PORT TOWNSEND — Academy Award-winning actor Louis Gossett Jr. stepped out of a rented minivan into a group of admirers at Fort Worden State Park Friday morning and took a deep breath.
“I’ve got to have a little bottle of smog,” said Gossett, who lives in Los Angeles.
“There’s too much oxygen.”
Gossett was in Port Townsend being filmed as he revisited scenes from the 1982 blockbuster movie, “An Officer and a Gentleman,” shot at Fort Worden and other locales around Port Townsend in 1981.
His filmed interview will be included in a 25th anniversary edition DVD of the film that will be released in the first part of 2007 by Paramount Home Entertainment.
Gossett had flown into Seattle-Tacoma International Airport late Thursday and rented the minivan to drive to Port Townsend.
He left soon after the filming at about 3 p.m. Friday to return to Los Angeles.
The interviews of Gossett at Port Townsend landmarks of the film will become part of a bonus feature, “Return to Port Townsend,” shot by King Media Services for the special edition DVD.
Tim King, owner of King Media Services, said that his crew has interviewed the entire cast for the bonus feature.
“Every one of the cast we talked to couldn’t say enough nice things about their time here,” said King. “They all say, ‘It was just heaven.”‘
Gossett, now 70, was the only member of the cast who returned to Port Townsend.
He spent a couple of hours pointing out sets of scenes in the movie, saluted in character as gruff Marine Corps drill sergeant Emil Foley — whose portrayal won him an Academy Award for best supporting actor in 1983 — signed autographs, cracked jokes and talked with those who came to greet him.
He said walking through Fort Worden made him nostalgic.
“The place hasn’t changed much,” said Gossett. “It’s nice to be back.”
