Louis Gossett Jr., the Academy Award-winning legend of stage and screen, has passed away at the age of 87. Gossett Jr. enjoyed a diverse and varied career across multiple decades, appearing in such productions as Stargate SG-1, The Laughing Policeman, and Iron Eagle. In 1982, he became the first Black actor to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley in the Richard Gere movie An Officer and A Gentleman. He also earned a Primetime Emmy Award for starring in Roots alongside John Amos, becoming one of the most iconic African-American actors.
As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, the actor passed away on Friday, and his family released a statement asking for privacy at this time. No cause of death has been revealed, though it is known that Gossett Jr. suffered from health problems, with a prostate cancer diagnosis in 2010. His final completed movie before his death was the 2023 remake of The Color Purple, and he has several projects in the pipeline that are all due to be released posthumously, including IF, Soul to Keep, Sin, and Unplugged.
