Being an under-the-radar production, which was made on a budget of $7M, no one expected An Officer and a Gentleman to be a humongous hit. But against all odds, the Richard Gere-led film went on to smash the box office upon its release, becoming a surprise hit, which not only racked in $190M but also garnered 2 Academy wins under his belt.
Among the two wins, one involved Louis Gossett Jr.’s Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, which made him the first Black actor in history to receive the honor in that category. But the actor’s greatness transcends far beyond what’s onscreen, as his costar Richard Gere dives deep into what made Gossett so special.
Richard Gere Recounts Louis Gossett Jr.’s Greatness
Starring in the Taylor Hackford-directed feature, Gere played the boy named Zack, who goes under rigorous training under the mentorship of Gossett Jr.’s Sergeant Foley. While tough on the outside, the character of Foley also had a “warm heart beating in him”, and this aspect of him was ameliorated by Louis Gossett Jr.‘s performance, as Gere recalled (via Variety):
“He was someone who really cared about all those kids that he was mentoring”.
The Pretty Woman Star further revealed the late actor, who passed away at 87 last Friday, put in a lot of research to perfect the part of Sergeant Foley, and would even spend time with a real-life drill sergeant. Further reflecting on his experience with the acclaimed actor, who wrote history with his performance, Gere stressed he couldn’t imagine anyone else in the shoes of Foley than the Roots Star.
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He recalled:
“He worked hard to be Foley. He did a lot of research and spent time with a drill sergeant from Pensacola who was working with us. Lou was on him like white on rice, picking up everything he could. Lou was very smart and single-minded in not socializing with us. I didn’t see another side of him [while filming], but I didn’t need to. Some actors are just knowable. Their basic humanity, no matter what they’re doing, comes through. Lou had that. He was a good guy, but he had to be tough on us — and he was super tough. I can’t imagine anyone better than him playing that part.”
The Unfaithful Star further lauded Gossett Jr. following his dedication to the craft, stating that he was the polar opposite of his onscreen persona, “a very gentle, sensitive and intelligent guy”. But most importantly Gossett Jr. was a team player.
Richard Gere Was Taken Aback After Earning Akira Kurosawa’s Validation
While not many had high expectations regarding this film, this didn’t stop them, especially Gossett from putting in the maximum effort, which even made it into Akira Kurosawa’s top 10 list.
Upon finding it was in the iconic director’s top 10, Richard Gere was reasonably surprised.
Gere recalled:
“It was a small budget, an under the radar production, but we all worked hard to bring out the best. I made a movie with director Akira Kurosawa [1991’s ‘Rhapsody in August’], and I was very surprised that he put ‘An Officer and a Gentleman’ on his top 10 list. But I could understand because there was this sense of honor, dignity, self-sacrifice and self-acceptance in the movie. And the primary agent of that was Lou.”
While Gossett is no longer among us, following his illustrious run in Hollywood, with his final work being The Color Purple, the Oscar winner’s legacy will continue to inspire and entertain millions.
An Officer and a Gentleman is available to stream on Max.
