Louis Gossett Jr., who is best known for his role as Sgt. Emil Foley from An Officer and a Gentlemen, has been diagnosed with the early stages of prostate cancer.

The actor, who is now 73, but has been acting since 1958, taking various roles in both television and movies. It was Gossett’s decision to go public with his condition “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.”

He also added: “I want to influence them to seek, as I have, the fine medical care and early detection now available.”

Source