It was most certainly pricey, but there wasn’t much of chance that I was going to drop Louis Gossett, Jr. off my list of celebrities to give money to when he appeared at the October 9, 2010, Hollywood Show in Burbank. Afterall, he was an Academy Award winner – having earned his Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley in the 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman. He had also starred in the mini-series Roots – for which he won an Emmy award, and the films Iron Eagle, A Raisin in the Sun, Enemy Mine, and Jaws 3-D.
Television was also no stranger to Lou Gossett; he might be seen in such shows as The Mod Squad, Good Times, The Jeffersons, Little House on the Prairie, and as a host on Saturday Night Live. Perhaps my favorite of his roles came in 1994 when he guest-starred in the Picket Fences episode Terms of Estrangement. In fact, it was this role that I asked him about. He told me how much he had enjoyed appearing in that show and that he was really happy that Holly had gone on to be so successful – referring of course to Holly Marie Combs, who went on to star as one of the leads in Charmed.
I could see that he and his daughter (who was acting as his handler) weren’t really going to budge on their prices – so I went ahead and shelled out the $40 for a signed photo and $30 to get a picture with him. He was nice to be sure, but I can only hope that this dude and very fine actor was giving some of this money to charity.
Celebrities of the Fall 2010 Hollywood Show will continue…
Let’s not forget his recurring role on “The Rockford Files” either. Of all his appearances, it’s his Rockford appearances that are my favorites.
Peter
June 16th, 2011