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Louis Gossett Jr., first Black actor to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, dies at 87

He won the award for to his role as Sergeant Emil Foley in 'An Officer and a Gentleman.’

Louis Gossett Jr.

(Cordon Press)

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Actor Louis Gossett Jr. passed away this Friday at the age of 87 in Santa Monica (California) from unknown causes. A relative of the artist confirmed the news to the Associated Press.

Louis Gossett Jr. was the first Black actor to win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the movie An Officer and a Gentleman (1982), starring Richard Gere, where he played Sergeant Emil Foley. Foley had to train Cadet Zack Mayo, played by Gere, at a military school in Washington state.

Gossett Jr. had a long career, both in film and on television. His career began in 1958 when he appeared in the series The Big Story.

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