Louis Gossett Jr.
Birthday: 27 May 1936, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
Birth Name: Louis Cameron Gossett Jr.
Height: 189 cm
Louis Cameron Gossett Jr. was born on May 27, 1936 in Brooklyn, New York City. He made his professional acting debut at age 17, winning the Donaldson Award as best newcomer to theatre. He went to New ...Show More
[on about his absence from 1970s blaxploitation films] Sometimes it was by choice, sometimes by coin Show more
[on about his absence from 1970s blaxploitation films] Sometimes it was by choice, sometimes by coincidence. I did have other jobs during that entire era. Hide
I'm the first generation born in the north after the migration from the south to the north, so I gre Show more
I'm the first generation born in the north after the migration from the south to the north, so I grew up in a very diverse neighborhood. My parents knew all about lynchings and all that kind of stuff, but I didn't know anything about it. They kept an eye on me , they worried about me and slowly and surely I survived and was able to get them to this wonderful mentality of things going very well. Hide
[2010, on An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)] When I went in for that part, I don't know what my agen Show more
[2010, on An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)] When I went in for that part, I don't know what my agent said, but when I knocked on the door, he looked at me and said, "You've got the part". I didn't have to do anything. It was a case of "be careful what you ask for", because now that I've got the part, I've really got to deliver the goods. I took 30 days and went down to San Diego, where I studied drill instructors and studied with them for 28 of those days. Then I came to the set with one of them, and when I showed up, I said I was the DI. I had to move away from them, because they didn't take me seriously. So I didn't hang out with anybody. I just moved away...It took a bit of a toll. But I was getting ready to do anything in order to do that performance. It was my shot, and I was doing as much as I could to do a good performance. Hide
The Lord may not come when you want Him, but he's always going to be there on time.
The Lord may not come when you want Him, but he's always going to be there on time.
[on preparing to portray the historical life of black people] You have to make an adjustment. I reme Show more
[on preparing to portray the historical life of black people] You have to make an adjustment. I remember my elders and how we handled the hard times, and there's a lot of feeling that comes out of it, a lot of music that comes out of it. We got from one day to the next with a sense of humanity, joie de vivre - whatever it takes to get from night to the next day. You have to learn how to withstand it and get through it, break through it like water off a duck's back. Hide
[on his receiving an Academy Award] The only Oscar I ever knew was a cousin.
[on his receiving an Academy Award] The only Oscar I ever knew was a cousin.
[on his 9 year-old son Satie in 1983] As much energy and love I put into my acting, I put into him. Show more
[on his 9 year-old son Satie in 1983] As much energy and love I put into my acting, I put into him. I have to be careful he's not my shadow, that he can create his own personality and be what he wants. That means walking a tightrope as a parent. Hide
[2010, on coming close to being killed by the Manson Family] When I was living in Laurel Canyon, we Show more
[2010, on coming close to being killed by the Manson Family] When I was living in Laurel Canyon, we were there to welcome The Rolling Stones, and The Beatles were in town, and they were staying at the Chateau Marmont Hotel. We had taken pictures and were talking and stuff. Roman Polanski was there, and his wife, she was pregnant. It was a nice bunch of people. The Mamas and the Papas were there, the people I hung out with most of the time. So they said, "Everybody's going to have late coffee and breakfast at Roman Polanski's house". Right around the corner is where my house is, so I'm going to go to the house, take a shower, and put on some fresh clothes. I take a shower, put on some fresh clothes, and turn on the TV, and there the news is. So I dodged a bullet. Hide
[in 1983] Here I am, a black actor getting attention, and suddenly I'm asked to do "Othello." I'll d Show more
[in 1983] Here I am, a black actor getting attention, and suddenly I'm asked to do "Othello." I'll do "Richard III, I'll do "Macbeth," but I don't have any interest in doing "Othello." James Earl Jones is good enough for me. Hide
[2010, on The Landlord (1970)] Hal Ashby was a great man. A great man. I had some great experiences Show more
[2010, on The Landlord (1970)] Hal Ashby was a great man. A great man. I had some great experiences with Hal and Diana Sands and Beau Bridges and Pearl Bailey and Lee Grant. We had a very good time. For a lot of us, it was our first major motion picture, and we had a ball. An absolute ball. My favorite scene is when "Copee" goes crazy. It's a magic scene there. I was very satisfied with that performance. That entire movie. Hide
When I'm offered a role, I look at what I think I can do with it. I look to see if I can project mys Show more
When I'm offered a role, I look at what I think I can do with it. I look to see if I can project myself into it. Hide
[1983 interview] What happens in real life should be represented on the screen, but it isn't. Just g Show more
[1983 interview] What happens in real life should be represented on the screen, but it isn't. Just glance inside a restaurant, or look out onto the streets. You will see more black people there than you do on the screen. In that sense the movies are letting us down. Hide
I can do more than anyone suspects. I pride myself on my versatility. It took 32 years of difficult Show more
I can do more than anyone suspects. I pride myself on my versatility. It took 32 years of difficult parts, second leads, villains and juveniles. The Oscar changed the quality of the roles I was being offered. Hide
[2010, on filming Enemy Mine (1985)] That was a challenge. I prefer a challenge, because when you've Show more
[2010, on filming Enemy Mine (1985)] That was a challenge. I prefer a challenge, because when you've done that, you've done something. That was something where nobody could see my face or my eyes; I was giving somebody a performance through that makeup. That was six months in Germany. A lot of pain in the eyes and stuff. Hide
If a role isn't different, it's not worth doing.
If a role isn't different, it's not worth doing.
[2010, on winning the Oscar for An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)] It did create a lot of opportunit Show more
[2010, on winning the Oscar for An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)] It did create a lot of opportunities, but I thought there would be more. I thought it would be a windfall. But it wasn't. It was what it was. It only affected me for a little while, and then it stopped affecting me. I just come out the other end. Hide
Louis Gossett Jr.'s FILMOGRAPHY
as Actor (295)
Louis Gossett Jr.'S roles
Lloyd Marr
Gerak
Porter
Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley
Fiddler
Leo Porter
Henry Hill
'Honey' Roy Palmer
Jeriba 'Jerry' Shigan
Dean Parker
Cool Papa Bell
Jake Berkowitz
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