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A few months ago, veteran character actor Louis Gossett Jr, who got his acting start in Broadway productions back in 1950s (including Take a Giant Step and a 1959 production of A Raisin in the Sun where he shared the stage with Sidney Poitier), passed away at 87. While we have to get used to the fact that our favorite actors are all human, and like all of us, eventually pass away, it can’t help but hurt anytime we lose a legend like this. But he leaves behind a rich legacy, so let’s look back at five of his coolest roles.

An Officer and a Gentleman:

Louis Gossett Jr. won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley in this, and became the first African-American actor to win an Academy Award in that category in the process. Next to R. Lee Ermey in Full Metal Jacket,...

Denzel Washington is currently receiving all the praise from critics for his role as Macrinus in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II. The film has yet to hit the theaters but critics have given a positive verdict to the sequel of Russell Crowe’s Oscar-winning film. During the promotion of this movie, Washington hinted at one thing that has made his fans sad and excited at the same time.

Denzel Washington in a still from Gladiator II | Credits: Paramount Pictures

It appears that the actor has only a handful of films under his belt, after which he plans to say goodbye to his acting career. He shared that he was excited to play some iconic characters in these upcoming films, which has given fans a lot to be excited about.

Denzel Washington Hints At Retirement After A Handful Of Great Films Denzel Washington in a still from The Equalizer | Credits: Columbia Pictures

Denzel Washington,...

“Asian Persuasion,” the film directing debut of three-time Tony Award- and Grammy-winning producer Jhett Tolentino, has set North American distribution and will have a sales launch at the imminent American Film Market.

Hawaii-based Scatena & Rosner Films has acquired the worldwide rights to the romantic comedy. The film tells the story of a lovable underachiever who hatches an outrageous scheme to avoid paying alimony to his fashion-executive ex-wife.

Scatena & Rosner Films will release the film itself in the North American or ‘domestic’ market and has earmarked a Spring 2025 date. The company will begin rights licensing in all other territories from next week’s AFM in Las Vegas (Nov. 5-10).

The film was written by Mike Ang. It stars an ensemble cast, including Dante Basco (“Hook”), Kc Concepcion (“Boy Golden: Shoot to Kill”), Kevin Kreider (“Bling Empire”), and Paolo Montalban (“Cinderella”).

“Asian Persuasion” is produced under the Jhett Tolentino Productions banner...

The Broadway revival of Thornton Wilder‘s “Our Town” opened Oct. 10 to rave reviews. This imaginative restaging of this American classic by Tony-winning director Kenny Leon (“A Raisin in the Sun”) is sure to be a strong contender at the Tony Awards next June. The 1988 remounting of this Pulitzer Prize winner won Best Revival while the 2002 version earned Paul Newman his only Tony nomination,

Newman was the Stage Manager, the narrator of this tale of small-town folk at the turn of the 20th century, played in this production by four-time Emmy champ Jim Parsons (“The Big Bang Theory”). Parsons was a Tony contender last season for his featured turn in Paula Vogel‘s “Mother Play.” He was singled out by many critics for his role as ringmaster. And many of the reviews made special mention of the set design by two-time Tony winner Beowulf Boritt and lighting by four-time Tony nominee Allen Lee Hughes.

Apple TV+ has announced the programming that will be added to the streaming service next month. The Apple TV Plus October 2024 lineup includes Before, Curses! Season 2, Disclaimer, The Last of the Sea Women, Shrinking Season 2, Tú También lo Harías, and Where’s Wanda.

Apple TV+ offers premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, and kids and family entertainment. It is available to watch across all of a user’s favorite screens.

Shrinking Season 2 Apple TV Plus October 2024 Schedule

Available October 2

Where’s Wanda? (Comedy Series)

“Where’s Wanda?” is an eight-episode German-language dark comedy produced by UFA Fiction, starring International Emmy Award nominee Heike Makatsch (“Love Actually”), German Comedy Award winner Axel Stein (“The Vault”), multiple award-winning actress Lea Drinda (“The Gryphon”), newcomer Leo Simon, entrepreneur, actress, and author Nikeata Thompson (“How to Dad”), presenter and actress Palina Rojinski (“Welcome to Germany”), Kostja Ullmann (“My Blind Date With Life...

Today, Apple TV+ released the trailer for season two of Curses!, the thrilling and spooky adventure series for kids from DreamWorks Animation. The second season premieres globally on Friday, October 4.

Curses! follows Pandora, Russ, and Sky Vanderhouven, a family cursed by their ancestors’ pillaging of ancient artifacts from across the globe in which the father, Alex, was turned to stone.

After reversing the curse on an adventure of a lifetime, the second season picks up with Alex rejoining the family as they continue working to undo the damage done by their greedy ancestors.

But when something about Alex doesn’t seem quite right, the family must band together to solve the mysteries that confront them, both on the road and within the walls of Briarstone Manor.

The second season of Curses! features the returning voice talents of Emmy Award nominee Gabrielle Nevaeh (Monster High) as Pandora, Andre Robinson (The Loud House) as Russ,...

Wolfgang Petersen's 1985 sci-fi film "Enemy Mine" was beset with production problems and bogged down by massive marketing costs. The film's original director, Richard Loncraine (1995's "Richard III"), reportedly butted heads with producer Stephen Friedman and walked off the set after only a week of shooting. Petersen stepped in after that, moving the production to Germany and starting over. A film that was supposed to boast a modest budget of only $17 million ended up costing over $29 million.

"Enemy Mine" was then released into the very busy 1985 holiday season, competing with "Out of Africa," "The Color Purple," "Legend," "Clue," and "The Jewel of the Nile." Audiences, it seems, weren't in the mood for a modest sci-fi yarn, and stayed away in droves. "Enemy Mine" also opened alongside Terry Gilliam's dystopian nightmare "Brazil" and Richard Attenborough "A Chorus Line," but those films similarly tanked.

Additionally, the reviews for "Enemy Mine" were only middling at best.

Genius: MLK/X executive producer Reggie Rock Bythewood, in accepting the award for best limited series/special at the 6th Annual African American Film Critics Association (Affca) TV Honors Saturday afternoon, made a political plea to attendees as he and the producing team of the National Geographic series, which includes wife Gina Prince-Bythewood, noted the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X’s historic meeting in the halls of the U.S. Capitol building in 1964.

“Sixty years later, let’s pick up the baton, let’s organize, let’s elect Vice President Kamala Harris as the next President of the United States,” Bythewood told guests. “And by any means necessary, let’s continue to realize the dream.”

Aafca’s TV Honors was held Saturday at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in the same ballroom where the Academy Awards were first held 95 years ago. The association presented a total of...

Exclusive: Tony-nominated composer Branford Marsalis (Fences) is joining a revised music team for the upcoming fall Broadway production of A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical to create new musical arrangements and orchestrations, producers said today.

The new team, which also includes music supervisor Daryl Waters, dance music arranger Zane Mark and music director Darryl G. Ivey, replaces Annastasia Victory and Michael O. Mitchell who served those functions at the show’s pre-Broadway engagements last year in New Orleans and Chicago.

A spokesman for the production declined comment on the reasons for the switch.

The musical, starring Tony-winner James Monroe Iglehart (Disney’s Aladdin) as the groundbreaking jazz great, begins previews at Studio 54 on Wednesday October 16 ahead of an opening date of Monday November 11.

In its announcement about the Marsalis hire, producers, including singer-actor Vanessa Williams, described the new team as “powerhouse” and New Orleans native Marsalis as a virtuosic...

Tubi, Fox’s free streaming service, has announced its list of August titles. The Tubi August 2024 slate features new Tubi Originals and numerous action, art house, Black cinema, comedy, documentary, drama, horror, kids and family, romance, sci-fi and fantasy, thriller, and Western titles.

As a leading ad-supported video-on-demand service, the company engages diverse audiences through a personalized experience and the world’s largest content library: over 200,000 movies and TV episodes, a growing collection of Tubi Originals, and nearly 250 Fast channels.

You can watch the Tubi August 2024 lineup for free on Android and iOS mobile devices, Amazon Echo Show, Google Nest Hub Max, Comcast Xfinity X1, and Cox Contour.

You can also watch the service on connected television devices such as Amazon Fire TV, Vizio TVs, Sony TVs, Samsung TVs, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, Android TV, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and on the Tubi site.

Tubi Originals

Documentary

Defying Death:...

“The Bear,” “The Chi,” Ayo Edebiri and Wendell Pierce are among the winners announced Monday for the Sixth Annual Aafca TV Honors recognizing distinguished achievement in television and streaming, with a special focus on the Black diaspora. Presented by the African American Film Critics Association. The honors also celebrate individuals and their standout contributions to television. The Aafca Honors ceremony will take place August 24 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles.

Winners in the competitive categories are:

Best Documentary – “Black Twitter: A People’s History”

Best Ensemble – “Masters of the Air”

Best Limited Series/Special – “Genius: MLK/X”

Best New Show – “Bookie”

Best TV Acting (Female) – Ayo Edebiri (“The Bear”)

SEEWatch 10 exclusive Aafca Awards 2024 red carpet interviews: Colman Domingo, Ava DuVernay, Cord Jefferson and more …

Best TV Acting (Male) – Wendell Pierce (“Elsbeth”)

Best TV Comedy – “Unprisoned”

Best TV Directing – Channing Godfrey Peoples (“Genius: MLK/X – Episode 401 ‘Graduation'”)

Best TV...

The Chi, Unprisoned and Bookie are among the winners of the Sixth Annual Aafca TV Honors, which celebrate distinguished achievements in television and streaming.

Hosted by the African American Film Critics Association, the honors also celebrate individuals for their work in the industry and beyond. The ceremony will take place Aug. 24 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles.

Winners in the competitive categories are:

Best Documentary – Black Twitter: A People’s History

Best Ensemble – Masters of the Air

Best Limited Series/Special – Genius: MLK/X

Best New Show – Bookie

Best TV Acting (Female) – Ayo Edebiri (The Bear)

Best TV Acting (Male) – Wendell Pierce (Elsbeth)

Best TV Comedy – Unprisoned

Best TV Directing – Channing Godfrey Peoples (Genius: MLK/X – Episode 401 “Graduation)

Best TV Drama – The Chi

Best Writing – The Bear

Breakout Star – Josiah Cross (Masters of the Air)

Special achievement honorees are:

Legacy Award – Glynn Turman. Starting on Broadway at just...

Tubi, Fox’s free streaming service, has announced its list of July titles. The Tubi July 2024 slate features new Tubi Originals, as well as numerous action, art house, Black cinema, comedy, documentary, drama, horror, kids and family, romance, sci-fi and fantasy, thriller, and Western titles.

As a leading ad-supported video-on-demand service, the company engages diverse audiences through a personalized experience and the world’s largest content library: over 200,000 movies and TV episodes, a growing collection of Tubi Originals, and nearly 250 Fast channels.

You can watch the Tubi July 2024 lineup for free on Android and iOS mobile devices, Amazon Echo Show, Google Nest Hub Max, Comcast Xfinity X1, and Cox Contour.

You can also watch the service on connected television devices such as Amazon Fire TV, Vizio TVs, Sony TVs, Samsung TVs, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, Android TV, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and on the Tubi site.

Tubi Originals

House Of Heat...

Right after the Tony Awards, “The Gilded Age” has added four previous winners and nominees to its Season 3 cast: Phylicia Rashad, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Jordan Donica and Victoria Clark.

Rashad will recur as Mrs. Elizabeth Kirkland. She is described as “a woman from a prominent family in Newport with ties dating back to the American Revolution who has high standards and an occasionally sharp tongue. She is unwilling to compromise the standards and expectations of her elite and exclusive social group — particularly when it comes to her son.”

In a guest role, Mitchell will play Frederick Kirkland, Elizabeth’s husband and the patriarch of the Kirkland family. He is the pastor of a prominent Black church and a leader in the Newport community.

Donica will recur as Elizabeth and Frederick’s son, Dr. William Kirkland, described as “a kind, handsome, doctor from the prominent Kirkland family who isn’t as...

Maleah Joi Moon has become the 101st performer to win a Tony Award for their first outing on a Broadway stage for her performance in the musical “Hell’s Kitchen.”

She won Best Actress in a Musical at the 77th Tony Awards for portraying Ali, a 17-year-old girl searching for her place in the world while living in the titular New York City neighborhood and also being restrained by her overbearing mother. She is the 10th person to win the category for her Broadway debut. She joins:

Elizabeth Seal, “Irma La Douce” (1961)

Anna Maria Alberghetti, “Carnival” (1962)

Liza Minnelli, “Flora the Red Menace” (1965)

Leslie Uggams, “Hallelujah, Baby” (1968)

Alexis Smith, “Follies” (1972)

Natalia Makarova, “On Your Toes” (1983)

Lea Salonga, “Miss Saigon” (1991)

Catherine Zeta-Jones, “A Little Night Music” (2010)

Cynthia Erivo, “The Color Purple” (2016)

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Other performers who pulled off this accomplishment in recent years include...

When Tony voters looked at their ballots for best musical in 1960, they must have felt lightheaded. They were tasked with choosing a winner among the latest Rodgers and Hammerstein (The Sound of Music), a political drama that would go on to win the Pulitzer (Fiorello!), a new kind of psychological biography (Gypsy), and an uproarious fairy-tale comedy (Once Upon a Mattress). I’m not sure if any of the 2024 nominees for best musical will stand the test of time quite like that stunning lineup. But as was true 64 years ago, there are at least four celebrated contenders vying, all equally convincingly, for the top prize.

Part of what makes this season’s best musical category particularly tricky to predict is the volume of productions that aren’t on the ballot here: At various moments throughout the season, in which 15 new musicals opened (and six have already closed), it would have...

According to the combined predictions of Gold Derby users as of this writing, “Appropriate” is the frontrunner to win Best Play Revival at this year’s Tony Awards with 27/20 odds. In second place is “Purlie Victorious,” which has 43/20 odds. Our odds are also currently predicting both shows to win two acting awards. So could Best Play Revival be a closer race than people think? It’s worth noting that “Purlie’s” director is on a winning streak that we mustn’t ignore.

Sign UPfor Gold Derby’s free newsletter with latest predictions

Looking at our forecasts across all races, “Appropriate” is the frontrunner for Best Actress in a Play (Sarah Paulson), Best Featured Actor in a Play (Corey Stoll) and Best Scenic Design of a Play. “Purlie Victorious” is the frontrunner for Best Actor in a Play (Leslie Odom Jr.) and Best Featured Actress in a Play (Kara Young). The...

Oi there, listen up! Amazon Prime Video’s list of new releases for June 2024 includes another season of its biggest, bloodiest hit.

The Boys season 4 premieres its first three episodes on Thursday, June 13. Based on the trailers, The Boys is really leaning into the political side of its social satire with a presidential election underway and Homelander on trial for the small matter of killing a guy last season. The season will continue to air on Thursdays, culminating with the finale on July 18.

Amazon is really leaning into its sports offerings this month as well. Fans will get to watch the New York Yankees, the WNBA, and the Nwsl several times throughout June. That’s in addition to a couple of sports docs: Power of the Dream on June 18 and Federer: Twelve Final Days on June 20.

But if you’re looking for something even more explosive than Homelander and Roger Federer,...

Coming up in June, Amazon’s collective streaming services Prime Video and Freevee are delivering series, films, and documentaries about all sorts of heroes. From the evil, increasingly fascist superheroes of “The Boys” to the record-setting tennis icon Roger Federer to the journey back to the spotlight for one of the greatest performers of all time, Celine Dion, there are a multitude of inspiring and entertaining stories arriving on the platforms in June.

In addition to Season 3 of “The Boys” premiering with three episodes on June 13, Prime Video has a host of documentaries that shine a new light on some of our most beloved performers and athletes. On June 18, “Power of the Dream” debuts and highlights the struggles of WNBA team the Atlanta Dream who were fighting off-court battles on two fronts in 2020. Then, “Federer: Twelve Final Days” premieres on June 20 looking at the tennis legend as he ended his...

Audra McDonald will reopen Broadway’s Majestic Theatre with a new production of Gypsy.

McDonald will play Rose, one of the top roles in musical theater, which has been played by the likes of Ethel Merman, Angela Lansbury, Tyne Daly, Bernadette Peters and Patti LuPone. George C. Wolfe, a five time Tony-Award winning director, will helm the revival. Camille A. Brown (Hell’s Kitchen) has been tapped as choreographer.

Performances begin Nov. 21, with an opening night Dec. 19. This production will be the first to play the Majestic Theatre, which was the longtime home to The Phantom of the Opera. The theater closed for renovations after the production ended its 35-year run in April 2023.

McDonald is a six-time Tony Award winning actor, with wins for her roles in Carousel, Master Class, Ragtime, A Raisin in the Sun, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess and Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill. She...

“This crazy whirlwind of a season has finally come to an end,” declares Sam Eckmann as we kick off our final Tony Awards nominations predictions slugfest of 2024. We begin our conversation with the musical categories and the ever-challenging race for Best Musical. Sam and I both feel “pretty secure” about the top three shows – “Suffs,” “Illinoise” and “Hell’s Kitchen” – and we surprisingly concur on the final two slots, predicting “Here Lies Love” and “The Outsiders.” There are so many potential nominees in contention, though, that we cite our alternate picks as I opt for “Days of Wine and Roses” as my number six, and Sam goes with “The Notebook.” Watch our full Tony Awards video slugfest above.

You can also watch both of us giving our wishlist picks, pleading to Tony nomination voters to choose some people who might be under the radar. Watch that video here.

Sam and...

“I’m always waiting for something different, a different and new challenge,” reveals Anika Noni Rose. A worthy challenge arose in the form of Anton Chekhov, and the latest Broadway revival of his classic play “Uncle Vanya.” The actress had never performed in a Chekhov play before, but for her first Broadway role in 10 years, she “thought it was just time to do something for me that was going to be very different.” Watch the exclusive video interview above.

Rose portrays Yelena in the revival, who is wedded to the older and egotistical professor Serebryakov (Alfred Molina). At their rural estate, the glamorous Yelena expresses boredom and begins to question whether her life choices have led her to the right destination. When Yelena agrees to help Sonia (Alison Pill) discover if her feelings for Astrov (William Jackson Harper) are reciprocated, she unknowingly unleashes a fiery passion in him which overwhelms the estate.

Oscar-winning actor Louis Gossett Jr. died of a lung condition, according to his death certificate obtained by TMZ. The actor died in Santa Monica on March 29 at the age of 87.

According to the report, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (Copd), was the main cause of death, TMZ says, with heart failure and atrial fibrillation contributing factors.

A cause of death was not known at the time of Gossett’s passing last month.

His family announced the death in a statement on March 29: “It is with our heartfelt regret to confirm our beloved father passed away this morning.” It continued, “We would like to thank everyone for their condolences at this time. Please respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time.”

The first Black actor to win a Best Supporting Oscar, Gossett was born on May 27, 1936, in Brooklyn. He made his stage debut at 17 in a school production of You Can’t Take It with You...

If Criterion24/7 hasn’t completely colonized your attention every time you open the Channel––this is to say: if you’re stronger than me––their May lineup may be of interest. First and foremost I’m happy to see a Michael Roemer triple-feature: his superlative Nothing But a Man, arriving in a Criterion Edition, and the recently rediscovered The Plot Against Harry and Vengeance is Mine, three distinct features that suggest a long-lost voice of American movies. Meanwhile, Nobuhiko Obayashi’s Antiwar Trilogy four by Sara Driver, and a wide collection from Ayoka Chenzira fill out the auteurist sets.

Series-wise, a highlight of 1999 goes beyond the well-established canon with films like Trick and Bye Bye Africa, while of course including Sofia Coppola, Michael Mann, Scorsese, and Claire Denis. Films starring Shirley Maclaine, a study of 1960s paranoia, and Columbia’s “golden era” (read: 1950-1961) are curated; meanwhile, The Breaking Ice,...

Chicago – There was once a Chicago housing project called Cabrini Green, and its legacy was a damning testament to Chicago’s mismanagement of housing for the poor in general. It’s gone now, the victim of gentrification, but its memory lives on in “We Grown Now,” a new release from writer and director Minhal Baig.

Rating: 4.0/5.0

The film is set in 1992, rightly called the beginning of the end for the massive high-rise Chicago Housing Authority complex. Malik and Eric (Blake Cameron James and Gian Knight Ramirez) are best friends and neighbors at Cabrini, idling between school and imaginative play. Malik’s mother Dolores (Jurnee Smolett) and his grandmother Anita (S. Epatha Merkerson) keep body and soul together for their family, along with Eric’s father Jason (Lil Rei Howery). When a fellow child 7-year-old resident Dantrell Davis is killed in a gang related shooting, Dolores takes steps to move out,...

Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. To keep up with our latest features, sign up for the Weekly Edit newsletter and follow us @mubinotebook on Twitter and Instagram.NEWSThe Truman Show.Joana Vicente has resigned from her post at the helm of the Sundance Film Festival after less than three years. Some industry sources have pointed to a contentious relationship with the board on fundraising matters as one possible explanation.This year’s Cannes Film Festival will open with Quentin Dupieux’s The Second Act, a surrealist backstage comedy starring Léa Seydoux, Vincent Lindon, Louis Garrel, and Raphaël Quenard.Concerns about copyright, continuity, tech business models, and the uncanny valley lead industry insiders to speculate that generative AI won’t soon be making its big-screen debut, though it will increasingly be a part of pre-production workflows.Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer (2023) has opened in Japan to mixed...

Tubi’s upcoming titles for April include five new Tubi Originals:

YA comedy Crushed, starring Bebe Wood Two titles timed to the 110th anniversary of the Titanic’s sinking – a documentary, Mysteries From The Grave: The Titanic, and a horror film, Titanic 666, starring AnnaLynne McCord (“90210”), Keesha Sharp (“Empire”) and Jamie Bamber (“Battlestar Galactica”) Action movie Lord Of The Streets, featuring

Mma stars Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Anderson Silva.

The action sci-fi film Corrective Measures, starring Michael Rooker (“The Walking Dead”), Bruce Willis (“The Sixth Sense”) and Tom Cavanaugh (“The Flash”)

Unless otherwise noted, all titles below will begin streaming on April 1.

Tubi Originals

Crushed – 4/1 – After the hottest guy in school likes her Instagram photo, a high-achieving, high-strung high school girl carries out totally crazy schemes to hook up with him before the senior class trip ends. But things spiral when her obsession gets out of control.

Mysteries From...

Louis Gossett Jr., the esteemed actor known for his remarkable performances in films such as An Officer and a Gentleman and the groundbreaking miniseries Roots, has died at the age of 87, according to a statement released by his family.

Gossett made history in 1983 when he became the first black man to win an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of a tough drill instructor in An Officer and a Gentleman, opposite Richard Gere.

In a statement, Gere remembered, “Lou was a sweetheart. He took his job very seriously. He did his research. He stayed in character the whole time…He was the drill sergeant 24 hours a day, and it showed clearly in his performance. He drove every scene he was in. A tough guy with a heart of gold.”

Prior to his Oscar-winning performance, Gossett captivated audiences in the miniseries adaptation of Alex Haley’s Roots, where he portrayed Fiddler,...

Louis Gossett Jr., best known for his acclaimed roles in An Officer and a Gentleman and Roots, has died at 87 years old. He was the first Black man to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

Gossett’s first cousin Neal L. Gossett revealed to The Associated Press that the actor died on Thursday night (March 28th) in Santa Monica. No cause of death was given, but Gossett announced that he had prostate cancer in 2010.

Born May 27th, 1936 in Brooklyn, New York, Gossett Jr. began acting in high school and debuted on Broadway when he was just 17 years old. In 1959, he played the role of George Murchison in A Raisin in the Sun, making his feature film debut a few years later in the movie adaptation of the play.

After returning to New York City and becoming a Broadway star, Gossett Jr. landed a breakout TV role in the 1977 ABC miniseries Roots.

Louis Gossett Jr. has passed away at 87, sad news in the world of entertainment. The actor was the first-ever Black man to win a supporting actor Oscar for An Officer and a Gentleman and was also a primetime Emmy winner for his role in the television series, Roots.

Gossett Jr.’s first cousin announced his uncle’s death to The Associated Press on Friday, March 29. It’s being reported that the actor died in Santa Monica, California the night before.

Louis Gossett Jr.’s Legacy

It’s important to note that the cause of Gossett Jr.’s passing has not been released as of this writing.

Gossett’s first major role was in 1977, playing Fiddler in the groundbreaking TV miniseries Roots, which depicted the horrendous acts of slavery.

He would end up winning an Emmy for this portrayal. He became the third Black Oscar nominee in 1983, winning the statue for...

Louis Gossett Jr., the celebrated An Officer and a Gentleman actor who became the first Black man to win the Best Supporting Actor Oscar, has died at the age of 87.

“It is with our heartfelt regret to confirm our beloved father passed away this morning,” the actor’s family said in a statement Friday (via CNN). “We would like to thank everyone for their condolences at this time. Please respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time.” No cause of death was provided.

Over an onscreen career that spanned seven decades,...

Oscar winner Louis Gossett Jr. has sadly passed away.

The actor – best known for his roles in Roots and An Officer and a Gentleman – died on Thursday night (March 28) in Santa Monica, Calif., his nephew confirmed to the Associated Press. He was 87-years-old.

Keep reading to find out more…After starring in several shows on Broadway and making his movie debut in 1961′s A Raisin in the Sun, Louis moved to Los Angeles where he found his breakout role in 1977 when he played Fiddler in Roots, earning him an Emmy award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Single Appearance in a Drama or Comedy Series.

After Roots, Louis made history as the first Black performer to win Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars when he played drill instructor Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley in 1982′s An Officer and a Gentleman.

One of Louis‘ final roles was as Mister Johnson in 2023′s The Color Purple.

Louis Gossett, Jr., a trailblazing actor who became the first Black man to win an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, sadly passed away late Thursday night on March 28, 2024. He was 87 years old. The news was reported by the Associated Press, who confirmed his death through the late actor's nephew Robert.

Most recently appearing in Warner Bros.' "The Color Purple" remake and in HBO's "Watchmen" series, Gossett, Jr. is perhaps most well known for his award-winning turn as drill instructor Emil Foley in 1982's "An Officer and a Gentleman." Additionally, he won an Emmy award for his role in the popular 1977 miniseries "Roots" and went on to earn widespread acclaim and recognition on both television and movies, racking up numerous Primetime Emmy Awards over the years. After first getting his start on Broadway at a time when the odds were severely stacked against him, Gossett, Jr. made his big-screen...

Oscar-winning actor Louis Gossett Jr. has died, the performer known for roles in Roots, An Officer and a Gentleman, and Watchmen was 87 years old. News of Gossett Jr.’s death was announced on the Associated Press where his nephew shared the news that the actor died Thursday night in Santa Monica, California. No cause of death has been revealed at this time. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Gossett Jr. got his start in the industry on Broadway where he made a splash in The Desk Set at the age of 16. He went on to feature in 1959’s stage production of A Raisin in the Sun before he turned his focus to television and film. Regina King and Gossett Jr. in Watchmen (Credit: HBO) The actor’s filmography includes ABC‘s groundbreaking 1977 miniseries Roots for which he won an Emmy for his role as Fiddler. This role opened a door to several opportunities,...

Louis Gossett Jr., who with his iconic role in An Officer and a Gentleman became the first Black actor to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, died on Thursday at age 87, his nephew told the Associated Press.

No cause of death was disclosed. (In February 2010, Gossett revealed a prostate cancer diagnosis, but it was promptly treated.)

More from TVLineRon Harper, Land of the Lost and Daytime-tv Vet, Dead at 91Robyn Bernard, General Hospital's Terry Brock, Dead at 64Steve Lawrence, Grammy and Emmy-Winning Entertainer, Dead at 88

Gossett’s other accolades include an Emmy (for his role as Fiddler in...

Louis Gossett Jr., who was the first Black man to win the Best Supporting Actor Oscar, has died. He was 87.

(Sidney Poitier was the first Black man to win an acting Oscar. His win, in 1964, was as the lead in “Lilies of the Field.”)

Gossett won the Academy Award for his role as Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Emil Foley, Richard Gere’s hardcore drill instructor in 1982 film “An Officer and a Gentleman.” He was just the third Black actor to receive a nomination in the category. Gossett won a Golden Globe for the role as well.

In 2023, Gossett appeared in the remake of “The Color Purple,” as well as in a pair of episodes of BET+ original series “Kingdom Business.” The same year, he lent his voice to an uncredited part of Michael Jai White’s “Outlaw Johnny Black.”

Gossett’s nephew told The Associated Press that the actor died in Santa Monica,...

Louis Gossett Jr., who won an Emmy for his role in the groundbreaking TV miniseries Roots and an Oscar for An Officer and a Gentleman, died Thursday night in Santa Monica. He was 87.

His death was first reported by his nephew to the Associated Press. No cause of death was given.

“It is with our heartfelt regret to confirm our beloved father passed away this morning,” his family said in a statement obtained by Deadline. “We would like to thank everyone for their condolences at this time. Please respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time.”

The first Black actor to win a Best Supporting Oscar, Gossett was born on May 27, 1936, in Brooklyn. He made his stage debut at 17 in a school production of You Can’t Take It with You and soon would successfully audition for the Broadway production Take a Giant Step, then perform in a star-making supporting...

Louis Gossett Jr., who won a supporting actor Oscar for playing the hard-as-nails drill instructor in 1982’s “An Officer and a Gentleman” a few years after winning an Emmy for his role as the cunning Fiddler in “Roots,” died early Friday morning. He was 87.

Gossett’s family announced his death in a statement, writing: “It is with our heartfelt regret to confirm 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.”

In Taylor Hackford’s “An Officer and a Gentleman,” Gossett’s Sgt. Emil Foley memorably drove Richard Gere’s character to the point of near collapse at a Navy flight school. Gossett was the first Black man to win the best supporting actor Oscar for that role.

In addition to “An Officer and a Gentleman,” Gossett is best known...

Louis Gossett Jr., the tough guy with a sensitive side who won an Oscar for his portrayal of a steely sergeant in An Officer and a Gentleman and an Emmy for his performance as a compassionate slave in the landmark miniseries Roots, has died. He was 87.

Gossett’s nephew told the Associated Press that the actor died Thursday night in Santa Monica. The cause of death is unknown, but Gossett announced in 2010 that he had prostate cancer.

With his sleek, bald pate and athlete’s physique, Gossett was intimidating in a wide array of no-nonsense roles, most notably in Taylor Hackford’s Officer and a Gentleman (1982), where as Gunnery Sgt. Emil Foley he rides Richard Gere’s character mercilessly (but for his own good) at an officer candidate school and gets into a memorable martial arts fight.

He was the second Black man to win an acting Oscar, following Sidney Poitier in 1964.

For the role,...

Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal are all set to star in a new adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Othello on Broadway. Kenny Leon, who won a Tony award for directing Washington in 2014’s A Raisin in the Sun will be directing the film.

Denzel Washington as Lieutenant Colonel Nathaniel Serling in Courage Under Fire

While, Washington will be playing the titular role in Othello, one of William Shakespeare’s great tragedies, Gyllenhaal will be seen as Iago, the story’s villain.

Suggested“It has more sense of humor”: Jake Gyllenhaal Reveals His Road House Remake is Wildly Different from Patrick Swayze – But Does That Make it Better?

The story follows Othello, ‘the Moor of Venice,” who is manipulated by Iago, Othello’s standard-bearer into believing his wife, Desdemona, is unfaithful, leading to tragic consequences for all three. Shakespeare’s Othello has been a great source for adaptation and it...

With the 96th Academy Awards in the history books, it’s time to become obsessed over the 77th Tony Awards. Nominations are April 30th with the awards set to air on CBS on June 16 from Lincoln Center. Among the contenders for Tony nominations are many musicals based on movies including “Back to the Future,’ “The Notebook,” “Water for Elephants” and “The Outsiders”: high profile revivals such as Ibsen’s “An Enemy of the People” with Jeremy Strong; “Cabaret” with Oscar-winner Eddie Redmayne and the Who’s “Tommy”; imports from London and transfers from off-Broadway.

Do you remember the Tony landscape 50 years ago? The 28th annual honors took place April 21, 1974, at the Shubert Theater and aired on ABC. And to say it was a star-studded affair is something of an understatement. Robert Preston, Peter Falk, Cicely Tyson, Florence Henderson hosted; presenters included Al Pacino –-let’s hope he had better...

Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal will star in a 2025 Broadway revival of William Shakespeare’s Othello, producer Brian Anthony Moreland announced today.

The production, to be directed by Tony Award-winner Kenny Leon, will open in Spring 2025 at a Shubert Theatre to be announced.

Washington will portray the title character, while Gyllenhaal will play ‘Iago’.

Few other details were provided in Moreland’s brief announcement today.

Neither Washington nor Gyllenhaal are strangers to Broadway. Washington most recently starred in the 2018 revival of The Iceman Cometh (earning a Tony nomination), and starred as Walter Lee Younger in the 2014 revival of A Raisin in the Sun. In 2010, he appeared in (and won a Tony for) Fences, and in 2005 he played Marcus Brutus in Julius Caesar. His Broadway debut came in 1988 with Checkmates.

Gyllenhaal has performed on Broadway in Sea Wall/A Life in 2019, Sunday in the Park With George in 2017, and Constellations in...

As we say goodbye to January and look forward to February, now is a great time to be a subscriber to Peacock as not only is the NBCUniversal streaming service home to great movies and buzzy originals, but it also is offering collections of films and TV series to celebrate the month. For Valentine’s Day, Peacock has more than 30 new titles, including “Dear John,” “Bros”, “Girls Trip,” “Pride and Prejudice,” “Sleepless in Seattle,” and “The Wedding Date.” The NBCU streamer will also honor Black History Month by featuring new classics like “Bel-Air,” “The Best Man: The Final Chapters,” and “Nope,” as well as timeless favorites like “A Raisin in the Sun,” “Sanford & Son,” and “Good Times.”

Peacock will also host a large swath of sporting events from multiple WWE Premium Live Events to the Six Nations Rubgy Tournament, Big Ten Men’s and Women’s basketball, and more.

With the Screen-to-Stage-back to Screen adaptation of Mean Girls landing in first place this weekend, we wanted to know what film based on a play has been your favorite? Are Oscar winning musicals such as Chicago or Amadeus your favorite? Maybe the classics like Grease or Little Shop of Horrors are more your speed? Or perhaps a nice court room drama such as A Few Good Men ranks number one for you? If you don’t see your favorite listed click the “Other” button and let us know what your favorite is in the comments.

Favorite Stage-to-Screen AdaptationCasablanca (1943)West Side Story (1961)My Fair Lady (1964)The Sound of Music (1965)A Man For All Seasons (1966)Oliver! (1968)Amadeus (1984)Driving Miss Daisy (1989)Chicago (2002)Alfie (1966)American Buffalo (1996)Annie (1982)Annie Get Your Gun (1950)A Bronx Tale (1993)Bug (2007)Cabaret (1972)Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)Children of a Lesser God (1986)Closer (2004)The Crucible (1996)Cyrano (2021)Dear Evan Hansen...

Exclusive: With interest in the great 20th Century American writer Thornton Wilder about to get one of its periodic surges – a major Broadway revival of Our Town is coming this year, and Hello, Dolly!, the musical based on Wilder’s 1954 play The Matchmaker, will open on London’s West End this summer in a revival starring The Crown‘s Imelda Staunton – the estate guarding the author’s works has named its first non-family Literary Executor in 28 years to oversee all of its intellectual properties.

Jeremy McCarter, the former New York Magazine drama critic and co-author with Lin-Manuel Miranda of the bestselling behind-the-scenes non-fiction book Hamilton: The Revolution, has been named Literary Executor of the Wilder Family LLC. He assumes the role this month from Thornton Wilder’s nephew Tappan Wilder, who has held the post since 1995.

Tappan Wilder announced McCarter’s appointment to Deadline today. McCarter will serve as a...

A column chronicling events and conversations on the awards circuit.

As the town takes off for the holidays and comes to a virtual standstill, the Oscar race roars on as eagle-eyed pundits continue to fanatically parse yesterday’s release of the shortlist in 10 categories (3 of them shorts) that could, I said could, give clues as to the ways the Oscar winds are blowing towards the start of nomination voting on January 11.

Meanwhile, the level of Q&As, talk show appearances, various honors announcements coming almost daily from the Palm Springs and Santa Barbara Film Festival, nominations from Golden Globes and Critics Choice, plus invites to parties have kept us hopping ever since the SAG strike ended and actors could once again do what they do best – talk about themselves. By the way, yesterday they announced Jo Koy as the Globes host and that follows the announcement of Chelsea Handler returning...

Steve Carell will make his Broadway debut next spring in the title role of Lincoln Center Theater’s Uncle Vanya, appearing with, among others, Alison Pill as Sonya, Alfred Molina as Alexander Serabryakov and Anika Noni Rose as Yelena.

The production will begin previews Tuesday, April 2, 2024, at Lct’s Vivian Beaumont Theater, opening on Wednesday, April 24. As previously announced, Heidi Schreck (What the Constitution Means to Me) is writing a new translation, and Lila Neugebauer (The Waverly Gallery) will direct.

Also joining the cast are William Jackson Harper as Astrov, Jayne Houdyshell as Mama Voinitski and Mia Katigbak as Marina. Complete casting will be announced soon.

The synopsis: Sonya (Pill) and her uncle Vanya (Carell) have devoted their lives to managing the family farm in isolation, but when her celebrated, ailing father (Molina) and his charismatic wife (Rose) move in, their lives are upended. In the heat of the summer,...

Exclusive: Yellowstone star Kelly Reilly and Oscar nominee David Strathairn are in final negotiations to join Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction) and Boyd Holbrook (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) in Last Meals.

Theo Rossi (Sons of Anarchy) and Joshua Boone (A Jazzman’s Blues) are also joining the drama which begins filming in Atlanta on November 28 with a SAG-AFTRA interim agreement.

Tony-winner Kenny Leon (Fences) is newly aboard to direct.

Jackson will play Walter, a disgraced former White House chef who finds himself 30 years later cooking last meals for death row inmates, forming an unlikely bond with Reed, a prisoner on a hunger strike whose innocence Walter begins to believe in. With the help of Hannah (Reilly), the trio take on a politically motivated prison head (Strathairn), while bringing dignity and hope to their fellow inmates (Rossi among others). Boone will play young Walter.

Tony winner Kenny Leon will direct a new Broadway production of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town in the fall of 2024, the first revival of the classic play since the 2002 production that starred Paul Newman as the stage manager.

The production dates, cast, and venue will be announced at a later date.

Leon’s many Broadway directing credits include Ohio State Murders, Topdog/Underdog, A Soldier’s Play, American Son and the current Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch starring Leslie Odom Jr. at The Music Box Theatre. He won the 2014 Tony for Best Direction for A Raisin in the Sun starring Denzel Washington, Sophie Okonedo, Latanya Richardson Jackson and Anika Noni Rose.

“Thornton Wilder’s Our Town in my mind stands at the top of the Mount Rushmore of great American Theatre,” said Leon in a statement. “I feel blessed and fortunate to have gained the trust...

DreamWorks Animation is delivering family frights this spooky season with new animated series “Curses!” An enduring family curse over stolen artifacts kicks off a family adventure, and Bloody Disgusting has been provided with an exclusive clip highlighting horror icon Robert Englund‘s Cornelius and his relation to the central generational curse.

“Curses!” will be released on Apple TV+ on Friday, October 27.

Watch the new clip below that gives a glimpse of the ghostly Cornelius as he confronts his ancestor over stolen items.

In the series, “when a generations-long family curse turns Alex Vanderhouven to stone, it’s up to his two kids, Pandora and Russ, and his wife Sky, to return artifacts stolen by their ancestors to their rightful homes to finally lift the curse for good.”

The new animated series also boasts an impressive voice cast packed with talent, including a horror icon. The series features the voice talents...