The actor passed away on Friday morning, according to a statement from his family.
In 1983, Gossett was nominated for a third black Oscar in the supporting actor category.
He was awarded for his portrayal as the formidable Marine drill instructor in the 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman, which starred Richard Gere and Debra Winger.
For the same part, he was also awarded a Golden Globe.
According to Gossett, “the Oscar gave me the ability to choose good parts in movies like Enemy Mine, Sadat, and Iron Eagle,” as stated in the 2024 book “50 Oscar Nights” by film scholar Dave Karger.
At the time, he claimed that his statue was being stored.
Gossett, who was born in Brooklyn, New York, on May 27, 1936, subsequently took the name Junior in honor of his father.
He began performing in school plays before making his Broadway debut in the play Take A Giant Step when he was sixteen years old.
