Louis Gossett, Jr. Biography

Louis Cameron Gossett, Jr. (born May 27, 1936) is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his Academy Award-winning role as Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley in the 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman, and his Emmy Award-winning role as Fiddler in the 1977 ABC television miniseries Roots. Gossett has also starred in numerous film productions including A Raisin In The Sun, Skin Game, Travels with My Aunt, The Laughing Policeman, The Deep, Jaws 3-D, Wolfgang Peterson's Enemy Mine, the Iron Eagle series, Toy Soldiers and The Punisher, in an acting career that spans over seven decades.

Early life and education

Gossett was born in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York on May 27, 1936, to Hellen Rebecca (née Wray), a nurse, and Louis Gossett, Sr., a porter. His stage debut came at the age of 17, in a school production of You Can't Take It with You when a sports injury resulted in the decision to take an acting class. Polio had already delayed his graduation.

After graduating from Abraham Lincoln High School in 1954, he attended New York University, declining an athletic scholarship. Standing 6'4" (1.93 m), he was offered the opportunity to play varsity basketball during his college years at NYU, which he declined to concentrate on theater. His high school teacher had encouraged him to audition for a Broadway part, which resulted in his selection for a starring role on Broadway in 1953 from among 200 other actors well before he entered NYU.

Career

Gossett replaced Bill Gunn as Spencer Scott in Broadway's Take a Giant Step, which was selected by The New York Times drama critics as one of the 10 best shows of the year. He was 17, and still a student at Abraham Lincoln High School, with no formal drama training.

Gossett's Broadway theatre credits include A Raisin in the Sun (1959). Gossett stepped into the world of cinema in the Sidney Poitier vehicle A Raisin in the Sun in 1961.

Also in 1961, Gossett appeared in the original cast of Jean Genet's The Blacks, the longest running off-Broadway play of the decade, running for 1,408 performances. The original cast also featured James Earl Jones, Roscoe Lee Browne, Cicely Tyson, Godfrey Cambridge, Maya Angelou and Charles Gordone.

Gossett co-wrote the antiwar folk song "Handsome Johnny" with Richie Havens which Havens recorded in 1967.

His Emmy Award-winning role of Fiddler in the 1977 television miniseries Roots first brought Gossett to the audience's attention.

In 1983, he was cast in the title role in Sadat, a miniseries which chronicled the life and assassination of Anwar Sadat. While filming An Officer and a Gentleman, Gossett was also starring in the 1982"1983 science fiction series, The Powers of Matthew Star. His role as drill instructor Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley in the 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman won him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He was the first African-American male to win an Oscar in a supporting role, the second black male to win for acting, and the third African-American actor to win overall.

In 1986, Gossett starred in another role as a military man (Colonel Chappy Sinclair) in the film Iron Eagle. It was followed by three sequels.

Gossett is the voice of the Vortigaunts in the video game Half-Life 2 and is the Free Jaffa Leader Gerak in Season 9 of the sci-fi television series Stargate SG-1. He provides the voice of Lucius Fox in The Batman animated series. He recorded several commercials for a Nashville-based diabetic company, AmMed Direct, LLC. In 1997, Gossett presented When Animals Attack! 4, a one hour special on Fox.

He plays the role of fictional U.S. President Gerald Fitzhugh in the 2005 film Left Behind: World at War. In 2008 he filmed the "Keep It Real" series of commercials for the Namibian lager Windhoek.

In 2009, Gossett also lent his voice talents in the Thomas Nelson audio Bible production known as The Word of Promise. In this dramatized audio, Gossett played the character of John the Apostle. The project also featured a large ensemble of well known Hollywood actors including Jim Caviezel, John Rhys-Davies, Jon Voight, Gary Sinise, Jason Alexander, Christopher McDonald, Marissa Tomei and John Schneider.

In 2013, Gossett starred in the controversial drama, Boiling Pot, which is based on true events of racism that occurred on college campuses across the country during the 2008 Presidential election. The film, written and directed by the Ashmawey brothers under AshmaweyFilms, also stars Danielle Fishel, Keith David, M. Emmet Walsh, and John Heard. Gossett plays a Detective attempting to decipher a murder case that was fueled by racism, all while putting aside his own prejudices. Boiling Pot is set to release in 2014.

Personal life

Gossett has been married three times and fathered one son and adopted one son. His first marriage was to Hattie Glascoe; it was annulled. His second, to Christina Mangosing, took place on August 21, 1973. Their son Satie was born in 1974. Gossett and Mangosing divorced in 1975. His third marriage, to Star Search champion Cyndi James-Reese, took place on December 25, 1987. They adopted a son, Sharron (born 1977). Gossett and James-Reese divorced in 1992.

Louis is the uncle of actor Robert Gossett who stars on TNT's The Closer.

According to a DNA analysis, he descended, mainly, from people of Liberia and Sierra Leone.

On February 9, 2010, Gossett announced that he is suffering from prostate cancer. He added the disease was caught in its early stages, and expects to make a full recovery.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1961	'	George Murchison
1969	'	Tembo
1970	'	Copee
1971	Skin Game	Jason O'Rourke
1972	Travels with My Aunt	Zachary/'Wordsworth'
1973	'	Francis Fuzz
1973	'	Insp. James Larrimore SFPD
1974	'	Portagee
1976	'	Dr. Dudley Stanton
1976	J. D.'s Revenge	Rev. Elija Bliss
1977	'	Henri Cloche
1977	'	Calvin Motts
1980	It Rained All Night the Day I Left	Leo Garcia
1982	'	Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley	Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor " Motion Picture NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
1983	Jaws 3-D	Calvin Bouchard	Nominated — Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actor
1984	Finders Keepers	Century
1985	Enemy Mine	Jeriba 'Jerry' Shigan	Nominated — Saturn Award for Best Actor
1986	Iron Eagle	Chappy Sinclair
1986	Firewalker	Leo Porter
1987	'	Jake Phillips
1988	Iron Eagle II	Chappy Sinclair
1989	'	Jake Berkowitz
1991	Cover Up	Lou Jackson
1991	Toy Soldiers	Dean Parker
1992	Aces: Iron Eagle III	Chappy Sinclair
1992	Diggstown	'Honey' Roy Palmer
1993	Monolith	Capt. MacCandless
1993	Flashfire	Ben Durand
1994	Blue Chips	Father Dawkins
1994	'	Prof. Sam Adekunle
1994	Curse of the Starving Class	Ellis
1995	Iron Eagle on the Attack	Chappy Sinclair
1996	Managua	Paul
1997	'	Narrator
1997	Legend of the Mummy	Corbeck
1999	Y2K	Morgan
2000	'	Phil Bishop
2002	Deceived	Col. David Garrett	Direct-to-video release
2005	Window	Ralph Stanley
2005	Left Behind: World at War	President Gerald Fitzhugh
2006	All In	Caps
2006	Club Soda	Doc
2007	Daddy's Little Girls	Willie
2007	Cover	Det. Hicks
2008	'	Cool Papa Bell
2008	Delgo	Zahn	voice only
2009	Dog Jack	Grown up Jed
2009	Shannon's Rainbow	Max
2009	'	Samuel Benton
2010	Smitty	Mr. Smith
2010	Why Did I Get Married Too?	Porter
2011	'	George Wright
2011	'	Glen
2011	'	The Genie
2013	Boiling Pot	Detective Haven

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1958	'	Jamie Goodwin	Episode: "The Stubbornest Man"
1962	'	William Taylor	Episode: "The Prisoner"
1967–68	Cowboy in Africa	Fulah Hemera	Episode: "Fang and Claw" Episode: "The Quiet Death"
1968	'	Ollie	Episode: "The Vise"
1968	Daktari	Mkono	Episode: "Adam and Jenny"
1968	Companions in Nightmare	Lt. Adam McKay	NBC television film
1968	'	Sgt William Smith (Smithy)	Episode: "When Smitty Comes Marching Home"
1970	'	Hurricane Smith	Episode: "The Return of Big Bad Bubba Bronson"
1970–71	'	Isak Poole
1971	Big Fish, Little Fish
1971	'	Sam	Episode: "Soul Club"
1971	Bonanza	Buck Walter	Episode: "The Desperado"
1971	Longstreet	Sergeant Cory	Episode: "The Way of the Intercepting Fist"
1971	'	Dr. Karnes	Episode: "One Lonely Step"
1971	Alias Smith and Jones	Joe Sims	Episode: "The Bounty Hunter"
1971	Cade's County		Episode: "The Alien Land"
1972	Insight		Episode: "The Man from Inner Space"
1972	'	Doug Newman	CBS television pilot
1972	'	Toby Jones	Episode: "Covenant with Death"
1972	Love, American Style	Freddy	Segment: "Love and the Christmas Punch..."
1968"1969 1972	'	Smitty Lloyd Charley Jameson	Episode: "When Smitty Comes Marching Home" Episode: "The Uptight Town" Episode: "Can You Hear Me Out There?"
1973	Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law		Episode: "An Often and Familiar Ghost"
1974	It's Good to Be Alive	Sam Brockington	CBS television film
1974	Sidekicks	Jason O'Rourke	TV remake of Gossett's 1971 Skin Game CBS television film
1974	'	Portagee	ABC television film
1974	McCloud	Dewey Justin	Episode: Shivaree on Delancy Street
1974"75	Petrocelli	D.A. Kurt Olson	Episode: "A Very Lonely Lady" and "A Fallen Idol"
1974"75	Good Times	Donald Knight Uncle Wilbert	Episode: "Thelma's Young Man" Episode: "Michael's Big Fall"
1975	Lucas Tanner	Bobby Koball	Episode: "Bonus Baby"
1975	Black Bart	Black Bart	CBS television film
1975	Delancey Street: The Crisis Within	Otis James	NBC television film
1975	Caribe	David Wallace	Episode: "The Assassin"
1975	Harry O	Cleon Jackson	Episode: "Shades"
1975	'	Wendell Brown	Episode: "George's Best Friend"
1975	'	O'Flaherty	Episode: "Clark Templeton O'Flaherty"
1975"76	Police Story	Freddie Virgil Barnes	Episode: "The Cut Man Caper" Episode: "50 Cents-First Half Hour, $1.75 All Day"
1976	Little House on the Prairie	Henry Hill	Episode: "The Long Road Home"
1976"77	'	Marcus 'Gabby' Hayes	Episode: Foul on the First Play and Just Another Polish Wedding
1977	Little Ladies of the Night	Russ Garfield	ABC television film
1977	Roots	Fiddler	ABC miniseries Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor for a Single Appearance in a Drama or Comedy Series TV Land Award
1977	Visions	Rex	Episode: "Freeman"
1978	'	Dr. MacArthur St. Clair	ABC television film
1978	'		Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program
1978	To Kill a Cop	Everett Walker	Uncredited Role NBC television film
1978	'	Lem Harper	NBC television film
1979	Backstairs at the White House	Levi Mercer	NBC miniseries Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or a Special
1979	Lawman Without a Gun	Tom Hayward	NBC television film
1979	'	Dr. MacArthur St. Clair
1980	Palmerstown, USA		Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
1981	Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy 'Satchel' Paige	Leroy 'Satchel' Paige	ABC television film
1982	American Playhouse		Episode: "Zora Is My Name!"
1982	Benny's Place	Benny Moore	ABC television film
1982	Saturday Night Live	Host	Episode: Louis Gossett Jr/George Thorogood & The Destroyers
1982"83	'	Walter 'Walt' Shepherd/D'Hai
1983	Sadat	Anwar al-Sadat	Television film Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor " Miniseries or Television Film
1984	'	John Mack	Nominated — CableACE Award for Best Actor in a Movie or Miniseries HBO television film
1987	'	Mathu	CBS television film Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie
1987	'	Father Clements	NBC television film
1988	Sam Found Out: A Triple Play		ABC television film
1988	Goodbye, Miss 4th of July	Big John Creed	Disney Channel television film
1988	Roots: The Gift	Fiddler	ABC television film
1989	Gideon Oliver	Gideon Oliver
1990	'	Van Leek	HBO television film
1990	Captain Planet and the Planeteers	Commander Clash	Voice Role
1990	Sudie and Simpson	Simpson	Television film
1991	'	Sidney Williams	HBO television film Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor " Series, Miniseries or Television Film
1991	Carolina Skeletons	James Bragg	NBC television film
1991	Keeper of the City	Det. James Dela	Television film
1993	Story of a People	Host	Miniseries
1993	Father & Son: Dangerous Relations		NBC television film
1993	Return to Lonesome Dove	Isom Pickett	Miniseries
1994	Picket Fences	Rick Jennings	Episode: "Terms of Estrangement"
1994	Ray Alexander: A Taste for Justice	Ray Alexander	NBC television film
1995	'	Walter Osgood
1995	Zooman	Rueben Tate
1995	Ray Alexander: A Menu for Murder	Ray Alexander
1996	Captive Heart: The James Mink Story	James Mink	Nominated — NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special Television film
1996	Run for the Dream: The Gail Devers Story	Bob Kersee	Television film
1996	Inside	Questioner	Television film
1997	Touched by an Angel	Anderson Walker	Episode: "Amazing Grace" NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
1997	To Dance with Olivia	Daniel Stewart	CBS television film
1997	In His Father's Shoes	Frank Crosby/Richard	Showtime television film Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Special Nominated —CableACE Award for Best Children's Special - 7 and Older Nominated — Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in a Children's Special
1997	Early Edition	Jim Matthews	Episode: "The Medal"
1997	Ellen	Sgt. Timko	Episode: "G.I. Ellen"
1998	'	Inspector Frank Hughes	Showtime television film
1999	Love Songs	Reuben	Segment: "A Love Song for Dad"; Showtime television film Black Reel Award for Best Director: T.V. Movie/Cable Nominated — Black Reel Award for Best Actor: T.V. Movie/Cable
1999	Strange Justice	Vernon Jordan	Showtime television film
2000	Dr. Lucille	David Mulera	Television film
2000	'	Inspector Frank Hughes	Showtime television film
2000	'	Lou Hastings	CBS television film Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Actor " Miniseries or Television Film
2001	For Love of Olivia	Daniel Stewart	CBS television film
2002	Opening Ceremony Salt Lake Paralympic Winter Games	Narrator	Nominated — Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class Special
2002	What About Your Friends: Weekend Getaway	Dr. Barnes	UPN television film
2002	Resurrection Blvd.	Ezekiel 'Zeke' Grant	Episode: "En Un Momento" and "Esperando Lagrimas"
2003	'	Pastor David Lewis	Episode: "Zion"
2003	Jasper, Texas	R.C. Horn	Nominated — NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special Showtime television film
2003	Momentum	Raymond Addison	SCI FI television film
2004	Half & Half	Ray Willis	Episode: "The Big Lover, My Brother Episode" and "The Big Thanks for Nothing Episode"
2005	Solar Attack	President Ryan Gordon	Direct-to-DVD Release
2005	Lackawanna Blues	Ol'lem Taylor	HBO television film
2005"06	Stargate SG-1	Gerak
2006	Family Guy	Sergeant Angryman	Voice Role Episode: Saving Private Brian
2007	'	Lucius Fox	Voice Role
2009	ER	Leo Malcolm	Episode: "The Family Man"

Theatre

2006 Dvorak's New World: Chamber Music Plus. Louis Gossett, Jr., narrator, with Aubrey Allicock (Baritone), Sanda Schuldmann (piano), and Harry Clark (writer).