Louis Gossett Jr., 87, Dies; ‘An Officer and a Gentleman’ and ‘Roots’ Actor

In the Nineteen Sixties, he additionally carried out as a folks singer in Greenwich Village espresso homes. He and Richie Havens co-wrote the antiwar track “Handsome Johnny,” which Mr. Havens recorded in 1966 and later sang at Woodstock.

His dozens of characteristic movies included “The Landlord” (1970), through which he performed a person getting ready to madness; “Travels With My Aunt” (1972); and “The Deep” (1977), as a Bahamian drug supplier. His later movies included “Diggstown” (1992), through which he performed a boxer, and the film model of Sam Shepard’s “Curse of the Starving Class” (1994), through which he performed a bar proprietor.

Mr. Gossett made greater than 100 tv appearances, starting from lighthearted comedies like “The Partridge Family” to dramas like “Madam Secretary.” He performed the title position, a Columbia anthropology professor who investigates crimes, on the short-lived 1989 collection “Gideon Oliver.”

He additionally appeared in quite a few tv films, amongst them “The Lazarus Syndrome” (1978), a few heart specialist; “A Gathering of Old Men” (1987), a few Black man who kills in self-defense; “Strange Justice” (1999), concerning the Clarence Thomas Supreme Court affirmation course of (he performed the presidential adviser Vernon Jordan); and “Lackawanna Blues” (2005), primarily based on Ruben Santiago-Hudson’s play. His different TV-movie roles included the Egyptian chief Anwar Sadat and the baseball star Satchel Paige.

He continued to behave till final 12 months, when he was seen within the movie model of the Broadway musical “The Color Purple.”

Mr. Gossett’s marriage to Hattie Glascoe in 1964 lasted solely 5 months. He and Christina Mangosing married in 1973, had one baby and divorced after two years. His 1987 marriage to Cyndi James Reese resulted in divorce in 1992.

Mr. Gossett is survived by his sons, Satie and Sharron Gossett, and several other grandchildren.

In the Television Academy interview, Mr. Gossett urged fellow actors to assist impact political and social change in a disturbing world. “The arts can achieve it overnight,” he stated. “Millions of people are watching.” He added, “We can get to them quicker than anybody else.”

Michael S. Rosenwald contributed reporting.