Actor Louis Gossett Jr. Reflects on His Career at Smithsonian Event

The Smithsonian Associates presents an evening with actor Louis Gossett Jr. Saturday, May 22, at 7 p.m. in the Smithsonian’s S. Dillon Ripley Center at 1100 Jefferson Drive S.W. Gossett will reflect on his career and the challenges he faced as an African American actor in the 1950s and 1960s with Dwight Blocker Bowers, curator of Music, Sports and Entertainment at the National Museum of American History. Film clips and stage stills will illustrate his reminiscences.

During his respected 50-year career as an actor, Gossett has worked with many significant contemporary actors, including Sidney Poitier, Paul Newman, Shirley Booth, Richard Gere, Halle Berry and Gena Rowlands. Talent and versatility brought him early success as a stage actor and led to an Emmy Award-winning role in the television mini-series Roots and to an Academy Award for his role in An Officer and a Gentleman. Gossett’s new book An Actor and a Gentleman will be available for signing after the program.

Tickets for the Smithsonian presentation are $25 for general admission and $15 for Associate members. For tickets and information, call (202) 633-3030 or visit www.smithsonianassociates.org.

# # #

SI-182-2010