Oscar-winning star of “An Officer and a Gentleman”, Louis Cameron Gossett Jr. has died at 87.
The news was made known by the family of the first black man to win the Oscars’ supporting actor, first cousin, Neal L. Gossett, saying:
“It is with our heartfelt regret to 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”.
According to the statement made by his co-star Richard Gere to CNN, he described the American actor as a tough guy with a heart of gold who always took his job very serious.
Richard said:
“Lou was a sweetheart. He took his job very seriously. He did his research. He stayed in character the whole time. “
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“He was the drill sergeant 24 hours a day, and it showed clearly in his performance. He drove every scene he was in. A tough guy with a heart of gold.”
Gossett became the first Black man to win an Oscar for a supporting role in 1983 for his work as the tough drill instructor, training a character played by Richard Gere, in “An Officer and a Gentleman.”
Gossett became known for authority-figure roles that took advantage of his physicality, playing a boxer in the movie “Diggstown,” the villain in the movie “The Deep” and an alien pilot (hidden under heavy makeup), marooned on a dangerous planet with his human foe, in the sci-fi allegory “Enemy Mine.” He also starred in the “Iron Eagle” movies, which produced several sequels