Key Points
Roots actor Louis Gossett Jr won the Best Supporting actor at the 55th Oscars for his performance in An Officer and a Gentleman.. Louis Gossett Jr, the first Black man to secure an Oscar for the Best Supporting Actor title, died at 87..
The miniseries Roots actor died at a rehabilitation centre in Santa Monica, California..
The charismatic Brooklyn-born actor also landed an Emmy win in 1977 for his role in the miniseries Roots, based on Alex Haley's novel..
In addition to being the first Black Best Supporting Actor Oscar winner, he was also the first Black actor to score an overall Academy win since Sidney Poitier's 1953 honour..
Despite his well-seated magnetism as an actor, White filmmakers subjected him to pigeonholed characterisations, remarking that he wasn't behaving Black enough on camera..
