The American actor Louis Gossett Jr., one of the most recognized supporting actors in American cinema during the 1980s, thanks to his performances in ‘An Officer and a Gentleman’ — which earned him an Oscar in 1982 — ‘Enemy Mine’ and the ‘Steel Eagle’ war film franchise, has died at the age of 87.
The actor’s death has been confirmed by his nephew to the TMZ news portal and later verified by his family in a statement collected by CNN.
“We are truly sorry to confirm that our beloved father passed away this morning. We would like to thank everyone for their condolences at this time. Please respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time,” according to the family statement.
The actor’s family has not revealed the cause of death, but Gossett himself announced in 2010 that he had prostate cancer.
