'An Officer and a Gentleman' actor Louis Gossett Jr.'s cause of death revealed

Louis Gossett Jr.'s cause of death has been revealed.

Gossett's death certificate confirms the 87-year-old "An Officer and a Gentleman" actor died in March of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The certificate, published by the Los Angeles Department of Public Health in April and obtained by USA TODAY Wednesday, also reveals that in addition to a years-long battle with the disease, heart failure and atrial fibrillation contributed to his death.

COPD consists of a group of diseases that cause breathing-related problems and airflow blockage, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Atrial fibrillation is the most common kind of heart arrhythmia, or when the heart beats irregularly, according to the CDC.

Gossett's nephew told The Associated Press in March that the Emmy Award-winning actor died March 29 in Santa Monica, California.

Obituary:Louis Gossett Jr., Oscar-winning actor in 'An Officer and a Gentleman,' dies at 87

In 1982, Gossett starred as Marine Gunnery Sgt. Emil Foley in "An Officer and a Gentleman," for which he scored an Academy Award for best supporting actor and became the first Black man to win in the category. Gossett received three Golden Globes nominations and won twice for "An Officer and a Gentleman" and "The Josephine Baker Story."

The Brooklyn-born actor, who attended New York University, became one of the most famous Black actors of his time with decades of commercial and critical acclaim. In addition to his groundbreaking Oscar, the pioneering talent won an Emmy for his role in the TV miniseries "Roots," based on Alex Haley's book of the same name.

Over the years, Gossett became a generational talent on the screen and stage. He scored eight Emmy nominations throughout his career for roles in "Roots," "Backstairs at the White House," "Palmerstown, U.S.A.," "Sadat," "A Gathering of Old Men," "Touched by an Angel" and most recently in 2020 for the HBO limited series "Watchmen."

He starred in stage and screen versions of "A Raisin In The Sun," which helped make him a Hollywood star. In recent years, he has guest-starred or appeared on television series including "Madam Secretary," "The Book of Negroes," "The Spoils Before Dying" and "The Good Wife" spinoff "The Good Fight."

He also played Ol' Mister in last year's Oprah Winfrey-produced remake of "The Color Purple" starring Fantasia Barrino, Danielle Brooks, Taraji P. Henson and Colman Domingo.

Off screen, his Eracism Foundation was founded to help end racism around the world.