Louis Gossett, Jr.

Actor

1936-05-27 – 2024-03-29

Louis Gossett Jr. was an American actor known for roles in Roots and An Officer and a Gentleman. He became the first Black man to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and remained a prominent film and television performer for decades.

Quotes by Louis Gossett, Jr.

I believe the gift of acting is a gift from God, my oath to God, and I want to make sure on a daily basis that it is honed and deeply spiritual... I want to believe that the audience believes that my acting comes from this special place.
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I can do more than anyone suspects. I pride myself on my versatility. It took 32 years of difficult parts, second leads, villains and juveniles. The Oscar changed the quality of the roles I was being offered.
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One of the most fascinating projects I worked on right after 'Officer' was 'Sadat,' a role for which Anwar Sadat's widow, Jehan, personally chose me. Although this TV miniseries won me nominations for the Golden Globe and an Emmy, strangely, it was boycotted in the Middle East.
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I was down in Wilmington, Delaware, doing 'The Desk Set' with Shirley Booth. I was at the DuPont Hotel. I walked out, and there was this grill next door called the New England Grill. I loved seafood. They said very nicely, 'We don't serve colored people.'
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I was at Woodstock. In the mud.
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