Title: An Actor and a Gentleman

ISBN: 978047054713

Topic/Genre:  Biography

Publication Date: April 16, 2010

Price: $26.95

Availability:  Ongoing

No fee

Louis Gossett, Jr. is one of the most respected African-American actors of stage, screen, and television. He made his broadway debut at age 17 in Take a Giant Step, winning the Donaldson Award as the year’s best newcomer.  A basketball player in high school, he maintained his interest in the sport while working steadily on state and television and was drafted by the Knicks but decided to pursue his acting career.  He did not become a bona fide star until his Emmy-winning performance in the landmark mini-series Roots  (1977).  Then in 1982, he one a best supporting actor Oscar for An Officer and a Gentleman. In 2007, he started Eracism, a foundation dedicated to eradicating racism, violence, and ignorance and especially to create programs to give children at risk a helping hand. He was heavily involved in campaigning for Barack Obama, especially raising money and involving other celebrities in the campaign. Co-author Phyllis Karas is a professor at Boston University’s School of Communications and has written several books, including Brutal: The Untold Story of My Life Inside Whitey Bulger’s Irish Mob (2006, HarperCollins) and The Onassis Women (1998, Penguin).

Author Website:

http://www.louisgossett.com/