Louis Gossett Jr., the first Black man to receive the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, dies at the age of 87

 Louis Gossett Jr., the first Black man to receive the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, dies at the age of 87

Louis Gossett image source Facebook

Louis Gossett Jr., a Roots actor, won the 55th Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor for his role in An Officer and a Gentleman.

At the age of 87, Louis Gossett Jr., the first Black man to win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, passed away. Neal L. Gossett, his first cousin, verified the tragic news of his death on March 29.

The actor from the Roots miniseries passed away at a Santa Monica, California, rehabilitation facility. Although Gossett's exact cause of death is unknown, he had recently battled lung sickness and prostate cancer.