With Louis Gossett Jr.’s passing, Hollywood loses one of its brightest stars. Yet his memory will live on as we watch and rewatch his enviable filmography.
Born in Brooklyn, New York City, Gossett Jr. made his stage debut when he was only 17 in the Broadway play Take a Giant Step. Gossett Jr. would keep enchanting audiences with live performances for years while he also began to pop on the silver screen and television shows. At first, Gossett Jr. landed more minor roles in Hollywood. Yet, he would make history with some of his best roles.
What are Louis Gossett Jr.’s best roles in film and television?
In the 1970s, Gossett Jr. starred in the acclaimed ABC series Roots, based on Alex Haley’s novel Roots: The Saga of an American Family. Roots explores the transition of American society from slavery to the supposed freedom of Black people, highlighting how the scars of racial discrimination echo through generations. Gossett Jr.’s appearance in a single episode of Roots was enough to grant him an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor for a Single Appearance in a Drama or Comedy Series, one of the many awards he won in his prolific career.
Speaking of awards, Gossett Jr. was the first Black man to win an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He took the Oscar statue home for his performance as Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley in 1982’s An Officer and a Gentleman. Gossett Jr. also received a Golden Globe for the same role. A second Golden Globe would come for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture Made for Television for 1992’s The Josephine Baker Story.
Not only from awards does one build a Hollywood career, but Gossett Jr. also appeared in highly popular movies such as the Iron Eagle action series. Gossett Jr. was the only actor to star in all four Iron Eagle movies, serving as the constant that kept the sequels together. The actor would also play the role of Detective Jake Berkowitz in 1989’s The Punisher, starring Dolph Lundgren as Marvel’s fan-favorite antihero. Gossett Jr. would also star as a retired Hooded Justice in HBO’s controversial Watchmen series.
Gossett Jr. played a drug lord in the box office hit The Deep and a park manager in the reviled Jaws 3-D, demonstrating his talents on both sides of the underwater adventure spectrum. He also went to a distant galaxy for Enemy Mine, a sleeper hit that became a cult classic after bombing in theaters. There’s no corner of filmmaking Gossett Jr. didn’t explore, which we can only be thankful for.
Gossett Jr. was last seen in 2023’s The Color Purple, a musical adaptation of the homonymous novel by Alice Walker, previously adapted to theaters by Stephen King. At the time of his passing, the star was also attached to multiple film projects, which will now be released posthumously. Among the projects Gossett Jr. won’t follow to completion is John Krasinski’s highly-anticipated IF, where he voices an imaginary bear.
