The best roles of Louis Gossett Jr.

The acclaimed American actor Louis Gossett Jr. passed away on March 29, 2024, at the age of 87. Born in the United States in the 1930s, he would grow to be one of its most prolific actors and singers, starring in the groundbreaking historical drama 'Roots' in 1977 and winning the first Oscar as an African-American supporting actor in 1982.

Born in Coney Island, New York, the young Louis Gossett Jr. could have gone several ways in his life. He was a strong basketball player and earned a sports scholarship at New York University. He also sang folk music in venues across the Big Apple. Finally, he was known as an actor, debuting on stage at age 17. In the end, Gossett Jr. chose acting as his main vocation and became a familiar face on the big and small screen.

In the image: Louis Gossett Jr. with his mother and his cousin

Gossett Jr. had already successfully participated in the theater play 'A Raisin in the Sun' in 1959. He was cast alongside Sidney Poitier (l) for the filmed version in the early 60s. The film tells the story of a Black family trying to get ahead in Chicago.

Image: Columbia Pictures

In the comedy Western 'Skin Game,' Gossett Jr. shared the screen with James Garner. They played a duo of scammers in the era of American slavery. Gossett Jr. was nominated for a NAACP Image Award for his role.

A big boost to his career was 'Roots,' the ABC miniseries based on the book by Alex Haley. It not only got extraordinary Nielsen viewing ratings on American TV but also many Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. The series was groundbreaking as it told the saga of an African man getting enslaved and his offspring going through slavery in North America.

Louis Gossett Jr. won a Primetime Emmy Award for his lead role in the 'Roots' saga. His role was Fiddler, an older slave who teaches the African newcomer Kunta Kinte the English language.

In this romantic drama, Richard Gere enters the Marine Corps and has to deal with the very strict drill instructor Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley. The sergeant was successfully played by Louis Gossett Jr.

Image: Paramount Pictures

Louis Gossett Jr. won both a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for his supporting role as Emil Foley. It was the first time an African American actor had received the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

Louis Gossett Jr. is one of those actors who've received the highest acclaim and the greatest mockery around the same time. For the third part of the commercial saga 'Jaws', called 'Jaws 3-D', many people involved got smashed by critics. Louis Gossett Jr. won a Raspberry Award (Razzie) for worst actor for his role in the movie. It was 1984, two years after he got his Oscar.

Image: Universal Pictures

While he made 'An Officer and a Gentleman' and 'Jaws 3', Louis Gossett Jr. also worked on other interesting projects. He played the Egyptian leader Muhammad Anwar al-Sadat in a two-part miniseries documenting the African president's life. Gossett Jr. was nominated for a Golden Globe for this role. Next to him in the picture stands John Rhys-Davies who played Gamal Abdel Nasser.

After choosing some less-successful film and TV projects in the second half of the 80s, Louis Gossett Jr. participated in the HBO TV film 'The Josephine Baker Story' about the African-American artist who conquered European audiences. His supporting role as civil rights activist Sidney Williams earned him his second Golden Globe award.

The actor, who was also the executive producer of this Showtime TV Special, played both the father and grandfather of a curious young boy. As the child wants to know more about his history, he travels through time in his father's shoes. The program won a Daytime Emmy Award for Best Children's Special and Gossett Jr. was nominated for an Emmy for Best Actor.

Throughout the 80s and 90s, Louis Gossett Jr. appeared in countless episodes of well-known TV shows. For his performance in one of them, 'Touched by an Angel' in 1998, he won the NAACP Award.

Over the course of his 5-decade career, Louis Gossett Jr. played in more than 70 films, more than 120 TV productions, and 11 plays. By the early 2000s, he had established himself as one of the great stars of Hollywood. With an Oscar, two Golden Globes, many other awards and a star in the Hollywood Hall of Fame, the basketball player from Coney Island had come a long way.

Here we see him with his wife Mona at the 2005 Oscars.

But it wasn't over for the 80-plus actor. In 2019, he would shine on the small screen in 'Watchmen,' the adaptation of the DC Comics series. At the age of 83, he played Will Reeves / Hooded Justice for 7 episodes. The series and its cast won several Emmy awards and were nominated and awarded many more honors.

Image: HBO

In the 2023 musical remake of 'The Color Purple,' Gossett Jr. played Ol' Mister Johnson. As filmmaker Blitz Bazawule commented on Instagram in 2022, "Yesterday we wrapped the Legendary Louis Gossett Jr. on The Color Purple. I don't yet have the words but my heart is full. Endlessly grateful to be in his presence and learn about the craft, gracefulness and longevity."

Image: Warner Bros.

Louis Gossett Jr. loved the art so much that he kept filming until his death at age 87. Posthumous works featuring the Hollywood star are 'Soul to Keep' and 'Sin,' as well as 'IF' (May 2024) and 'Unplugged' as a voice actor.

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