LOS ANGELES -- Oscar-winning actor Louis Gossett Jr. announced
today that he is in the early stages of prostate cancer.
The 73-year-old actor said he wanted to make his diagnosis public "to set an example for the large number of African-American men who are victims of this disease because of the comparatively low emphasis in our community on preventative examinations and early treatment. I want to influence them to seek, as I have, the fine medical care and early detection now available."
Gossett stepped into the world of cinema in the Sidney Poitier vehicle A Raisin in the Sun in 1961.
His Emmy Award-winning role of Fiddler in the 1977 groundbreaking television miniseries Roots first brought Gossett to the audience's attention.
The 73-year-old actor said he wanted to make his diagnosis public "to set an example for the large number of African-American men who are victims of this disease because of the comparatively low emphasis in our community on preventative examinations and early treatment. I want to influence them to seek, as I have, the fine medical care and early detection now available."
Gossett stepped into the world of cinema in the Sidney Poitier vehicle A Raisin in the Sun in 1961.
His Emmy Award-winning role of Fiddler in the 1977 groundbreaking television miniseries Roots first brought Gossett to the audience's attention.
