Biography
Louis Gossett Jr. was an American actor. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he began his career on Broadway in 1953 with a role in Take a Giant Step and later appeared in the original stage production of A Raisin in the Sun.
He is known for his performances as Fiddler in the 1977 television miniseries Roots, for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award, and as Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley in the 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, becoming the first Black actor to win in that category. He also voiced Lewis in the 2024 film IF.
Gossett appeared in numerous other films and television series over more than five decades, including Enemy Mine (1985) and Watchmen (2019). He received additional Golden Globe Awards and other honours during his career.
