Louis Gossett Jr. was awarded the Oscar in 1983 for his portrayal of a drill sergeant in the film “An Officer and a Gentleman” Became the third black actor after Hattie McDaniel and Sidney Poitier to win the statuette.
Very prolific, the actor has appeared in more than 60 films, including "The Deep", "Blue Chips", "Daddy's Little Girls", "Firewalker" and "Jaws 3". Divorced from his third wife in 1992, he lived in Malibu, California and was the father of two sons.