Louis Gossett Jr., the first black man to win an Oscar for supporting actor, has died at age 87. The information was confirmed by Gossett’s nephew to the Associated Press.
According to the agency, the actor died on Thursday night (28), in Santa Monica, California. The cause of death was not revealed.
In 1983, Gossett won the Oscar for best supporting actor for his work in the film “The Force of Destiny” (1982). At the time, he became the third black person nominated for an Oscar in the category.
“The Oscar gave me the ability to choose good roles,” said the actor, who also acted in films such as “Enemy of Mine”, “Sadat: The Peace Fighter” and “Steel Eagle”.
For his character in “The Force of Destiny”, the actor also won the Golden Globe. Gossett also has an Emmy on his resume for his work on the miniseries “Roots” (1977).
In 2010, Gossett announced that he had been diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer.
The actor began his artistic career on Broadway, after leaving the basketball team after suffering an injury.
In his memoir “An Actor and a Gentleman,” released in 2010, he wrote that, at the time, he “was hooked” by the art. His stage debut took place in 1953, at the age of 16.
According to the AP, he studied acting with Marilyn Monroe, Martin Landau and Steve McQueen.
Gossett debuted in Hollywood in 1961, bringing the show “The Sun Will Shine Again” to theaters.
Founder of the Eracism Foundation, whose mission is to help create a world where racism does not exist, the actor recounts in his book the various episodes of racism he suffered upon his return to Hollywood in 1968, when he starred in the TV film ” Companions in Nightmare”.
“I was face to face with racism and it was a horrible sight. But it wouldn’t destroy me,” the actor wrote.
Gosset leaves two children, Satie and Sharron.
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