First Black Oscar-winner Louis Gossett dies at 87

Louis Gossett Jr., the first Black man to win an Oscar as a supporting actor and an Emmy for his spectacular role in the TV miniseries Roots, died at the age of 87, with no cause of death being revealed.

The late actor’s nephew exclusively told Associated Press that Louis died on Thursday, March 28 in Santa Monica, California.

The actor termed his early career as a reverse ‘Cinderella story,’ with success chasing him at an early age and propelling him forward towards his first Academy Award for An Officer and a Gentleman.

This not only served as a huge milestone in his career but also crowned him the first Black male to receive an Oscar.

From winning his first acting credit in his Brooklyn high school’s production of You Can’t Take It with You to accepting awards like Oscar and Emmy, Gossett’s career took a huge leap.

Speaking of his big win, beating all odds, the late actor wrote about it in his memoir An Actor and A Gentleman.

He said: "More than anything, it was a huge affirmation of my position as a Black actor.”

Gossett made guest appearances on various shows, including Bonanza, The Rockford Files, The Mod Squad, McCloud, and The Partridge Family.