‘There Would Be No Me If There Was No Him’

Richard Gere and Colman Domingo salute Louis Gossett Jr., who brought grace to every character

Across his seven-decade career, Louis Gossett Jr., who died March 29 at 87, delivered one indelible performance after another — notably his Emmywinning portrayal of Fiddler in 1977’s “Roots” and his defining turn as hard-nosed drill sergeant Emil Foley in 1982’s “An Officer and a Gentleman.” With that performance, opposite Richard Gere’s cocky Navy cadet Zack Mayo, Gossett became the first Black actor to win a supporting actor Oscar. Here, Gere and Colman Domingo — who shared the screen with Gossett in 2023’s “The Color Purple” — pay tribute.

Colman Domingo

There is a moment in “The Color Purple” that our wunderkind director, Blitz Bazawule, set up for the great Louis Gossett Jr. and me that is one of the most memorable of my entire career.

It is a silent moment. Blitz saw something in one of our rehearsals and leaned into it. He allowed us to tap into something that only we as Black men can understand but may never be able to give words to. The camera lingered on us for longer than usual. So much being said, so much left unsaid. Just the depth of Lou and I staring straight into each other’s souls and bringing generations of Black men with us in that room. Our families. The history of slavery and its effects on the Black family. The women have left the Easter dinner table and left no crumbs as liberation takes hold in that hot Georgia home. In our eyes I felt horror, fear, trauma, pain, hurt, rage and regret.

The first day that I met Mr. Gossett, I said, “Thank you.” Because I knew that there would be no me if there was no him. I always looked to him and men who came from the theater, like me, who gave such dignity to heroes and villains. Every character had grace.

He brought years of experience, intelligence, good humor, light and love to our set. I felt a kinship with him. I called him “Daddy” the entire time since he was Ole Mista and I was his son.

When he wrapped, I kissed his hands twice. I asked Fantasia to sing a song of thank-you. He told us, “Knock ’em dead, now.” He had tears in his eyes. I couldn’t thank him enough for all that he had given. He ran his race for us. It is up to us to knock ’em dead, now.

Richard Gere

Lou was a sweetheart. He was a very gentle, sensitive and intelligent guy. He really cared about his craft, about creating a character. For our scenes, we had to have a real trust with each other, and that evolved very quickly. We could trust each other not just as fellow actors, but as fellow human beings.

As tough as Foley was, you always felt this warm heart beating in him. That’s why Lou was so effective in that role: He wasn’t just a tough guy; he was someone who really cared about all those kids that he was mentoring.

He worked hard to be Foley. He did 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, 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.

This wasn’t a movie that people had high expectations of. It was a small budget, an under-theradar production, but we all worked hard to bring out the best. We were all proud of the film, and Lou was proud of his work in it — and he should be! He was a humble guy. When he won his Oscar, we were pleased for him as an artist, and as a man.

Every once in a while, I hear people calling me from across the street — “Hey Mayo, Mayo-nnaise” — and that’s Lou.