Frederic Forrest

Frederic Forrest
Forrest in 1987
Born
Frederic Fenimore Forrest Jr.

(1936-12-23)December 23, 1936
DiedJune 23, 2023(2023-06-23) (aged 86)
OccupationActor
Years active1967–2006
Spouses
  • Nancy Whitaker
    (m. 1960; div. 1963)
  • (m. 1980; div. 1982)
  • Nina Dean
    (m. 1985, divorced)

Frederic Fenimore Forrest Jr. (December 23, 1936 – June 23, 2023) was an American actor. A figure of the New Hollywood movement,[1] Forrest was best known for his collaborations with director Francis Ford Coppola, playing prominent roles in The Conversation (1974), Apocalypse Now (1979), One from the Heart (1982), and Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988). He was nominated for an Academy Award[2] and Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Huston Dyer in the musical drama The Rose (1979).

Forrest came to public attention for his performance in When the Legends Die (1972), which earned him a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer. His other film credits include The Missouri Breaks (1976), Hammett (1982), Valley Girl (1983), The Two Jakes (1990), Falling Down (1993), and All the King's Men (2006), along with the television series 21 Jump Street, Lonesome Dove, and Die Kinder.

Personal life

Forrest in 1979

Forrest was born on December 23, 1936, in Waxahachie, Texas, the son of Virginia Allee (née McSpadden) and Frederic Fenimore Forrest, a furniture store owner[2][3] whose greenhouses provided plants for sale in retail stores.[4] He served in the United States Army and later attended Texas Christian University, graduating in 1960 with a bachelor's degree in fine arts.[5] In 1993, he was a recipient of TCU's Distinguished Alumni Award.[6]

Forrest was married three times: to his college girlfriend Nancy Whitaker from 1960 to 1963, to actress Marilu Henner from 1980 to 1983, and lastly to model Nina Dean in 1985. He did not have any children.[5][7]

Forrest died at his home in Santa Monica, California, on June 23, 2023, at the age of 86.[8][9]

Career

During the 1960s, Frederic Forrest appeared in TV shows like "Dark Shadows" and "Gunsmoke."

In 1966, Forrest began acting on stage in an off-Broadway production of Viet Rock. His film debut was in When the Legends Die (1972).[4]

Forrest was known for his roles as Chef in Apocalypse Now,[2] the neo-Nazi surplus store owner in Falling Down, and Dashiell Hammett in Hammett (1982)[2] and Citizen Cohn (1992).[2] He had a role as the Native American bandit Blue Duck in the 1989 miniseries, Lonesome Dove. He was Academy Award-nominated in the Supporting Actor category for his role in The Rose.[10]

Forrest also appeared in Valley Girl,[2] The Two Jakes,[2] The Stone Boy, The Missouri Breaks, The Deliberate Stranger (TV), Promise Him Anything (TV), and horror maestro Dario Argento's first American film, Trauma.

On television, he played Captain Richard Jenko on the first season of the Fox Television series 21 Jump Street, in 1987. Forrest was subsequently replaced by actor Steven Williams, who played Captain Adam Fuller for the remainder of the series. In 1990, he appeared as private investigator Lomax in the BBC miniseries Die Kinder. He played Sgt. McSpadden in the U.S. Civil War-themed movie Andersonville and real-life U.S. Army General Earle Wheeler in 2002's Path to War, the final film of director John Frankenheimer.

Filmography

List of film credits
Year Title Role Notes
1966 Viet Rock
1967 Dark Shadows Blue Whale customer 1 episode, Uncredited
1968 The Filthy Five Johnny Longo (credited as 'Matt Garth')
1969 Futz! Sugford
1972 When the Legends Die Tom Black Bull Nominated – Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actor
1973 The Don Is Dead Tony Fargo
1974 The Conversation Mark
1974 Larry Larry Herman TV movie
1974 The Gravy Train Rut
1975 Promise Him Anything Paul Hunter TV movie
1975 Permission to Kill Scott Allison
1976 The Missouri Breaks Cary
1978 Ruby and Oswald Lee Harvey Oswald TV movie
1978 It Lives Again Eugene Scott
1979 $weepstake$ 1 episode
1979 Mrs. Columbo Martin Episode: "Word Games"
1979 Apocalypse Now Jay "Chef" Hicks National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor (also for The Rose)
1979 Survival of Dana Mr. Davis TV Movie, Uncredited
1979 The Rose Huston Dyer National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor (also for Apocalypse Now)
Nominated – Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated – New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor
1982 One From the Heart Hank
1982 Hammett Hammett
1983 Who Will Love My Children? Ivan Fray TV movie
1983 Valley Girl Steve Richman
1983 Saigon: Year of the Cat Bob Chesneau TV movie
1984 The Parade Matt Kirby TV movie
1984 Calamity Jane Wild Bill Hickok TV movie
1984 Best Kept Secrets Blaise Dietz TV movie
1984 The Stone Boy Andy Jansen
1985 Quo Vadis? Petronius TV Mini-Series, 6 episodes
1985 Return Brian Stoving
1985 Right To Kill? Richard Jahnke, Sr. TV movie
1986 Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Pap Finn 1 episode
1986 The Deliberate Stranger Det. Bob Keppel TV Mini-Series
1986 Where are the Children? Courtney Parrish
1987 Stacking Buster McGuire
1987 21 Jump Street Captain Richard Jenko 6 episodes
1988 Little Girl Lost Tim Brady TV movie
1988 Beryl Markham: A Shadow on the Sun Raoul Schumacher TV movie
1988 Tucker: The Man and His Dream Eddie
1988 Gotham Father George TV movie
1989 Lonesome Dove Blue Duck TV Mini-Series, 3 Episodes
1989 Margaret Bourke-White Erskine Caldwell TV movie
1989 Valentino Returns Sonny Gibbs
1989 Cat Chaser Nolen Tyner
1989 Music Box Jack Burke
1990 The Two Jakes Chuck Newty
1990 Die Kinder Lomax 6 episodes
1992 Twin Sisters Delvaux
1992 The Young Riders Tommy Urbach 2 episodes
1992 Citizen Cohn Dashiell Hammett TV movie
1992 The Habitation of Dragons Leonard Tolliver
1992 Rain Without Thunder Warden
1992 Double Obsession Paul Harkness Filmed in Boulder. Distributed by Tri-Star. Directed by Eduardo Montes-Bradley
1993 Falling Down Nick, Nazi Surplus Store Owner
1993 Trauma Dr. Judd
1993 Precious Victims Sheriff Frank Yocom
1993 Hidden Fears Mike
1994 Against the Wall Weisbad TV movie
1994 Chasers Duane
1994 Lassie Sam Garland
1995 One Night Stand Michael Joslyn
1996 Double Jeopardy Jack TV movie
1996 Andersonville Sgt. McSpadden TV Mini-Series
1997 Crash Dive Adm. Pendleton
1997 Alone Carl TV movie
1997 The Brave Lou Sr.
1997 The End of Violence Ranger MacDermot
1997 One of Our Own Maj. Ron Bridges
1998 Boogie Boy Edsel Dundee
1998 Murphy Brown Kenny Episode: "A Man and a Woman"
1998 Point Blank Mac Bradford
1998 Whatever Mr. Chaminski
1998 Black Thunder Admiral Pendleton
1998 The First 9½ Weeks David Millman
1998 Implicated Det. Luddy
1999 Sweetwater Alex (present day)
1999 Shadow Lake Roy Harman TV movie
2000 Shadow Hours Sean
2000 A Piece of Eden Paulo Tredici
2000 The Spreading Ground Det. Mike McGivern
2000 Militia William Fain
2002 The House Next Door Vernon Crank
2002 Path to War Earle Wheeler TV movie
2003 The Quality of Light David
2006 All the King's Men Donald Stark (final film role)

References

  1. ^ "Frederic Forrest: An American Cinematheque Retrospective". American Cinematheque. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Gilbey, Ryan (June 28, 2023). "Frederic Forrest obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  3. ^ "Forrest, Frederic 1936–". encyclopedia.com. Cengage.
  4. ^ a b Harmetz, Aljean (November 29, 1979). "A 'Rose' for Frederic Forrest: 'I Don't Expect Much' 'A Pinteresque World' A Devastating Review". The New York Times. p. C 17. ProQuest 123902703. Retrieved January 1, 2021 – via ProQuest.
  5. ^ a b Smith, Harrison. "Frederic Forrest, character actor known for Coppola films, dies at 86". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
  6. ^ "Distinguished Alumni Award". TCU.edu.
  7. ^ Haring, Bruce (June 24, 2023). "Frederic Forrest Dies: Oscar-Nominated Actor In 'Apocalypse Now' And 'The Rose' Was 86". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
  8. ^ Frederic Forrest, Standout Supporting Player in ‘Apocalypse Now’ and ‘The Rose,’ Dies at 86
  9. ^ "Bette Midler Mourns 'The Rose' Co-Star Frederic Forrest: 'Lucky to Have Him'". ExtraTV. June 24, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  10. ^ "Oscar nominees announced for 52nd annual ceremony". The Victoria Advocate. February 24, 1980. Retrieved July 27, 2015.