Syndication: USA TODAY
SANTA MONICA , CA — Actor Louis Gossett Jr. has died at the age of 87. He died Thursday in Santa Monica, California. Gossett was the first Black man to win an Oscar in the supporting actor category for his role in an “Officer and a Gentleman.” The Brooklyn-born actor attended NYU on a basketball and drama scholarship.
The actor had his ups and downs in life. He once attended rehab for substance abuse, and dealt with a prostate cancer diagnosis. Gossett was also hospitalized for COVID-19 in 2020.
