Officer and a Gentleman Star Remembering Louis Gossett Jr. – “It’s a humble miracle”

The great black actor Louis Gossett Jr. passed away today at 87. And he was truly a great actor, with iconic roles, including his Oscar award in 1987 for his starring role opposite Richard Gere in an Officer and a Gentlemen.

But to me he will always be the inimitable presence in my personal favourites as a down-on-his-luck boxer in Diggstown and the friend and jet fighter pilot in Iron Eagle.

In addition, because he was a very shrewd and decent man in his personal life, thus never garnering headlines or attention for bad behaviour or misdeeds; he is estimated to have died with a net worth of over 5 million dollars.

Though I am a Socialist, and not praiseworthy of anyone’s riches; it does show he was successful and maintained that success throughout his life and career.

At a BET awards ceremony, Louis sat down for a quick interview, calling how what fans have remembered and said of his past work as “A humble miracle. It’s very nice.”

May he rest in peace.

Louis Gossett Jr. (1936–2024)

\\Photo credit: A scene from Iron Eagle, 1986, published here with permission via an internet license. Permission granted by Alamy.