First Black man to win supporting actor Oscar Louis Gossett Jr. dies at 87

Louis Gossett Jr., a groundbreaking actor, was the first black man to win both an Emmy and an Oscar in the supporting actor category. He achieved this distinction for his roles in the seminal TV miniseries "Roots" and the film "An Officer and a Gentleman," respectively. The news of his death was reported on Thursday night in Santa Monica, California, but no cause of death has been disclosed at this time. His family has requested condolences from the public. Gossett's historic accomplishments in the entertainment industry were first recognized with an Emmy win for "Roots" in 1977 and later with an Oscar win for "An Officer and a Gentleman" in 1982. In 1983, he became the third black actor to be nominated in the supporting actor category at the Oscars.