Richard Gere Salutes ‘An Officer and a Gentleman’ Co-Star Louis Gossett Jr. : ‘We Could Trust Each Other’ as Fellow Actors and Human Beings
variety.comAngelique Jackson It’s been more than 40 years since “An Officer and a Gentleman” became a surprise box office smash, but from time to time, star Richard Gere still gets called out about the classic military drama. “Every once in a while, I hear people calling me from across the street, ‘Hey Mayo, Mayo-nnaise,’ and that’s Lou,” Gere tells Variety, reflecting on the legacy of the film following the death of his Oscar-winning co-star Louis Gossett Jr.
on Friday at age 87. In the 1982 film, Gere plays Zack Mayo, an aspiring Navy aviator who clashes with his hard-nosed drill instructor, Gunnery Sgt.
Emil Foley (Gossett). Gossett went on to win the best supporting actor Oscar for his performance, making history as the first Black actor to win in that category and joining Sidney Poitier and Hattie McDaniel as the only Black performers awarded at the time. “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,” Gere says of Gossett Jr.’s historic win. “We were pleased for him as an artist, and as a man, that he got that recognition.” In a conversation with Variety, Gere reminisced about their time on set: “As tough as Foley was, you always felt this warm heart beating in him.
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