“Officer and Gentleman,” “Roots” Star Was 87

Louis Gossett Jr., the tough guy with a sensitive side who won an Oscar for his portrayal of a steel sergeant in An officer and a gentleman and an Emmy for his performance as a compassionate slave in the historical miniseries Roots, died Friday. He was 87 years old.

In a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, his family said: “It is with our deepest regret to confirm that 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.

First cousin Neal L. Gossett told the Associated Press that Gossett died in Santa Monica. No cause of death was given, but the actor announced in 2010 that he was suffering from prostate cancer.

With his sleek bald head and athletic physique, Gossett was intimidating in a wide range of no-nonsense roles, most notably as Taylor Hackford. Officer and gentleman (1982), while as Gunnery Sgt. Emil Foley mercilessly rides Richard Gere's character (but for his own good) into an officer cadet school and gets into a memorable martial arts fight.

He is the second black man to win an Oscar for acting, after Sidney Poitier in 1964.

For this role, the 6-foot-4 Gossett trained for 30 days at the Marine Corps Recruiting Division, an annex of Camp Pendleton north of San Diego. “I knew I had to submit to at least some degree of this global transformation,” Gossett wrote in his 2010 biography, An actor and a gentleman.

Douglas Day Stewart's original script called for Gere's Zack Mayo to beat Foley.

“The Marines changed the situation,” Gossett recalled in a 2010 interview. “They said a soldier would never beat a drill sergeant. We'll tear the place down unless you change it. They said, “If you don't do this right, Mr. Gossett, we're going to have to kill you.” »

In a statement Friday, Hackford noted that the role was written to be a white man.

“When I visited the Navy Officer Training Center in Pensacola, Florida, I discovered that many of the drill instructors were men of color,” the director said. “I found it interesting that black and brown enlisted men had “decisive” control over white college graduates’ decisions to become officers and fighter pilots. At that time, I changed the casting profile from Sgt. Foley and began meeting actors of color.

“Lou Gossett came to see me – I knew and admired his stage work. He told me he had served in the US Army as a Ranger, so in addition to being an accomplished actor, he knew military life – I hired him on the spot. Lou Gossett's Sgt. Foley may have been the first black character in American cinema to have absolute authority over white characters.

The Brooklyn native capitalized on that tough-guy image in action films such as The Punisher (1989), opposite Dolph Lundgren, and Iron Eagle (1986) and its three sequels. In the Iron Eagle series, he played the role of Colonel Charles “Chappy” Sinclair, leader of dangerous rescue missions in threatening international locations.

In 1959, Gossett played George Murchison in the original Broadway production of Lorraine Hansberry's domestic tragedy. A grape in the sunthen followed up with Daniel Petrie's 1961 Columbia film adaptation with his stage co-stars Poitier and Ruby Dee, launching his career in Hollywood.

It was his eloquent portrayal of Fiddler, an older slave who teaches a young Kunta Kinte (LeVar Burton) to speak English in the eight-part ABC miniseries. Roots, this earned him his first significant dose of national recognition. Eighty-five percent of the American population has listened to at least part of Rootsand the finale attracted more than 100 million viewers in January 1977.

“All the best African-American actors were invited, and I begged to be there,” Gossett once said. “I had the best role, I think. It was wonderful.”

Gossett also starred in the critically acclaimed TV movie It's been ages (1983), in which he played the assassinated Egyptian leader (Sadat's widow Jehan personally cast him for the role), and he played a baseball immortal in Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy “Satchel” Paige in a 1981 television series.

During his more than 60-year career, Gossett excelled in a number of non-stereotypical racial roles, playing a hospital chief of staff in the 1979 ABC series. Lazarus syndrome and main character Gideon Oliver, an anthropology professor, on a 1989 ABC Mystery Movies set.

He also appeared as the guardian of a 16-year-old alien (Peter Barton) on NBC. Matthew Star's powers; as Gerak, the first leader of the Free Jaffa Nation, in the Syfy series Stargate SG-1; as Halle Berry's ex-father on CBS Existing ; and like I used to watch Will Reeves on HBO Guardians. (The latter earned him his eighth career Emmy nomination.)

Gossett was born on May 27, 1936, in the Brooklyn melting pot, the son of a porter (adopted and raised by an Italian family) and a maid. At Abraham Lincoln High School, he was class president and played on the baseball, track and basketball teams; later, he would be invited to the New York Knicks rookie camp.

When a leg injury forced him to miss a high school basketball season, Gossett developed an interest in acting and his English teacher recommended him to the producers of the Broadway show of 1953. Take a giant step. He won the lead role at age 17 from more than 400 other contenders, then received the Donaldson Award for Newcomer of the Year.

Gossett accepted a drama scholarship to NYU, befriended James Dean at the Actors Studio in New York, and made his screen debut in 1957 on the NBC anthology series. The big story.

In 1964, he, Lola Falana and Mae Barnes sang in the cast of America, sit downa “modern minstrel show” produced by Mike Todd Jr. and performed at the 1964 World's Fair in New York.

Two years later, he co-wrote the anti-war song “Handsome Johnny” for Richie Havens' debut album, a track the folk legend performed as the opening act at Woodstock three years later.

Gossett then played the role of an angry man living in a dilapidated apartment building in Hal Ashby's neighborhood. The owner (1970), a con man opposite James Garner during the slavery era skin game (1971), a fierce drug dealer The abyss (1977), director of Tin soldiers (1991) and a depressed boxer in Diggstown (1992).

The actor's film resume also included Travels with my aunt (1972), The policeman who laughs (1973), The Niger River (1976), The altar boys (1977), Enemy mine (1985), The main (1987), Blue fries (1994), Jasper, Texas (2003), Daddy's Little Girls (2007), King of Dancehall (2016), Adopted boy (2018), The Cuban (2019) and The color purple (2023).

Gossett also did a great job in The Sentry collection presents Ben Vereen: his roots; Behind the scenes at the White House; Palmerstown, United States; A gathering of old people; And Touched by an angel. He received an Emmy nomination for each of these five projects.

As a producer, he shared a Daytime Emmy for the 1998 children's special. In his father's shoesin which he also starred.

He was active in the New York Alumni Association, a group of Big Apple emigrants who, for more than two decades, gathered annually for a performance at Beverly Hills High School.

Survivors also include his children, Sharron and Satie.

In 2006, Gossett founded the nonprofit Eracism Foundation, a “total and conscious offensive” aimed at eradicating all forms of racism by providing programs that promote cultural diversity, historical enrichment, education and initiatives anti-violence. (In 1966, he said he was arrested by Beverly Hills cops and handcuffed to a palm tree for no reason.)

“We better take better care of ourselves and each other, otherwise no one will gain anything,” he said. said in July 2020 during a CBS Sunday morning profile. “We desperately need each other – for our mutual salvation. »

Duane Byrge contributed to this report.