On the passing yesterday of actor Louis Gossett Jr., An Officer and A Gentleman director Taylor Hackford remembered his late star and friend.
In a statement to Deadline, Hackford says:
“The role of Master Sargent Foley in An Officer and A Gentlemen was written as a white man. When I visited the Navy Officers Flight Training Center in Pensacola, FLA, I discovered that many of the Drill Instructors there were men of color. I found it interesting that Black & Brown enlisted men had ‘make-or-break’ control over whether white college graduates would become officers and fighter pilots.
“At that moment I changed the casting profile for Sergeant Foley and started meeting actors of color. Lou Gossett came to see me – I knew and admired his stage work. He told me that he’d served in the US Army as a Ranger, so in addition to being an accomplished actor, he knew military life – I hired him on the spot.
“Lou Gossett’s Sergeant Foley may have been the first Black character in American cinema to have absolute authority over white characters. The Academy recognized his consummate performance by voting him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. He definitely deserved it.”
-Taylor Hackford