Louis Gossett Jr., Oscar winner for “An Officer and a Gentleman,” has died at age 87.

(CNN) — Louis Gossett Jr., the film and television star who won an Oscar for his role in “An Officer and a Gentleman,” has died at the age of 87, his family said in a statement.

“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,” read a statement from the family shared by Cosette's publicist. .

Cosette made her acting debut as a teenager due to a basketball injury and signed up for acting classes, where she found her calling.

His first role on Broadway was at age 15, in a production of “Take a Giant Step.” Cosette continued to hone her craft with her eyes set on Hollywood. Takes acting classes With characters like Marilyn Monroe and Martin Landau.

But being a black actor is not easy.

“I had to learn what it took to survive in this city, and I had to act like second class,” he said. “I had to take responsibility for being an African-American person in America.”

Susan Sarandon and Christopher Reeves Louis Gossett Jr. won the 1982 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for their performance in “An Officer and a Gentleman.” (Bettmann Archive/Getty Images)

In 1961, Cosette made her film debut in “A Raisin in the Sun”. Later appeared in many films. 'Blaxploitation', But he struggled to land bigger roles until 1977, when he played a fiddler in the new television miniseries “Roots.” Her performance earned her an Emmy Award.

His brilliant portrayal of a marine instructor in “An Office and a Gentleman” in 1982. Gossett played tough military roles in the films “Iron Eagle” and the miniseries “Sadat”, where he played the late Egyptian leader.

In 1992, she won a Golden Globe Award for her portrayal of civil rights activist Sidney Williams in HBO's “The Josephine Baker Story.”

actor Diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2010 And it decided to go public with the news “to set an example for the large number of African American men who suffer from this disease because of the relatively low emphasis on preventive screenings and early treatment in our society.”

“I want to influence them, like me, to seek the best medical care and early detection available now,” he said at the time.

However, that didn't stop him from doing the work he loved. She had a decade of starring roles in TV shows like “Madam Secretary,” “Hop and Leonard” and HBO's “Watchmen.” He recently thrilled fans with his portrayal of the sturdy Ol' Mister in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical “The Color Purple.”