The HistoryMakers

Actor Louis Cameron Gossett, Jr. was born May 27, 1936 in Sheepshead Bay, Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York. His mother, Hellen Rebecca Wray Gossett was from Watkinsville, Georgia and his father, Louis Gossett, Sr., from Bennettsville, South Carolina was adopted by Italians. Gossett's neighborhood nurtured activists and artists like Gustav Blum, Harvey Keitel, Neil Simon, Neil Diamond and Arthur Miller. Gossett attended PS 135 and was student body president of Mark Twain Junior High School (PS 209). When Gossett shone in a production of You Can't Take It With You at Abraham Lincoln High School, talent scouts picked him for Broadway's Take A Giant Step, for which Gossett won the Donaldson Award in 1952 for best newcomer to theatre. He appeared in Desk Set with Shirley Booth in 1954. After graduation, Gossett enrolled at New York University on a basketball scholarship. The 6'4" Gossett, who also pitched against Sandy Koufax, was drafted by the New York Knickerbockers in 1958.

Deciding to forego sports for acting, Gossett studied at The Actors Studio with John Sticks and Peggy Fury, and landed a role in 1961s Raisin in the Sun on Broadway and in the movie. He was also in the all-star cast of 1961's The Blacks that featured James Earl Jones, Cicely Tyson, Roscoe Lee Brown and Maya Angelou. Gossett appeared in small television roles including: The Bush Baby (1964) and Companions in Nightmare (1965) He tried folk singing before he got his first big movie role in The Landlord with Diana Sands in 1970, followed by Travels with My Aunt (1971) with Maggie Smith. Gossett has appeared in over 50 movies and hundreds of television shows including: Skin Game (1971), The Deep (1977), Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy "Satchel" Paige (1981), Sadat (1983), Finders Keepers (1984), Enemy Mine (1985), Firewalker (1986), Iron Eagle (1986) and its sequels, A Gathering of Old Men (1987), The Principal (1987), The Father Clements Story (1987) Diggstown (1992), Return to Lonesome Dove (1993), Curse of the Starving Class (1994), A Good Man in Africa (1994), Ray Alexander (1994/95), Captive Heart: The James Mink Story (1996) Y2K (1999) and Lackawanna Blues (2005). Gossett was awarded an Emmy for his sensitive portrayal of "Fiddler" in Alex Haley's miniseries Roots (1977). He won a Golden Globe Award for HBO's The Josephine Baker Story (1991) and the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Sergeant Emil Foley in An Officer and a Gentleman (1982).

Gossett's community involvement began in 1964, when he received a grant with James Earl Jones and Paul Sorvino to begin a theatre group for trouble bound youth. Gossett, who often plays strong role models, frequently speaks to youth groups about manhood, drugs and life. Gossett is also partnered with Father George Clements to develop Shamba Centers to teach African American history and culture. Another Gossett project is Eracism, an anti racist effort. He is a currently sponsoring a Los Angeles anti-violence effort for 2005 called One Summer of Peace.

Gossett was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on March 30, 2005.