Louis Gossett Jr.: First Black Man to Win Supporting Actor Oscar Dies at

Louis Gossett Jr. was an American actor who became the first Black man to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Born on May 27, 1936, in Brooklyn, New York, he made his Broadway debut at the age of 17 in Take a Giant Step.

Gossett won the Oscar and a Golden Globe for playing Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley in An Officer and a Gentleman (1982). He won a Primetime Emmy for the miniseries Roots (1977), playing Fiddler. He starred in Enemy Mine (1985), as Colonel Chappy Sinclair in the Iron Eagle films and in The Color Purple (2023).

Gossett appeared on Broadway in A Raisin in the Sun in 1959, having turned down a chance to try out for the New York Knicks. He voiced the Vortigaunts in the Half-Life video games. He was married three times and had two children. He died in Santa Monica, California, on March 29, 2024, at age 87.

Achievements: Oscar for An Officer and a Gentleman (1982), Emmy for Roots (1977), Golden Globes, Iron Eagle series (1986-1995).

Birth: May 27, 1936 - Brooklyn, New York.

Profession: Actor.

Interesting Facts: He survived polio as a youth. He co-wrote the antiwar song "Handsome Johnny" with Richie Havens.