Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Saturday 3 March 2018
Oscar winner Louis Gossett Jr. looks back, and ahead

By HILLEL ITALIE production in which he
AP National Writer starred as Egyptian leader
NEW YORK (AP) — Oscar Anwar Sadat) and 'Enemy
winner Louis Gossett Jr. has Mine' (a 1985 science film
some advice for the win- in which he plays an alien
ners at Sunday's Oscars: pilot). 'Enemy Mine' be-
Don't let it change you. cause you had to create
"Keep it simple," he told something from scratch,
The Associated Press dur- with five and a half hours
ing a recent telephone in- of makeup. And 'Sadat'
terview. "Keep that same because everybody knows
priceless principle about what he looks like and I
the quality of the parts you had to have them believe I
play." was Sadat."
The 81-year-old Gossett, ON PRODUCING 'ALI'S
who has been acting since COMEBACK,' ABOUT MU-
his teens, earned a best HAMMAD ALI'S RETURN TO
supporting actor award in BOXING IN 1970:
1983 for his performance in "It's a whole dramatic part
"An Officer and a Gentle- of his life when he lost his
man." Though the statuette title (in 1967) because he
remains the highlight of a didn't join the service and
rich and prolific career, he made a decision to stick
was a busy actor before In this Jan. 15, 2017, file photo, Louis Gossett Jr. speaks at the PBS's American Masters "Maya to his principles. He lost his
the Oscars and has con- Angelou: And Still I Rise" panel at the 2017 Television Critics Association press tour in Pasadena, license to fight. But then
tinued to work in regularly Calif. Associated Press there was a miracle in At-
in film and television, with lanta. They found a loop-
some 200 acting credits. and "Breaking Brooklyn." He knows of someone went into a relaxed state hole (Georgia was the
Also known for his Emmy- He recently signed on as who's perfect for the role. of mind and here comes only state without a box-
winning role as Fiddler in executive producer of ON WINNING THE OSCAR: Christopher Reeve and ing commission and he
"Roots," he spoke to The "Ali's Comeback: The Un- "On my left was the great Susan Sarandon and they was able to fight again.
Associated Press recent- told Story," a documentary James Mason (nominat- mentioned my name and That first fight (against Jerry
ly about his memories of about his late friend Mu- ed for 'The Verdict") and I thought I was dreaming. Quarry) was an historic oc-
the Academy Award and hammad Ali. He also thinks on my right was the great And my agent goes, 'Get casion.
what he's up to now. the next "Black Panther" Robert Preston (nominated up there.'" Ali's an old friend, one of
Gossett has numerous proj- movie would benefit from for 'Victor Victoria'). So I ON THE FILMS HE'S PROUD- our men of history. And
ects in the works, includ- having an older actor play said to myself being in the EST OF: he was brave enough to
ing the films "The Cuban" a mentor figure. top five was an honor. I "'Sadat' (a 1983 television teach us lessons."q

Duran Duran's Rhodes turns film

expert during Oscars season

agenda to see things. It's
part of the fabric of pop
culture. A big part of it,"
Rhodes said in an interview
with The Associated Press
this week.
Rhodes started doing pre-
dictions with Katy Krassner,
the content director of
the Duran Duran website,
about 15 years ago for fun.
"We'd have a chat about it
before the Oscars and just
talk about who was likely
to win and how the Acad-
emy (was) going to vote
This March 30, 2011 file photo shows Nick Rhodes of the band strategically and all those,
Duran Duran in New York.
Associated Press all those things. And she
said one day, 'Why don't
By ADAM EGAN predictions seriously — so we just do this for the web-
Associated Press much so that he has been site? I think the fans would
LONDON (AP) — It's the putting them on the band's probably really like it. It's a
time of year when film en- website for about a de- little different, little quirky,'"
thusiasts turn into industry cade, with detailed com- he recalled. "And so we
experts to handicap the mentary. did one and it became
Oscars race — and Duran "I love to watch mov- very popular."
Duran keyboardist Nick ies. I've always watched The tradition was created,
Rhodes is no different. them since I was a kid and and they've been doing it
Rhodes takes his Oscar it's very much part of my for about 10 years.q