Robert Forster

For other people named Robert Forster, see Robert Forster (disambiguation).

Robert Forster
Forster in 2009
Born	Robert Wallace Forster Jr. (1941-07-13)July 13, 1941 Rochester, New York, U.S.
Died	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Rochester
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1967–2019
Spouse(s)	June Provenzano (m. 1966; div. 1975) Zivia Forster (m. 1978; div. 1980)
Children	4

Robert Wallace Forster, Jr. (July 13, 1941 – October 11, 2019) was an American actor, known for his roles as John Cassellis in Haskell Wexler's Medium Cool (1969), Lebanese terrorist Abdul Rafai in The Delta Force (1986), and Max Cherry in Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown (1997), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Forster's varied filmography further includes titles such as Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967), The Black Hole (1979), Alligator (1980), Me, Myself & Irene (2000), Mulholland Drive (2001), The Descendants (2011), Olympus Has Fallen (2013), London Has Fallen (2016), and What They Had (2018).

He also had prominent roles in television series such as Banyon (1971–1973), Heroes (2007–2008), and Twin Peaks (2017). From (2012-2018) he had a recurring role as Bud Baxter, the father of Tim Allen's character, Mike Baxter, on the sitcom Last Man Standing who opens a cannabis dispensary soon after it became legal in the state, with some marketing help of his son. He won the Saturn Award for Best Guest Starring Role on Television for his performance in the Breaking Bad episode "Granite State" (2013), reprising his role in the series' sequel film El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, which premiered the day of his death.

Early life

Forster was born in Rochester, New York, the son of Grace Dorothy (née Montanarella) and Robert Wallace Foster Sr., who worked as an elephant trainer for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and later as an executive for a baking supply company. His mother was Italian American, while his father was of English and Irish descent. The couple divorced in 1949.

As a tribute to his father, Forster hung one of his father's Barnum & Bailey Circus posters in the office of his character in Jackie Brown. He completed his Bachelor of Arts in history in 1964 at the University of Rochester, where he starred in student dramatic performances such as Bye Bye Birdie and, after initially intending to study law, instead decided to become an actor.

Career

After acclaimed supporting performances in two major Hollywood films, one as Private Williams in John Huston's Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967), another as part-Indian Army scout Nick Tana in Robert Mulligan's The Stalking Moon (1968), Forster starred in the critically acclaimed film Medium Cool (1969). After starring roles in the television series Banyon (1972) and Nakia (1974), he played mostly supporting roles in action and horror films including Disney's The Black Hole (1979). Forster had lead roles in cult B-movies in the 1980s like Alligator (1980), Vigilante (1983), The Delta Force (1986), and The Banker (1989).

Forster appeared in Jackie Brown as the character Max Cherry, which earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1997. Jackie Brown revitalized Forster's career, an effect that occurred for many actors appearing in Quentin Tarantino films. He since had consistent work in the film industry, appearing in Like Mike, Mulholland Drive, Me, Myself & Irene, Lucky Number Slevin, and Firewall. He appeared in the made-for-television movie The Hunt for the BTK Killer, as the detective intent on capturing serial killer Dennis Rader. Forster also played the father of Van on the short-lived Fox series Fastlane.

Forster recorded a public service announcement for Deejay Ra's Hip-Hop Literacy campaign, encouraging reading of books by Elmore Leonard. (He starred in the movie adaptation of Leonard's book Rum Punch, filmed as Jackie Brown.)

He appeared in the hit NBC series Heroes as Arthur Petrelli, the father of Nathan and Peter Petrelli, as well as the Emmy Award-winning AMC crime drama Breaking Bad as Walter White's new identity specialist (a role he later reprised in El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie). He played Tim Allen's father, Bud Baxter, to Allen's Mike Baxter on the Fox hit comedy Last Man Standing. Forster was also a motivational speaker.

He was the first choice to play Sheriff Harry S. Truman in David Lynch's Twin Peaks, but had to turn it down due to a prior commitment to a different television pilot, and was replaced by Michael Ontkean. He would go on to appear in Lynch's Mulholland Drive, a pilot for a TV series that wasn't picked up but was later turned into a critically acclaimed movie, and finally got to appear in Twin Peaks, playing the brother of Sheriff Harry S. Truman, Sheriff Frank Truman, in Twin Peaks: The Return, when Ontkean wasn't available to reprise his role. About this, Forster said: "David Lynch, what a good guy he is. He wanted to hire me for the original, 25 years ago, for a part, and I was committed to another guy for a pilot that never went. So I didn't do the original Twin Peaks, which would have been a life-changer. It's a gigantic hit if you remember those years, a phenomenon. But I didn't do that. [...] And this time, I got a call from my agents and they said, David Lynch is going to call you. When he called me five minutes later, he said, "I'd like you to come and work with me again." And I said, 'Whatever it is David, here I come!'"

Forster's final role was in El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, reprising the character of Ed the "Disappearer" from the Breaking Bad series. The movie had been released on the day of his death.

Personal life

Forster was a member of the Triple Nine Society. He was married to June (née Provenzano) from May 14, 1966 to September 20, 1975, after meeting at their alma mater, the University of Rochester. The marriage produced three children, daughters Elizabeth (born 1967), Kathrine "Kate" (born 1969) and Maeghen (born 1972). He was married to Zivia Forster from 1978 to 1980. He also had a son, Robert III (born 1965), from a previous relationship.

For over fifteen years, from 2004 until his death, Forster dated, and lived with, actress Denise Grayson (Social Network).

Death

Forster died on October 11, 2019 at the age of 78 from brain cancer at his home in Los Angeles, surrounded by family.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1967	Reflections in a Golden Eye	Private L.G. Williams
1968	The Stalking Moon	Nick Tana
1969	Justine	Narouz
1969	Medium Cool	John Cassellis
1970	Cover Me Babe	Tony Hall
1970	Pieces of Dreams	Gregory Lind
1972	Journey Through Rosebud	Frank
1973	The Don Is Dead	Frank Regalbuto
1977	Stunts	Glen Wilson
1978	Avalanche	Nick Thorne
1979	The Lady in Red	Turk	Uncredited
1979	The Black Hole	Captain Dan Holland
1980	Alligator	David Madison
1981	Heartbreak High	Coach Alan Arnoldi
1983	Vigilante	Eddie Marino
1985	Walking the Edge	Jason Walk
1986	Hollywood Harry	Harry Petry	Also producer and director
1986	The Delta Force	Abdul Rafai
1988	Counterforce	The Dictator
1989	The Banker	Dan Jefferson
1989	Esmeralda Bay	Madero
1990	Checkered Flag	Jack Cotton
1990	Satan's Princess	Lou Cherney
1990	Peacemaker	Yates
1991	Diplomatic Immunity	Stonebridge
1991	29th Street	Srgt. Tartaglia
1991	Committed	Dr. Desmond Moore
1991	In Between	Vinnie
1993	Maniac Cop III: Badge of Silence	Dr. Powell	Direct-to-video
1993	South Beach	Det. Ted Coleman
1993	American Yakuza	Littman
1993	Cover Story	Therapist
1994	Point of Seduction: Body Chemistry III	Bob Sibley	Direct-to-video
1995	Scanners: The Showdown	Captain Jack Bitters	Direct-to-video
1995	Guns and Lipstick	Captain Dimaggio
1996	The Method	Christian's Father
1996	Original Gangstas	Detective Slatten
1996	Uncle Sam	Congressman Alvin Cummings	Direct-to-video
1997	Demolition University	Gentry	Direct-to-video
1997	American Perfekt	Jake Nyman
1997	Night Vision	Teak Taylor
1997	Jackie Brown	Max Cherry	Nominated — Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated — Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated — Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor
1998	Psycho	Dr. Fred Simon
1998	Outside Ozona	Odell Parks
1999	It's the Rage	Tyler
1999	Family Tree	Henry Musser
1999	Kiss Toledo Goodbye	Sal Fortuna
2000	Supernova	A.J. Marley
2000	The Magic of Marciano	Henry
2000	Lakeboat	Joe Litko
2000	Me, Myself & Irene	Colonel Partington
2000	Diamond Men	Eddie Miller	Also executive producer Hamptons International Film Festival: Special Recognition
2000	It's a Shame About Ray	Wally	Short film
2001	Mulholland Dr.	Detective Harry McKnight
2001	Human Nature	Nathan's father
2001	Finder's Fee	Officer Campbell
2002	Like Mike	Coach Wagner
2002	Lone Hero	Gus
2002	Strange Hearts	Jack Waters
2003	Confidence	Morgan Price
2003	Where's Angelo?	Bob	Short film
2003	Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle	Roger Wixon
2003	Grand Theft Parsons	Stanley Parsons
2006	Firewall	Harry Romano
2006	Lucky Number Slevin	Murphy
2006	Wild Seven	Wilson
2007	D-War	Jack Wilson
2007	Rise: Blood Hunter	Lloyd
2007	Cleaner	Arlo Grange
2007	Grampa's Cabin	Grampa	Short film
2008	Expecting Love	George Patten
2008	Touching Home	Jim "Perk" Perkins
2008	Jack and Jill vs. the World	Norman / Narrator	Uncredited
2009	Thick as Thieves	Lt. Samuel Weber
2009	Ghosts of Girlfriends Past	Srgt. Mervis Volkom
2009	Middle Men	Louie LA LA
2010	The Bannen Way	Mr. B
2010	Red Princess Blues	The Storyteller	Short film
2010	The Trial	Ray
2010	Kalamity	Tom Klepack
2011	Girl Walks into a Bar	Dodge
2011	The Descendants	Scott Thorson	Nominated—Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast Nominated — Gotham Independent Film Award for Best Ensemble Cast Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
2012	Hotel Noir	Jim Logan
2013	Olympus Has Fallen	General Edward Clegg
2013	Coffee, Kill Boss	Walt Ford
2013	Somewhere Slow	Chris McConville
2014	Autómata	Robert Bold
2014	Run Fast	Peter Cirone	Short film
2015	The Biffle Murder Case	James Burke	Short film
2015	The Bridge Partner	Don Whalen	Short film
2015	Too Late	Gordy Lyons
2015	The Program	Michael	Short film
2015	Survivor	Bill Talbot
2015	Home	Man	Short film
2016	London Has Fallen	General Edward Clegg
2016	The American Side	Sterling Whitmore
2016	The Confirmation	Otto
2016	Bus Driver	General Sorbin
2017	Small Town Crime	Steve Yendel
2017	Small Crimes	Joe Denton Sr.
2017	The Case for Christ	Walter Strobel
2017	Acts of Vengeance	Chuck
2018	What They Had	Norbert Everhardt
2018	Damsel	Old Preacher
2018	The Big Take	Detective Aborn
2018	Bigger	Joe (2008)
2018	Nasty	Bob	Short film
2019	Phil	Bing Fisk
2019	El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie	Ed Galbraith	Released the same day as his death

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1967	N.Y.P.D.	Tony	Episode: "To Catch a Hero"
1968	Judd, for the Defense	Ray Elliott	Episode: "In a Puff of Smoke"
1968	Premiere	Doug Payson	Episode: "Higher and Higher, Attorneys at Law"
1971–1973	Banyon	Miles Banyon	16 episodes
1974	Nakia	Deputy Nakia Parker	14 episodes
1974	The Death Squad	Eric Benoit	Television film
1975	Medical Story	David Corbin	Episode: "The Moonlight Heater"
1975–1977	Police Story	Various roles	5 episodes
1977	The City	Lieutenant Matt Lewis	Pilot
1978	Standing Tall	Luke Shasta	Television film
1979	The Darker Side of Terror	Paul Corwin	Television film
1981	Goliath Awaits	Commander Jeff Selkirk	Television film
1985	Magnum, P.I.	Tyler Peabody McKinney	2 episodes
1986	Tales from the Darkside	Gary Gooley	Episode: "The Milkman Cometh"
1986	Murder, She Wrote	Gilbert Gaston	Episode: "The Perfect Foil"
1987	Hotel	Steve Cameron	Episode: "Unfinished Business"
1987	Once a Hero	Gumshoe	7 episodes
1987–1988	William Tell	Aymong	3 episodes
1989	Mick and Franki	Feinstein	Pilot
1991	Jake and the Fatman	Ed Delaney	2 episodes
1991	P.S. I Luv U	Dan	Episode: "There Goes the Neighbourhood"
1992	In the Shadow of a Killer	Charles Galbis	Television film
1993	Silk Stalkings	Vince Riker	Episode: "Tough Love"
1993	Sex, Love and Cold Hard Cash	Sid	Television film
1995	Walker, Texas Ranger	Ricky Rickettes	Episode: "The Big Bingo Bamboozle"
1995	Murder, She Wrote	Frank Roussel	Episode: "Big Easy Murder"
1995	One West Waikiki	Gerard Foster	Episode: "Flowers of Evil"
1997	Walker, Texas Ranger	Lane Tillman	Episode: "Texas vs. Cahill"
1998	Rear Window	Detective Charlie Moore	Television film
1999	Todd McFarlane's Spawn	Major Forsberg (voice)	3 episodes
2000	Godzilla: The Series	Jack Chapman / Police Officer (voice)	Episode: "Wedding Bells Blew"
2001	Like Mother Like Son	Ken 'Pappa' Kimes	Television film
2002	Murder in Greenwich	Steve Carroll	Television film
2002	Due East	Jesse Rapple	Television film
2002–2003	Fastlane	Raymond Ray	2 episodes
2003	Undefeated	Scott Green	Television film
2003	Street Time	Tony DeAngelo	Episode: "Cop Killer"
2003–2004	Karen Sisco	Marshall Sisco	10 episodes
2004	The Grid	Jay Aldrich	6 episodes
2004	Clubhouse	Burt Austin	Episode: "Spectator Interference"
2004–2005	Huff	Ben Huffstodt	3 episodes
2005	Tilt	Jimmy "Gentleman Jim" Towne	2 episodes
2005	Justice League Unlimited	The President (voice)	2 episodes
2005	Bounty Hunters	Jerry	Pilot
2005	The Hunt for the BTK Killer	Detective Jason Magida	Television film
2006	Numb3rs	Agent Thomas Lawson	Episode: "Protest"
2006	13 Graves	Tom Ferris	Pilot
2007	Army Wives	General Grayson	Episode: "Truth and Consequences"
2007	Desperate Housewives	Nick Delfino	Episode: "Now I Know, Don't Be Scared"
2007–2008	Heroes	Arthur Petrelli	10 episodes Nominated — Saturn Award for Best Guest Starring Role on Television
2008	The Simpsons	Lucky Jim (voice)	Episode: "Sex, Pies and Idiot Scrapes"
2011	CSI: NY	Joe Vincent	Episode: "Indelible"
2012	Alcatraz	Ray Archer	4 episodes
2012	Transformers: Prime	General Bryce (voice)	Episode: "Grill"
2012–2018	Last Man Standing	Bud Baxter	10 episodes
2013	NTSF:SD:SUV::	Booth Whitman	Episode: "Unfrozen Agent Man"
2013	Breaking Bad	Ed Galbraith	Episode: "Granite State" Saturn Award for Best Guest Starring Role on Television
2013	Ironside	Virgil's Father	Episode: "Hidden Agenda"
2014	Intruders	Frank Shepherd	2 episodes
2014–2015	Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles	Jack J. Kurtzman (voice)	4 episodes
2015	Childrens Hospital	Donald	Episode: "The 27 Club"
2015	Backstrom	Sheriff Blue Backstrom	2 episodes
2016	Divorce	Donald	2 episodes
2017	Twin Peaks	Sheriff Frank Truman	10 episodes
2017	I'm Dying Up Here	Guy Appuzzo	Episode: "Pilot"

Further reading

• Voisin, Scott, Character Kings: Hollywood's Familiar Faces Discuss the Art & Business of Acting. BearManor Media, 2009. ISBN 978-1-59393-342-5.

External links

• Official website
• Robert Forster at the Internet Movie Database
• Robert Forster at the TCM Movie Database
• Robert Forster at the Internet Broadway Database
• DVD Talk Interview
• House Petrelli Interview 12/08, Part 1