gossett was born in sheepshead bay, brooklyn, new york, on may 27, 1936, to hellen rebecca (née wray), a nurse, and louis gossett sr., a porter. he is an alumnus of mark twain intermediate school 239 and abraham lincoln high school. his stage debut came at the age of 17, in a school production of "you can't take it with you" when a sports injury resulted in the decision to take an acting class. polio had already delayed his graduation.