ATLANTA — Mayor Andre Dickens is extending condolences to the family of Louis Gossett Jr., the first African-American to win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, after the Atlanta-based actor died at 87 years old.
"I am saddened to learn of the passing of (Gossett), the Emmy Award-winning actor who called our city home," Mayor Dickens wrote in a statement.
"He will be forever remembered for his contributions to the film industry and for making history," Dickens added. “As a city, we are grateful for the privilege of having had Louis Gossett Jr. among us, and we join together in honoring his life and contributions."
Gossett's nephew told The Associated Press that the actor died Thursday night in Santa Monica, California. No cause of death was revealed.
Gossett was born on May 27, 1936, in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn, New York, to Louis Sr., a porter, and Hellen, a nurse. He later added Jr. to his name to honor his father.
Gossett broke through on the small screen as Fiddler in the groundbreaking 1977 miniseries “Roots,” which depicted the atrocities of slavery on TV. The sprawling cast included Ben Vereen, LeVar Burton and John Amos.
Gossett became the third Black Oscar nominee in the supporting actor category in 1983. He won for his performance as the intimidating Marine drill instructor in “An Officer and a Gentleman” opposite Richard Gere and Debra Winger. He also won a Golden Globe for the same role.
Gossett appeared in such TV movies as “The Story of Satchel Paige,” “Backstairs at the White House, “The Josephine Baker Story,” for which he won another Golden Globe, and “Roots Revisited.” He also played an obstinate patriarch in the 2023 remake of “The Color Purple.”
But he said winning an Oscar didn’t change the fact that all his roles were supporting ones.
11Alive was there when the Milledgeville Film festival honored Gossett in April 2019 with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the entertainment industry and his body of work in film. It was an honor that Gossett said he was grateful to receive.
“It’s a blessing," he said. "It means somebody on this planet gets what I want to contribute.”
Gossett is survived by sons Satie, a producer-director from his second marriage, and Sharron, a chef whom he adopted after seeing the 7-year-old in a TV segment on children in desperate situations. His first cousin is actor Robert Gossett.
“We extend our condolences to Mr. Gossett's family, friends, and fans during this difficult time," Dickens said. "May your memories bring comfort, and may his legacy continue to inspire future generations."
Associated Press journalists Mark Kennedy in New York and Kristin M. Hall in Nashville, Tennessee, contributed reporting.