” Gossett recalled being told. “So that’s how I got into show business.”
Gossett went on to study at New York University and performed in the Broadway production of “The Desk Set” in 1955 and 1956. His feature debut was “Raisin in the Sun” (1961), which was added to the United States by the Library of Congress. National Film Registry, per People’s Magazine.
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Late Actor Almost Performed For The New York Nicks
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Gossett’s career path almost led him down the path of sports. According to the actor, he almost played for the New York Knicks when he was training as a rookie before he got the call to join the cast of “A Raisin In The Sun.”
“I was at rookie training for [New York] Knicks when I got a call from [playwright] Lorraine Hansberry to be a part of Raisins in the SunGossett said People’s Magazine referring to the Broadway production of the iconic play, which also starred Hollywood actor Sidney Poitier.
He revealed that when he found out about the part, he knew he had to give up his aspirations of being a basketball player and focus on acting.
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“They said the part was coming in at $700 per diem, more money than most professional athletes had in the bank at the time. I put basketball down, and the rest is history,” Gossett said.
Louis Gossett Jr. Also Engaged In Music
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The talented actor is also an accomplished guitar player, and according to him, his music career has had the same fate as his sports career. He needs to put them both aside to focus on his acting.
He recalled that Between theater performances, he “passed a brass band in a coffee shop in the Village.”
“As soon as I got my first acting job, I quit [music] business,” Gossett told the news outlet.
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He won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 1983, the first for a black man
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The actor moved to Los Angeles in the 1960s, where he launched his career in film and television.
In 1983, she became the first Black winner of the Best Supporting Actress Oscar after she stunned audiences with her portrayal of a tough Marine drill instructor in “An Officer and a Gentleman,” co-starring Richard Gere.
Speaking about the Academy Award-winning film, Gossett stated that he was not the first choice for the role.
“They had hired other actors who were white, but when director Taylor Hackford found out that 75% of the DI Marines were Black, they paid him and hired me,” Gosset said, per People. “I went to Marine Corps San Diego to study for six weeks. When I showed up on set, I was a marine.”
Before the Oscars, the iconic actor previously won an Emmy for his work on the 1977 TV miniseries “Roots.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
