Entertainment
Louis Gossett Jr’s cause of death confirmed after An Officer and a Gentleman star dies aged 87-Rishma Dosani-Entertainment – Metro
He died last month.
Louis Gossett Jr died last month, aged 87 (Picture: Getty)
Louis Gossett Jr’s cause of death has been revealed, weeks after he died.
The actor, most known for his roles in Roots and An Officer and a Gentleman, died on March 29, at the age of 87.
His family confirmed the tragic news at the time, thanking those who had paid tribute to the Oscar-winner.
According to reports, he died as a result of a lung condition.
His death certificate, obtained by TMZ, lists chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as the main cause.
Heart failure and atrial fibrillation were also cited as contributing conditions.
The actor was most known for his role in An Officer and a Gentleman (Picture: Paramount)
Gossett Jr’s nephew confirmed the sad news of the family’s loss to Associated Press last month, but didn’t initially share the cause of death.
‘It is with our heartfelt regret to confirm our beloved father passed away this morning,’ his loved ones later added in a statement. ‘We would like to thank everyone for their condolences at this time.
‘Please respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time.’
Gossett Jr boasted a career spanning decades, and commanded attention in roles on the stage, the small screen and huge movies.
He won the best supporting actor Oscar for the role (Picture: AP)
He first starred in 1953 Broadway play Take A Giant Step as a teenager, before going on to appear opposite Sidney Poitier in the award-winning A Raisin In The Sun – landing a role in the movie adaptation in 1961.
In 1977, he landed one of his most beloved roles in TV mini-series Roots, beside John Amos, LeVar Burton and Leslie Uggams.
He shot to superstardom as an older slave, Fiddler, who is tasked with mentoring Kunta Kinte and teaching him English.
The series was a huge success, landing 37 Emmy nominations during its run – with Gossett Jr taking home the award for outstanding actor for a single appearance in a drama or comedy series.
Five years later, he appeared as Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley in An Officer and a Gentleman.
His family confirmed the news of his death (Picture: Invision)
In Tyler Hackford’s masterpiece, he played a stern drill instructor who had to get Richard Gere’s Zack Mayo into shape – and underwent 30 days of training at the Marine Corps Recruitment Division for the role.
He was highly praised over the role, and won the best supporting actor Oscar in 1983, becoming the first Black actor to take home the coveted trophy.
As well as this, he was also awarded the best supporting actor in a motion picture title at the Golden Globes.
In 2010, Gossett Jr announced that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, which was said to have been caught in the early stages.
He reportedly died due to a lung condition (Picture: AP)
Going public with his health issues, he shared that he wanted to use his platform to encourage others to get themselves checked out.
Speaking to reporters at the time, he explained that he was hoping to ‘set an example for the large number of African-American men who are victims of this disease because of the comparatively low emphasis in our community on preventative examinations and early treatment.
‘I want to influence them to seek, as I have, the fine medical care and early detection now available.’
Gossett Jr is survived by two sons, Satie and Sharron.
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