Biography
Having been an acclaimed performer on stage and decorated for his work on screen, actor Louis Gossett, Jr. was unable to sustain the kind of quality career worthy of someone who has won both an Emmy and Academy Award. After making a splash on Broadway while only 16 years old, Gossett made his name with acclaimed performances in "The Desk Set" (1955) and "A Raisin in the Sun" (1959), while making slower strides on television and in feature …
Louis Gossett SlideShow
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Career Milestones
| Co-starred as the alien Dehay (alias Walt Shepherd) on NBC sci-fi series, "The Powers of Matthew Star" | ||
| Raised in Brooklyn, New York | ||
| Starred as Dr MacArthur St Clair on the short-lived ABC medical series "The Lazarus Syndrome" | ||
| Was a nightclub singer at the Bitter End, Folk City, Gaslight Club, Black Pussy Cat and Cafe Id in New York during the 1960s | ||
1953 | Broadway debut, "Take a Giant Step" | |
1954 | TV debut on "Philco Television Playhouse" | |
1955 | Returned to Broadway supporting Shirley Booth in "The Desk Set" | |
1959 | Received an offer to play for the New York Knicks but turned it down to take a stage role in "A Raisin in the Sun" | |
1961 | Film debut, "A Raisin in the Sun" | |
1964 | Acted on Broadway in musical version of "Golden Boy", starring Sammy Davis Jr | |
1968 | Played Willie Nurse on Broadway in Sidney Poitier's directorial debut, "Carry Me Back to Morningside Heights" | |
1969 | Wrote protest song, "Handsome Johnny", performed by Richie Havens at Woodstock music festival | |
1970 | TV series regular on "The Young Rebels" (ABC), set during the American Revolutionary War era; played blacksmith Isak Poole | |
1972 | Provided comic relief in George Cukor's "Travels With My Aunt", playing Maggie Smith's fortune-telling companion | |
1975 | Acted alongside James Earl Jones and Cicely Tyson in "The River Niger", a feature film based on the 1972 Tony-winning play | |
1977 | Played Fiddler on the landmark ABC miniseries "Roots"; garnered Emmy Award | |
1981 | Portrayed legendary baseball pitcher Satchel Paige in ABC movie "Don't Look Back" | |
1982 | Won Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor for his performance as the tough drill sergeant in "An Officer and a Gentleman" | |
1983 | Earned an Emmy nomination for his portrayal of Anwar Sadat in the synicated miniseries "Sadat" | |
1985 | Offered a feature sci-fi turn as the lizard-like Jeriba Shiban in "Enemy Mine" | |
1986 | Created the role of Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair in "Iron Eagle"; reprised role in two feature sequels and one TV-movie | |
1987 | Picked up another Emmy nomination for his performance in "A Gathering of Old Men" (CBS) | |
1988 | Reprised his Emmy-winning role as Fiddler in the ABC holiday TV-movie, "Roots: The Gift" | |
1989 | Starred as an anthropologist in the rotating ABC adventure series "Gideon Oliver" | |
1992 | Played 'Honey' Roy Palmer in "Diggstown", with Bruce Dern and James Woods; then-wife Cyndi played on-screen wife | |
1994 | First producing credit (as co-executive producer), the NBC movie "Ray Alexander: A Taste for Justice"; also starred | |
1996 | Executive produced and starred in two Showtime movies, "Inside", directed by Arthur Penn, and "Run For the Dream: The Gail Devers Story", in which he played track coach Bob Kersee | |
1997 | Co-produced and starred in feature film "Managua" | |
1997 | Executive produced and starred in the TV-movies "To Dance With Olivia" (CBS) and "In His Father's Shoes" (Showtime); latter won a Daytime Emmy as Outstanding Children's Special | |
1998 | Featured in "Bram Stoker's Legend of the Mummy", aired on HBO | |
1998 | Narrated the AMC special "Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood" | |
1998 | Was executive producer and star of the Showtime original thriller "The Inspectors"; reprised role and producer duties in the 2000 sequel "The Inspectors 2: A Shred of Evidence" | |
1999 | Contributed to the Showtime anthology drama "Love Songs", directing the "A Love Song For Champ" segment and acting in the other two segments of the dramatic trilogy | |
1999 | Played Vernon Jordan in the Showtime original film "Strange Justice" | |
2000 | Executive produced and starred in the CBS TV-movie "The Color of Love: Jacey's Story" | |
2000 | Played the tough owner of a telemarketing firm with a cameo in the Canadian independent thriller "The Highwayman" | |
2001 | Starred in and was executive producer of the sequel "For Love of Olivia" | |
2002 | Returned to Broadway playing Billy Flynn in the long-running revival of "Chicago"; left production after about a week reportedly due to ill health | |
2005 | Cast in the HBO original movie "Lackawanna Blues" based on Ruben Santiago-Hudson autobiographical one man show | |
2005 | Had a recurring role in "Stargate SG-1" | |
2007 | Starred in Tyler Perry's "Daddy's Little Girls" | |
Awards
1977 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor For a Single Appearance In a Drama or Comedy Series in Roots |
1978 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Continuing or Single Performance By a Supporting Actor In Variety or Music in Ben Vereen: His Roots |
1979 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor In a Limited Series or a Special in Backstairs at the White House |
1981 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in Palmerstown U.S.A. |
1982 | Academy Award for Actor In a Supporting Role in An Officer and A Gentleman |
1982 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture in An Officer and A Gentleman |
1983 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television in Sadat |
1984 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor In a Limited Series or a Special in Sadat |
1987 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor In a Miniseries or a Special in A Gathering of Old Men |
1991 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television in The Josephine Baker Story |
1997 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor In a Drama Series in Touched By an Angel |