Louis Gossett, Jr.

Following a successful career on stage, Gossett made the leap to the big screen in the 1961 film “A Raisin in the Sun,” reprising the role he’d played on Broadway. A number of film and television roles followed, but his profile grew substantially in 1977, when he starred in the landmark television miniseries, “Roots.” For his role as Fiddler, Gossett received the Emmy Ward for Outstanding Lead Actor for a Single Appearance in a Drama or Comedy Series.

In 1983, Gossett became the first black actor to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in “An Officer and a Gentleman.” His role as the tough Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley, a trainer at the U.S. Navy’s Aviation Officer Candidate School (AOCS), is one that had a special connection for many Pensacolians, as until 2007, AOCS was located at Naval Air Station Pensacola.

Since that time, Gossett has become a household name, with an incredible list of television and movie credits that includes “Jaws 3-D,” “Enemy Mine,” the “Iron Eagle” film series, “Toy Soldiers,” “Diggstown,” “Daddy’s Little Girl,” “Why Did I Get Married Too?,” “Sadat,” “Return to Lonesome Dove,” “Stargate SG-1,” “Hap and Leonard” and “Watchmen.” He has received a further seven Emmy Award nominations, most recently in 2020 for his role in HBO’s hit series, “Watchmen.”

A continued esteemed presence on the screen, Gossett will next be seen in the musical “The Color Purple,” opening nationwide in theaters on Christmas Day, and will be featured as a voice actor in the live action/animated fantasy-comedy “IF,” alongside live action stars Ryan Reynolds and John Krasinski, set for theatrical release in May.