Born in Brooklyn, NY. Charismatic black actor with a flair for projecting quiet authority. Gossett made his professional acting debut at the age of 17, winning the Donaldson Award as best newcomer to theatre. He went to NYU on a basketball scholarship and was invited to try out for the NY Knicks, yet he decided to continue his acting career with a role in the Broadway production of "A Raisin in the Sun". His career took off with his performance in the stage and film versions of RAISIN; he then worked in both TV and film, notably in AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN (1982). Other notable screen credits include SKIN GAME (1971), TRAVELS WITH MY AUNT (1972), THE LAUGHING POLICEMAN (1973), THE RIVER NIGER (1976), "Roots" (1977 mini-series as "Fiddler"), THE DEEP and THE CHOIRBOYS (both 1977), JAWS 3-D, (1983), "Sadat" (1983, TV as Anwar al-Sadat), FINDERS KEEPERS (1984), ENEMY MINE (1985 - in which he became the first male to be shown giving birth on screen), IRON EAGLE (and its 3 sequels) and FIREWALKER (also 1986), THE PRINCIPAL (1987), COVER-UP (1990), TOY SOLDIERS (1991), MONOLITH (1993), A GOOD MAN IN AFRICA and CURSE OF THE STARVING CLASS (both 1994), LEGEND OF THE MUMMY (1997), THE HIGHWAYMAN (1999), WINDOW and LEFT BEHIND: WORLD AT WAR (both 2005), ALL IN and CLUB SODA (both 2006), DADDY'S LITTLE GIRLS, COVER and DELGO (all 2007), and THE B.A.M.N. SQUAD, THE PERFECT GAME, CORNERS, BUTTERMILK SKY and THE REAL CATCH (all in post- or pre-production for 2008). Gossett also appears frequently on television, in both series and made-for-TV movies.  Supporting Actor 1982: AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN 1 nomination, 1 Award