Oscar winner Louis Gossett Jr. dies

The US actor Louis Gossett Jr., who in 1983 was the first black person to receive an Oscar for best supporting male role, is dead. Gossett died at the age of 87, US media such as CNN and NBC reported on Friday, citing a statement his family.

“It is with deep regret that we confirm that our father died this morning,” the media quoted the statement as saying. “We would like to thank everyone for their condolences. Please respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time.” The New York Times also reported on Gossett’s death and cited his cousin. A request from the German Press Agency to the actor’s management initially remained unanswered.

Before Gossett, only two blacks had won the acting Oscar: Hattie McDaniel (1940) for best supporting actress in “Gone with the Wind” and Sidney Poitier as the leading actor in “Lilies of the Field” (1964). In April 1983, at the age of 46, Gossett became the first black supporting actor to accept the gold-plated trophy for his role in the film “An Officer and a Gentleman.”

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The New York native had already been on the theater stage at the age of 17. He made his first film appearance in 1961 alongside Sidney Poitier in the drama “A Spot in the Sun”. His television role as a slave in the Southern series “Roots” (1977) earned him an Emmy trophy.