An Actor and a Gentleman

Louis Gossett, Jr., Phyllis Karas

Wiley, Apr 16, 2010 - Biography & Autobiography - 320 pages

Award-winning African American actor Lou Gossett Jr. takes an unvarnished look at the daunting challenges and incredible triumphs of his fifty-five year career

Louis Gossett Jr. is one of the most respected African American stage and screen actors, who rose to fame with his Emmy-winning role in the television miniseries Roots and Oscar-winning performance in An Officer and a Gentleman. Now he tells the story of his fifty-plus years in the entertainment world—from his early success on the New York stage appearing with Ruby Dee and Sidney Poitier in A Raisin in the Sun, through his long Hollywood career working alongside countless stars, including Marilyn Monroe and Dennis Quaid. He writes frankly of his struggle to get leading roles and fair pay as a black man in Hollywood, his problems with drugs and alcohol that took years to overcome, and his current work to eradicate racism and violence and give our children a better future.

• Includes revealing stories and reminiscences involving famous performers, including Sidney Poitier, Paul Newman, Shirley Booth, Sammy Davis Jr., Steve McQueen, Richard Gere, Maggie Smith, Halle Berry, and Gena Rowlands
• Spans half a century of American theater and film history, people, and performances
• Highlights the problem of racism in Hollywood and the challenges faced by African American actors from the 1950s and 1960s onward

An Actor and a Gentleman penetrates the celebrity glitz and glamour to offer an honest, heartfelt portrayal of the African American experience both in Hollywood and the New York theater world, as told by one of the nation's most enduring and highly esteemed actors.

What people are saying

Review: An Actor and a Gentleman

User Review  - Adodom - Goodreads

The first chapter got me. I was angry, burning hot with anger before realizing what he was describing actually happened to him in the 60s while here in Los Angeles. It seemed so current and ...

Review: An Actor and a Gentleman

User Review  - Bridgit Brown - Goodreads

I met Mr. Gossett when his book first came out. I was touched by his story and found that while his relationship with Hollywood began in the 50s and 60s, still black men/actors struggle with race issues there.

About the author

LOUIS GOSSETT JR. is one of the most respected African American actors of stage, screen, and television. He made his Broadway debut at age seventeen in Take a Giant Step, winning the Donaldson Award as the year's best newcomer. His Emmy-winning 1977 performance in the landmark miniseries Roots made him a star, and in 1982 he won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in An Officer and a Gentleman. In 2006 he started Eracism, a foundation dedicated to eradicating racism, violence, and ignorance and especially to creating 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.

PHYLLIS KARAS is a professor at Boston University's School of Journalism and has written several books, including the New York Times bestseller Brutal: The Untold Story of My Life Inside Whitey Bulger's Irish Mob and The Onassis Women.

Bibliographic information

• Title: An Actor and a Gentleman
• Authors: Louis Gossett, Jr., Phyllis Karas
• Publisher: Wiley, 2010
• ISBN: 0470620935, 9780470620939
• Length: 320 pages
• Subjects: Biography & Autobiography / Cultural Heritage; Biography & Autobiography / Entertainment & Performing Arts