'Color Purple' Star Louis Gossett Jr. Turned Down Knicks For Hollywood
Louis Gossett Jr. nearly exchanged Hollywood for the hardwood.
Gossett, who lists a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for 1982's "An Officer and a Gentleman," among his list of acting accolades, touched upon his ever-so-brief New York Knicks career in an interview with Janine Rubenstein of People. The Coney Island, Brooklyn naive, now starring in the film "The Color Purple," was a basketball star before embarking on his acting career, starring at Abraham Lincoln High School.
Warner Bros. Pictures
With a handful of stage and television appearances on his resume as he entered his early 20s, Gossett earned a professional tryout from the Knicks, who were working through some of their first playoff appearances in franchise history. A new stage beyond Madison Square Garden, however, came calling.
"I was at rookie training for the Knicks," the 87-year-old recalled as he recalled his acting origin story. "I got a call from (playwright) Lorraine Hansberry to be a part of 'A Raisin in the Sun.'"
Gossett was offered a starring role in the play, which depicts the trials and tribulations of the Younger family, which deals with assimilation and racism in Chicago's South Side. At the time, Gossett was swayed by the job's financial prospects, primarily a $700 per diem.
"(That was) more money than most professional athletes had in the bank at the time," Gossett recalled. "I put the basketball down, and the rest is history.”
"A Raisin in the Sun" debuted in March 1959 at the Ethel Barrymore Theater in Midtown Manhattan and ran for 530 performances before closing in June 1960. Today, it is viewed as one of the most influential and impact plays in American theater history. Gossett would reprise his role in the 1961 film adaptation, which served as his feature debut.
Gossett hasn't stopped since, as his IMDb page currently boasts 200 on-screen credits with another dozen upcoming. He is best known for his award-winning roles in "An Officer and a Gentleman" and the ABC miniseries "Roots," where he earned an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor for a Single Appearance in a Drama or Comedy Series.
Now in theaters, Gossett co-stars in "The Color Purple" alongside Fantasia Barrino and Taraji P. Henson. It is the second film adaptation of the stage musical of the same name, which in turn was based on the eponymous novel by Alice Walker. Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey are listed among the executive producers.
"The Color Purple" is now playing in theaters. The Knicks that Gossett left behind are back in action on Monday when they face the Orlando Magic (3 p.m. ET, MSG).
