Following the news that Louis Gossett Jr. passed away at the age of 87, Richard Gere paid a heartfelt tribute to his late An Officer and a Gentleman co-star.
In a statement provided to Deadline, Gere spoke about Gossett’s dedication to his An Officer and a Gentleman role.
“He stayed in character the whole time,” Richard Gere said. “I don’t think we ever saw him socially. He was the drill sergeant 24-hours a day, and it showed clearly in his performance. He drove every scene he was in.”
Gere then declared that Gossett was a “tough guy with a heart of gold.”
“We were all so proud of him when he won his Oscar,” Gere added.
Louis Gossett Jr. was the first Black man to win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Another role he was best known for is Fiddler in Roots. He starred in the 1977 miniseries with LeVar Burton, John Amos, and Leslie Uggams.
His other roles were Iron Eagle, Jaws 3, Firewalker, and The Punisher.
His family released a statement about his passing. “It is with our heartfelt regret to confirm our beloved father passed away this morning. We would like to thank everyone for their condolence at this time. Please respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time.”
The cause of Gossett’s death has not been disclosed.
‘An Officer and a Gentleman’ Director Also Speaks Out About Lous Gossett Jr’s Dedication to the Film
Along with Richard Gere, An Officer and a Gentleman director Taylor Hackford also spoke out about Gossett’s dedication to his role.
“Lou Gossett’s Sargent Foley may have been the first Black character in American cinema to have absolute authority over white characters,” Hackford stated. “The Academy recognized his consummate performance by voting him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. He definitely deserved it.”
Although Gossett’s character was originally written for a White man, Hackford revealed the change was done after he visited the Navy Officers Flight Training Center in Pensacola, Florida. He shared he learned “many of the Drill Instructors there were men of color.”
During his 2010 interview with Counter Punch, Gossett opened up about the changes the original script had done. He then shared how the Marines didn’t like the outcome of the big fight between Foley and Mayo. They demanded changes needed to be done to the script.
“The Marines changed it,” he said. “They said that an enlisted man would never beat up a drill sergeant. We’ll tear the place up unless you change it. They said. ‘If you don’t do this well, Mr. Gosset, we’re going to have to kill you.”