At the age of 87, actor Louis Gossett Jr., well remembered for his unforgettable roles in the TV miniseries “Roots” and “An Officer and a Gentleman,” died suddenly. He made history by being the first Black man to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. According to IMDb, Gossett’s Hollywood career has included an amazing 200 productions, with 12 projects still in development. Unfortunately, he will not live to see these upcoming projects implemented.
According to NPR, Gossett died on March 28, 2024, in Santa Monica, California. According to a death certificate obtained by TMZ, atrial fibrillation and heart failure were key contributing factors, with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) identified as the primary cause of death. Gossett had COPD for a long time, and his remains will be cremated.
Gossett began his career onstage before becoming well-known for his roles in films and television. He was a Broadway star who appeared alongside giants like Sidney Poitier and Marilyn Monroe. Gossett claimed he was “treated like a king” when he first came in Hollywood, but he also met a great deal of discrimination. He described one such event in which he took four and a half hours to get to his hotel rather than the scheduled twenty minutes because “the police stopped me and wanted to know who the hell I was.”
He also recalls being shackled to a tree for three hours for simply taking a walk in Beverly Hills after nine o’clock at night. Gossett overcame these challenges to have a great career, but he believes it may have been much more significant if he had been a white actor. “Take a look at my track record of honors over the last 55 years. Do you believe I should be closer to Clint Eastwood? If you think about the drugs and booze, perhaps I should be more like Robert Downey Jr.”
Gossett was open about his struggles with alcohol and drug addiction, which led him to seek treatment two decades ago. After finishing a 12-step program, he confronted and eliminated bitterness, which he called the “killer” of anyone. He clarified, “For me, that killer was resentment.” In her personal life, Gossett was married three times; the first was annulled, and the other two were divorced. He is survived by his two children, Satie and Sharron.
Louis Gossett Jr.’s legacy is one of remarkable achievements and perseverance in the face of adversity. For many years to come, his contributions to the arts and pioneering work in breaking down racial boundaries in Hollywood will be recognized.