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Actor Louis Gossett Jr. he loved Hollywood even if it didn’t love him back – Andscape

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For informal insiders, the Oscar is the important thing that opens the door to profession opportunities in Hollywood. But not all that glitters is gold in a spot built on creating and maintaining illusions. Take, for instance, Louis Gossett Jr., the Oscar winner who died on March 29 on the age of 87. It is widely believed that after winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1982 for , the classically trained actor’s phone rang. Unfortunately, this was not the case.

“After the Oscars, well, I’ve got plenty of time left.” Gossett said in 1989 “I thought I would get a lot of offers, but they didn’t come.”

And why would not he do it? Gossett was the second black man to win an Oscar since Sidney Poitier won best actor in 1963, and only the third black man. Box office success and significant acclaim must have made Gossett a hot commodity. But the phone didn’t ring for a very long time.

Louis Gossett Jr. he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role within the film An officer and a gentleman on the annual Academy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles on April 11, 1983.

“I didn’t work in films for another year.” Gosset said. “I do not think people were ready for me to win. I believed winning an Oscar meant, “I’m a millionaire!” And it never really meant 1,000,000 dollars for nothing.

When film roles finally got here his way, he was relegated to supporting roles, often filled by black actors. In Gossett’s heyday, there weren’t many opportunities for black artists, so saying “no” wasn’t at all times an option. However, he never allowed the size of production or the form of film to find out the extent of his performance. Whether it was a giant studio movie, a 3rd film, or a low-budget Chuck Norris motion movie (1986), Gossett maintained the identical energy. Even if it meant wearing prosthetics and makeup like he did in .

“Everyone turned down the role because you couldn’t see your face or eyes. “How can you give a performance?” So there’s just a little little bit of Lon Chaney Sr. in me (), you gotta try it” Gosset said. “That’s why I made this decision, because it was a challenge.”

There’s something cool, almost regal, about someone who devotes himself to all the things with the identical dedication, especially when there’s an Oscar hanging on the mantelpiece. Gossett was pleased with his work ethic and understood the racial elements of his career. He lamented the industry’s treatment of the typical black actor in 1989 and Hollywood’s “limited vision of what Negroes are.”

“Wizard storytellers – fool roles, roles in cop movies, roles in blaxploitation movies, trickster types, all the stereotypical Black characters, Black roles with white hats, dark glasses and chains around their necks,” Gossett said. He experienced unequal treatment behind the scenes during a dark period in his life.

Depressed, Gossett became hooked on drugs and alcohol when the bounty didn’t bring him what he wanted. He fought for leading roles and equal pay that did not materialize. He has reached what many consider to be the top of acting, but nothing has modified. “I said to myself, ‘What else can I do? Where is the light at the end of the tunnel? I started to self-destruct.” He noted how narrow the trail was for black actors in comparison with their white counterparts. He wrote about it in his memoirs:

“(They) were in a position to overcome worse problems through drugs, alcohol and self-destructive actions. There was hope for them of redemption and an even more successful profession after treatment, and their drug problem only added to their allure. But for a black man who was alleged to “mind his manners,” drugs were a everlasting stain. For me, the road was too narrow to permit for playing around.

Louis Gossett Jr. on stage during Center Theater Group’s fiftieth Anniversary Celebration on the Ahmanson Theater on May 20, 2017 in Los Angeles.

Rich Polk/Getty Images for Center Theater Group

As Rowan Pope famously said on a TV show, “We have to be twice as good as them to get half of what they have.” It’s the identical now as it was then. It says loads that what he experienced 40 years ago continues to be relevant today. Even after Gossett’s successful stint in rehab, the established order remained for a person who deserved higher. What does it say concerning the entertainment industry when a person who overcame his transgressions, treated every job as if it were his last, won so many accolades along the best way, and who envisioned a world of color-blind casting never had the possibility to attain what several his white co-stars did on film? What does it say about this man that he found himself in a greater place and overcame his bitterness?

Gossett loved Hollywood, even if it never fully loved him. An Academy Award signifies that the complete entertainment community recognizes someone’s talent and says, “We such as you. We really such as you. The same individuals who voted for him in 1983 over Charles Durning, John Lithgow, James Mason and Robert Preston hung him to dry when the ceremony was over and the champagne stopped flowing. Gossett hoped that television would change the situation and that when audiences saw Black people in diverse roles, it might turn the tide for higher film roles.

It finally happened.

Jason Gedrick (left) and Louis Gossett Jr. (right) within the scene with Iron Eagle in 1986

TriStar/Getty Images

Although his film profession never really took off, Gossett blazed a trail in television. Having someone of his height forged in non-stereotypical roles opened doors for those behind him. He showed off his comedy talent in . He voiced Lucius Fox within the animated series and a drill sergeant in . In the series, he played priests, reverends, private detectives, teachers and even a superhero.

This last point stands out because it’s hard to assume a world during which Regina King existed because the principal character if it weren’t for all the things Gossett achieved. It’s even harder to see someone apart from him play Will Reeves/Hooded Justice with righteous outrage at what was taken from him and the methods he selected to take it back. There is a Bible verse about how there may be a time for all the things. Gossett had his way when individuals who grew up watching him in every sequel and casting him of their shows or movies like in 2023.

These props didn’t arrive when he called, but they eventually arrived on time.

Marcus Shorter is a communications specialist and author. When he’s not writing ideas for Consequence, Cageside Seats, or Bloody Disgusting, he gets extremely nerdy about rap lyrics, politics, poetry, and comics.

This article was originally published on : andscape.com
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Entertainment

Kendrick Lamar Releases Surprise Album ‘GNX’; group chats are going crazy

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Kendrick Lamar, Kendrick Lamar GNX, GNX, GNX album, K-Dot, K-Dot GNX, theGrio.com

There are few things more exciting than receiving an infinite barrage of text messages at the very same time in numerous group chats. This normally implies that something vital has happened in popular culture. Well, the exact same thing happened about noon on November 22, within the yr of our Lord two thousand and twenty-four. Kendrick Lamar Duckworth, higher often called Kendrick Lamar, released the album “GNX”, nod towards Buick Grand National Regal GNXa rare muscle automobile released in 1987 – which also happens to be the yr Kendrick was born.

“GNX” is coming to the tip of what has been a banner yr for Kendrick Lamar. From epic diss records geared toward Drake, to creating the largest song of his profession (and a Drake diss track) on “Not Like Us”, to the “Pop Out” concert streaming live to tell the tale Amazon Prime, Kendrick won this yr. He even received seven Grammy nominations, mostly for “Not Like Us.” And this victory will proceed in the brand new yr. In September, it was announced that Kendrick would stay Super Bowl 2025 headliner will happen in New Orleans. This announcement sparked some controversy and comments from several New Orleans legends similar to Juvenile and most notably Lil Wayne, who felt disrespected; Kendrick immediately refers to this topic within the opening song of the album (all stylized in lower case), “wacced out murals”.

The thing is, Kendrick didn’t sleep for many of 2024. And then, while the remaining of us were minding our own business, listening to other albums that had just dropped, like Ice Cube’s “Man Down,” I began receiving text after text… and I knew that would only mean that something vital happened.

At this point in my life (and possibly even yours), Kendrick Lamar releases are a drop-everything-and-listen event. I immediately went to the streaming service, launched “GNX” and pressed “Play”.

I need to admit that the primary time I heard the album I used to be a bit confused. Kendrick has probably never been more popular or famous; if there was ever a time to drag a Kanye West and release his own version of “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” – an album largely produced as Kanye’s best and most representative of Kanye’s greatness – now could be the time. “GNX” has a far more modern West Coast vibe and is certainly more for his die-hard fans than anyone who just began gaining attention due to his beef with Drake. Maybe that was the purpose; possibly not.

Kendrick Lamar, Kendrick Lamar GNX, GNX, GNX album, K-Dot, K-Dot GNX, theGrio.com
Photo: Dave Free

Either way, I can imagine that folks whose favorite lines are “OV-Ho” won’t be immediately thrilled. I wasn’t immediately blown away (though very amused by how sensitive Kendrick is to what people say about him on social media, well, everyone), but as is all the time the case with Kendrick albums, repeated listens are likely to correct any immediate monotony that I even have about his projects. For example, now that I’ve listened to it just a few times, I can not wait to listen to black college bands playing “tv off” style, which seems like a cousin of “Not Like Us.” The Shoot, Bayou Classic, which also takes place yearly in New Orleans on Thanksgiving Day, stands out as the first time we hear a band playing “TV off.”

Since the album didn’t come out long enough to be reviewed, group chats and social media were abuzz with immediate reactions. This is the a part of music releases I really like, where everyone seems to be listening to the identical thing, offering premature takes that will not even delay the following day. I’m not different; I’m sure I’ll say something about this album that can sound silly by Monday. Shoot, I can have already done it. But that is what happens when great artists release music. We spend time with others after which we refer to them, analyze them, criticize them, praise them, destroy them and let all our prejudices fly free. Love it.

It’s value noting that certainly one of Drake’s diss tracks that did not appear during last summer’s fracas was titled “The Heart Part 6,” and was an apparent try to usurp Kendrick’s pre-album practice of removing a non-album song titled “The Heart.” Well, Kendrick has a song on his recent album called, you guessed it, “The Heart, Pt. 6,” which I feel will probably be released soon Drake. Good job, Kenny.

Argue.


Panama Jackson theGrio.com

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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New music this week: Tyla, Lola Brooke, Coco Jones and more – Essence

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Happy Friday, people! Whether you are drinking a warm beverage or preparing for a fun-filled weekend, this week’s latest music releases set the tone. From sensual R&B melodies to powerful hip-hop anthems, these songs have something for everybody.

Coco Jones leads the pack along with her seasonal album, and Tyla offers a heartfelt change of tone with “Tears.” Miguel’s smooth “Always Time” and Jorja Smith’s tender “Stay Another Day” showcase R&B at its finest, while Lola Brooke and Killer Mike turn up the warmth on “Go To Yo Head” and “Warryn’s Groove,” respectively. Today’s list also includes music from Eric Bellinger, Coi Leray, Blxst and more.

Below you possibly can read our list of latest products.

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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Serena Williams is cutting short divorce talks for a second time after the couple reunited and put months of rumors to rest

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Serena Williams and her husband Alexis Ohanian are still doing well despite months of unconfirmed divorce rumors.

On November 17, Williams and the Reddit co-founder took a walk down memory lane and tested one another by asking questions on themselves and their family in a recent promotional ad. The couple ate a few of their favorite meals and meanwhile checked their glucose levels using Hello Lingo, a glucose monitoring device.

Nearly five minutes into the recording, Williams tested her husband’s memory by asking, “Who said I love you first?”

Ohanian, who shares two daughters, Olimpia and Adira, with the tennis legend, responds quickly by saying, “Mmm,” before writing his answer on the board.

Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian recall who said “I love you” first amid divorce rumors. (Photo: Steve Granitz/FilmMagic)

“It’s like ‘The Newlywed Game,'” Williams said, writing down her answer, referring to the mid-Nineteen Sixties show “The Newlywed Game,” which tested couples who had been married for lower than two years to see if how much they learn about their relationship. amplifier.

Both Williams and Ohanian turn the board over to reveal their answers and, quite shockingly, they received two different answers. Ohanian wrote that Williams said it first, but Williams claims it was Ohanian.

“Come now. Are you going to lie about this? he declared to Williams, who responded with a laugh: “I said I would be honest.”

“That’s not an honest answer,” Ohanian continued. “I still keep in mind that phone call. Oh, you realize I felt the same, but you certainly said it first.

Williams joked: “My glucose levels were high. I ate some ice cream, my glucose level was too high. Then I tell this guy and I feel like saying things I would not normally say. The moment ended with Williams replaying how she told Ohanian those three special words.

Of course, there was no shortage of reactions from fans who showed their love for the couple and how well they interact of their normal element.

One YouTube commenter he wrote“It’s great to see Serena and Alexis in this normal environment, they are so lovely and have great charisma. I love them even more now and I feel great chemistry between them.”

Someone else said: “I liked this part. They seem to really like each other.”

However, as rumors swirled about problems of their marriage, one fan was confused by the video shared on Instagram.

“I thought I read that they got divorced?” he wrote one person in Williams’ comment section.

Someone else also addressed the rumors, writing: “Where are the haters who said divorce was imminent? Sometimes people will be crazy. Seriously, how are you going to even start assuming things like that about people you have never met?

This summer, fans began speculating that Williams and her seven-year marriage to Ohanian were in trouble after they noticed she hadn’t posted from him on her social media pages in some time.

Moreover, Ohanian was noticeably absent from the June premiere of the documentary “In the Arena: Serena Williams” and was also absent from her side at the Met Gala in May.

But they got back together this summer after they attended the Paris Olympics with their daughter Olympia in July.

Among the many viral moments spent with the Ohanian family, she organizes: umbrella for his wife and the European commentator – who didn’t realize he was her husband – and called Ohanian Serena’s “umbrella holder”.

The tech guru reacted to the moment hilariously by snapping a photo of himself holding an umbrella over himself and his daughter.

Ohanian joked, “I am also a personal Olympia umbrella owner. Sidebar: You all set the bar too low for me and celebrity daddies only get flowers for *admitting* they have kids.”

The proud dad is probably also Adira’s personal umbrella holder.


This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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