R.I.P. Louis Gossett Jr.: First Black Actor To Win Oscar For Best Supporting Role Dead At 87

Decider ^ | 03/29/2024 | Samantha Nungesser

[ChicagoConservative27]

Louis Gossett Jr., who was the first Black man to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for the 1982 romantic drama An Officer and a Gentleman, has died. He was 87.

The actor died Thursday night (March 28) in Santa Monica, CA, his nephew confirmed to the Associated Press. No official cause of death has been announced, though it was previously revealed that he was diagnosed with the early stages of prostate cancer in 2010.

[ChicagoConservative27]

RIP!

[j.havenfarm]

One of the greats

[ArtDodger]

The day I learned he gave his 7 year old daughter cocaine, I never watched another movie with him in it.

[MeganC]

I’ve never seen this movie: “An Officer and a Gentleman”

Is it any good? Also, is it okay for a family to watch?

[circlecity]

Yes. It is a good flick.

[Political Junkie Too]

Also, is it okay for a family to watch?

It was rated R when it came out in theaters.

-PJ

[FamiliarFace]

I guess it does say first black actor and black man, but Hattie McDaniel was the first black person to win an Oscar. She portrayed Mammy in Gone With The Wind, and won best supporting actress.

[Responsibility2nd]

87!!

My, how time does fly.

[yuleeyahoo]

I enjoyed him and James Woods in Diggstown.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vr007U4Pekk

[Responsibility2nd]

[woodbutcher1963]

Oklahoma!

“The only thing from Oklahoma is steers and queers.
I don’t see no horns on you.”

[Vendome]

I think I first saw him “Roots” the miniseries.

When he was in An Officer and a Gentleman, he should have slapped the man silly who eventually hung himself.

Dumbest scene ever and I openly laughed in the theater when it happened...

Plenty of other women in the world and she so great to him in the 1st place

[Ciaphas Cain]

The MAD Magazine parody was pretty good: “An Officer Ain’t No Gentleman”.

[Rinnwald]

He got to kick Richard Gere in the balls, so you can’t hate that.

[fretzer]

>Is it any good? Also, is it okay for a family to watch?

Good flick. R rated, nudity, violence. Not a kids flick.

[Responsibility2nd]

Or as the edited for TV version says...

“Gays and strays”...

[ConservativeMind]

I never heard that.

I did enjoy him in his roles, though.

[Alas Babylon!]

I’ll never forget this young USAF lieutenant telling us in the breakroom, “I just saw the greatest movie! “An Officer and a Gentleman”!”

I replied, “What??? You saw two movies El Tee?”

Everyone burst out in laughter. El Tee turned beet red.

Good times.

Yeah, it was a good movie though.

[ArtDodger]

The least I could do is see that he didn’t abuse his kid with my money.

[PghBaldy]

An elderly woman (wonderful woman) I worked with loved it. Popular movie. I never saw it. R.I.P., Louis G.