Louis Gossett Jr., Sergeant Emil Foley in An Officer and a Gentleman, has died. The American media reported this, citing the family. Gossett was 87 years old and passed away in Santa Monica, California. The causes of his death are not known.
The actor was the first African American to receive the Oscar for his supporting role in the 1983 film with Richard Gere. He also received an Emmy for his performance as Violin in the miniseries Roots (1977).
A native of Brooklyn, New York, Gossett made his debut at age 17 in a school production. He studied at New York University and thanks to his height, 1.93, he also had the opportunity to play basketball but he preferred theatre.
He became friends with James Dean and studied acting with Marilyn Monroe, Martin Landau and Steve McQueen. His film debut dates back to 1961 with 'A Raisin in the Sun', in the role of Sheriff George Murshinson. About twenty years later he made history by winning the Oscar for best supporting actor.
He was the third African-American performer in history to win the award after Hattie McDaniel in 1940 for Gone with the Wind and Sidney Poitier in 1964 for Lilies of the Field.
After ending up in handcuffs or stopped by the police several times for racial reasons, Gossett started the Eracism Foundation, created with the aim of creating a world where racism does not exist.
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