Louis Gossett Jr.
Biography
Louis Gossett Jr. was an American actor who made his stage debut at 17 and soon won a Broadway role in Take a Giant Step. Born in Brooklyn, he acted on Broadway in A Raisin in the Sun and later appeared in the film A Raisin in the Sun (1961). His screen breakthrough came as Fiddler in the 1977 miniseries Roots, which earned him an Emmy Award. In 1982 he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for An Officer and a Gentleman, becoming the first Black American actor to win a supporting Oscar. He also played Colonel Chappy Sinclair in the Iron Eagle series from 1986 to 1995. His other movies included The Landlord (1970), The Deep (1977), Enemy Mine (1985), The Punisher (1989), and The Color Purple (2023). He died in 2024.
87years old at death
- Born Brooklyn
- Died Santa Monica
- Star sign: GeminiThe sign runs May 21 to June 20
- Louis Cameron Gossett, Jr. (birth name)Also credited as Lou Gossett, Jr., Lou Gossett, Louis Gossett, Gossett, Lou, 1936- and Gossett, Louis, 1936-
Movie Career
- Films
- 59
- Career span
- 63 years1961 to 2024
Genres
First and latest
Photos
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Behind the award
In 1982, Gossett played Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley in An Officer and a Gentleman. His performance earned him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, making him the first Black American actor to win that award.
First role
A high school teacher pushed Gossett to try out for a Broadway part, and at 17 he landed his first Broadway role in Take a Giant Step in 1953, taking over as Spencer Scott from Bill Gunn.
Getting ready for a role
To play his part, Gossett learned to dive, training daily for a whole month in the largest swimming pool he had ever been in. His instructor then said he was ready for the Atlantic Ocean, where those lessons saved his life quite a few times.
Getting ready for a role
For Michael Ritchie's Diggstown, which premiered on August 14, Gossett plays a retired boxer talked into a challenge by a con-man. He trained eight weeks and shed 35 pounds to prepare for the part.
Louis Gossett Jr. movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Sidney J. Furie directed three of these films, Tyler Perry two. Bob Minor appears in four of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Bob Minor's page
Bruce Dern's page
Michael Madsen's page
Branscombe Richmond's page
Jason Gedrick's page
Dolph Lundgren's page
All films by Sidney J. Furie
All films by Tyler Perry
Also two films together20 more actors
- Dennis QuaidEnemy Mine (1985) and Jaws 3-D (1983)
- James CaanUndercover Grandpa (2017) and A Fighting Man (2014)
- Charles DurningAmazing Racer (2009) and The Choirboys (1977)
- Beau BridgesSupervized (2019) and The Landlord (1970)
- James WoodsDiggstown (1992) and The Choirboys (1977)
- Jason LondonSmitty (2012) and The Lamp (2010)
- Steve CarellIF (2024) and Stories USA (2007)
- Sidney PoitierSidney (2022) and A Raisin in the Sun (1961)
- Clifton JamesCarolina Skeletons (1991) and The Laughing Policeman (1973)
- Glynn TurmanJ.D.'s Revenge (1976) and The River Niger (1976)
- Tony PlanaFather & Son: Dangerous Relations (1993) and An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)
- Cicely TysonWhy Did I Get Married Too? (2010) and The River Niger (1976)
- Rae Dawn ChongFather & Son: Dangerous Relations (1993) and The Principal (1987)
- Julie BenzFoster Boy (2019) and Lackawanna Blues (2005)
- Ruby DeeIt's Good to Be Alive (1974) and A Raisin in the Sun (1961)
- Joel FluellenSkin Game (1971) and A Raisin in the Sun (1961)
- Jason BlickerIron Eagle on the Attack (1995) and Iron Eagle II (1988)
- Tasha SmithWhy Did I Get Married Too? (2010) and Daddy's Little Girls (2007)
- Diana SandsThe Landlord (1970) and A Raisin in the Sun (1961)
- Jesse DoranToy Soldiers (1991) and El Diablo (1990)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Box office
What Louis Gossett Jr.'s films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$678 million
16 of the 58 films have a worldwide figure.
Of the 58 films: 16 worldwide figure; 7 us gross only; 11 never in cinemas; 24 figure not found.
- 16Worldwide figure
- 7US gross only
- 11Never in cinemas
- 24Figure not found
Top grosser
Highest grossing
The eight biggest films earned 92% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$190M28.1% of the total
- 2$130M19.1% of the total
- 3$100M14.7% of the total
- 4$69M10.2% of the total
- 5$61M8.9% of the total
- 6$32M4.7% of the total
- 7$24M3.6% of the total
- 8$20M2.9% of the total
$53.0 millionfrom the other 8 films with a worldwide figure, 8% of the total
Awards
Eight awards and honors from 1977 to 1998, four of them major.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | |||
| 1983 | Best Supporting Actor | An Officer and a Gentleman | Won |
| Golden Globes | |||
| 1991 | Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film | The Josephine Baker Story | Won |
| 1982 | Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture | An Officer and a Gentleman | Won |
| Emmy Awards | |||
| 1977 | Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series | Roots | Won |
| Other honors | |||
| 1998 | NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | Touched by an Angel | Won |
| 1982 | NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture | An Officer and a Gentleman | Won |
| Mary Pickford Award | Won | ||
| Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame | Honored | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.