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Louis Gossett Jr., the first Black man to win a supporting actor Oscar, died March 28 in Santa Monica, California, the Associated Press reported. He was 87. No cause of death was revealed.
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Louis Cameron Gossett was born on May 27, 1936, in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn, New York, to Louis Sr., a porter, and Hellen, a nurse. He later added Jr. to his name to honor his father.
Gossett broke through on the small screen as Fiddler in the groundbreaking 1977 TV miniseries Roots, which depicted the atrocities of slavery. He won an Emmy for the role. The sprawling cast included Ben Vereen, LeVar Burton and John Amos.
Gossett always thought of his early career as a reverse Cinderella story, with success finding him from an early age and propelling him forward. He became the third Black Oscar nominee in the supporting actor category in 1983. He won for his performance as the intimidating Marine drill instructor in An Officer and a Gentleman opposite Richard Gere and Debra Winger. He also won a Golden Globe for the role.
AARP spoke to the esteemed actor in December about his most recent role as Ol’ Mister in The Color Purple, a screen adaptation of the 2005 Broadway musical based on the Alice Walker novel. He reflected on his extraordinary life and career and shared his Oscar memories and advice for the next generation. That interview follows.
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This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
You were discovered by a talent scout when you were still in high school, and made your Broadway debut at age 17. If your life hadn’t taken that unexpected turn, what was your plan?
I was going to play basketball — baseball and basketball. I was very good at it. ... [It was] in Coney Island, which was where me and Sandy Koufax grew up together. We had a little piece of change in our pocket. We worked in the amusement parks in Coney Island. We were very well fed, very well conditioned. And I played on a boardwalk on 27th Street and Surf Avenue.
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