Louis Gossett Jr.

Louis Gossett Jr. was an American actor whose decades-long career spanned film, television, and theater. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for playing Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley in An Officer and a Gentleman.

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An Officer and a Gentleman: A 1982 romantic drama about a Navy aviation candidate and the drill instructor who trains him. Gossett won his Academy Award for playing Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley.
Sidney Poitier: A Bahamian-American actor and filmmaker who became a leading figure in mid-century Hollywood. Poitier directed Gossett in the 1985 television film Fast Forward.
Broadway theatre: The professional theater industry centered in New York City’s Broadway district. Gossett made his Broadway debut as a teenager in Take a Giant Step.
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor: An annual Academy Award honoring a notable performance in a supporting role in a film. Gossett became the first Black man to win this award, for An Officer and a Gentleman.
Roots: A 1977 television miniseries tracing an African American family’s history from enslavement in Africa to the United States. Gossett played Fiddler, a musician who helps Kunta Kinte survive enslavement.
Norman Jewison: A Canadian film director and producer known for socially engaged dramas and comedies. Jewison directed Gossett in the 1967 film In the Heat of the Night.
Take a Giant Step: A 1953 Broadway play by Louis S. Peterson about a Black teenager confronting racism and family conflict. Gossett made his stage debut in its original Broadway production.
Primetime Emmy Award: An American award recognizing excellence in primetime television programming and performances. Gossett won an Emmy for playing Fiddler in the television miniseries Roots.
Iron Eagle: A 1986 action film about a teenager who plans a military rescue mission for his captured father. Gossett played retired Air Force colonel Chappy Sinclair, a role he reprised in sequels.
Richard Gere: An American actor whose film roles include An Officer and a Gentleman and Pretty Woman. Gere starred opposite Gossett in An Officer and a Gentleman.