Celebrities and social media react to the death of Louis Gossett Jr., the first black man to win the Oscar for best supporting actor

The world is reacting to the loss of one of its most legendary actors and the first black man to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, Louis Gossett Jr. He was 87 years old.

According to the Associated Press, Gossett died in Santa Monica, California on the morning of March 29. The cause of his death was not revealed.

Gossett began his acting profession in highschool in the Brooklyn production of “You Can’t Take It With You” after an injury on his highschool basketball team. An English teacher, who was 16 at the time, persuaded him to audition for “Take a Giant Step” in Manhattan, and he landed the role, making his Broadway debut in 1953.

In his 2010 memoir, “An Actor and a Gentleman,” he wrote: “I was hooked – and so was my audience. … I didn’t know enough to be nervous. In retrospect, I should have been scared to death walking onto that stage, but I wasn’t.

Gossett attended New York University on scholarships in basketball and theater, and later studied acting with Marilyn Monroe, Steve McQueen and Martin Landau at the Actors Studio. He later starred with Sidney Poitier and Ruby Dee in the 1959 Broadway production of “A Raisin in the Sun.” Gossett also starred in the 1961 film version and went on to appear in over 50 films.

In 1977, Gossett played Fiddler in the groundbreaking miniseries about slavery, Roots, with John Amos, Ben Vereen and LeVar Burton. The Broadway star won an Emmy for her role and in 1982 starred as Sgt. Emil Foley in “An Officer and a Gentleman” – a role that won him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, making him the first black man to win an Oscar in that category in 1983.

The Oscar winner later told CBS News that he didn’t hear his name called after winning the coveted award.

“My agent punched me in the chest and said, ‘They mentioned your name!’ I had to look at him because I thought I was sleeping,” Gossett said. “I looked around and there was applause. This shouldn’t be possible. So it’s a piece of history.” Gossett also won a Golden Globe for his role.

Gosset also starred in quite a few television shows and movies, including “The Iron Eagle” and three motion movie sequels. He also starred in movies corresponding to “Diggestown”, “The Josephine Baker Story”, “A Good Man in Africa”, “Why Did I Get Married Too?” and “The Book of Negroes,” to name a number of.

In 2023, Gossett also starred in a musical version of “The Color Purple” as the grumpy patriarch. The film also starred Fantasia Barrino, Colman Domingo and David Alan Grier, with all three sharing touching tributes to the legendary actor on social media.

Barrino shared a post that included a photograph of the duo on the set of “The Color Purple,” in addition to a video of her serenading Gossett on the last day of filming.

“Louis Gossett Jr., what a wonderful man you were and the stories you told us, I will never forget,” she said. he wrote. “You left so many marks for us and paved the way for Black Actors and Actresses. We will miss you, but Man, you lived a Blessed Life. #We loveyouforever.”

Domingo also shared a post on the site signature, “We have lost a true great. A true legend. What an honor it was to present him flowers on his last day of work on his final film, The Color Purple, in which he played my father. Fantasia sang it best… He ran the race for us. We are eternally indebted. May we stand firmly on His shoulders. Pick it up today. TEAR”

Grier shared the story about Gossett years ago at the Toronto Film Festival.

“Rest in peace Lou Gossett Jr., one of my favorite acting heroes. I met him many years ago at the Toronto Film Festival,” he says he wrote. “I left at 2 a.m. when he wished me good evening and walked down the street with the girls by my side. The next morning I saw him at breakfast, looking as fresh as a daisy. He winked at me and said, “You couldn’t hang yourself, could you?” My man!!!!!!”

Tyler Perry, who directed Gossett in “Why Did I Get Married Too?” he also paid tribute to Gossett on social media.

“It’s always hard to say goodbye to a legend! Thank you, my friend, not only for giving me the opportunity to work with you, but also for all the amazing work you have done for us,” he added he wrote. “May your soul rest in perfect peace. God bless you!”

Fans also expressed their condolences on social media.

“It’s painful. Like a family member growing up in our home. RIP Louis Gossett JR.” recorded one fan on X. “We lost a true legend today. Rest in power, Louis Gossett Jr.” added other.

Gossett is survived by two sons, Satie and Sharron.