Louis Gossett Jr. has reportedly passed at age 87.
The legendary actor became the first Black man to win an Oscar for Best Support Actor for his role in the miniseries “Roots.” Gossett’s death was confirmed by his nephew, who said that the actor passed away on Thursday night in Santa Monica, California. No cause of death was revealed.
Gossett found success in acting at an early age. He earned his first acting credit in his high school production of “You Can’t Take It with You.” In his 2010 memoir, “An Actor and a Gentleman,” he wrote of his acting debut, “I was hooked and so was my audience.
He went on to say that his English teacher influenced him to audition for the Broadway play, “Take a Giant Step.” He ended up getting the part and made his debut at age 16 in 1953. “I knew too little to be nervous,” he wrote. “In retrospect, I should have been scared to death as I walked onto that stage, but I wasn’t.”
Throughout his career, Louis Gossett Jr. would act in numerous movies and appear alongside other notable names. In 1961, he made his Hollywood debut in the film version of “A Raisin in the Sun,” a few years after receiving critical acclaim for his role in the Broadway production alongside Ruby Dee, Sidney Poitier, and Diana Sands.
In 1968, he landed his first major made-for-TV movie role in NBC’s “Companions in Nightmare,” which also starred Anne Baxter, Patrick O’Neal, and Melvyn Douglas. He went on to appear in shows such as “The Mod Squad,” “Bonanza,” and “The Rockford Files.”
He left a major impact on the world of acting and will be missed. His family and loved ones are in our thoughts and prayers. Rest In Peace, Louis Gossett Jr.