Oscar-winning actor Lou Gossett is in the early stages of a battle against prostate cancer.
In the announcement Tuesday, Gossett, 73, says the disease was caught early and he expects to make a full recovery.
“I count this diagnosis among the many challenges I have faced in my life and overcome. I expect this to be no different…..”
The actor is going public about the disease because there is not enough emphasis in the African-American community on fighting it with preventive examinations and early treatment.
Gossett — who has appeared in dozens of films — won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 1983 for his portrayal of a barking Navy flight school sergeant alongside Richard Gere in An Officer and a Gentleman.
His personal memoir, An Actor and a Gentleman, set for release May 17.