Robert Forster
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| Robert Forster | |
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 Forster attending "Heroes For Autism" event at Avalon, Hollywood, CA on April 19, 2009 |
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| Born | Robert Wallace Foster, Jr. July 13, 1941 Rochester, New York, US |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1962–present |
Robert Forster (born July 13, 1941) is an American actor, best known for his roles as John Cassellis in Haskell Wexler's Medium Cool, and as Max Cherry in Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown, the latter of which gained him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He has recently appeared as George Clooney's father-in-law in Alexander Payne's The Descendants and as an Army general in Antoine Fuqua's Olympus Has Fallen. He is a member of the Triple Nine Society.
Early life
Forster was born Robert Wallace Foster, Jr. 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.[1][2] His mother was Italian American and his father was of English and Irish ancestry.[3] The two 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 "Max Cherry" in the Quentin Tarantino film Jackie Brown.
Forster completed his Bachelor of Arts degree in history at the University of Rochester, where he starred in student dramatic performances such as Bye Bye Birdie and, after initially intending to go on to study law, instead decided to forego his future legal career in favor of pursuing drama. He graduated with a B.A. in history in 1964.
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 1969 film Medium Cool. After starring roles in the TV shows 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). He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1997 for Jackie Brown, which he credits with reviving his career. He has since had consistent work in the film industry, appearing in Like Mike; Mulholland Drive; Me, Myself, & Irene; Lucky Number Slevin and Firewall, to name a few. He recently 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 adaption of Leonard's book Rum Punch, filmed as Jackie Brown). Forster is also a motivational speaker.
He appeared in the hit NBC show Heroes as Arthur Petrelli, the father of Nathan and Peter Petrelli.
Twice divorced, Forster is a father of four children. His eldest child, Kate Forster (born 1969), has worked as an actress, also appearing in Mulholland Drive.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Reflections in a Golden Eye | Private LG Williams | |
| 1967 | N.Y.P.D. | Tony | (TV series, 1 episode: "To Catch a Hero") |
| 1968 | Judd, for the Defense | Ray Elliott | (TV series, 1 episode: "In a Puff of Smoke") |
| 1968 | The Stalking Moon | Nick Tana | |
| 1969 | Justine | Narouz | |
| 1969 | Medium Cool | John Cassellis | |
| 1970 | Cover Me Babe | Tony Hall | |
| 1971-1973 | Banyon | Miles Banyon | (TV series, 9 episodes) |
| 1973 | The Don Is Dead | Frank | |
| 1974 | Nakia | Deputy Nakia Park | (TV series, 14 episodes) |
| 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 | |
| 1981 | Goliath Awaits | Jeff Selrik | Television movie |
| 1981 | Heartbreak High | Coach Alan Arnoldi | |
| 1983 | Vigilante | Eddie Marino | |
| 1983 | Walking The Edge | Jason Walk | |
| 1986 | The Delta Force | Abdul | |
| 1986 | Tales from the Darkside | Gary Gooley | (TV series, 1 episode: "The Milkman Cometh") |
| 1989 | The Banker | Dan | |
| 1990 | Checkered Flag | Jack Cotton | |
| 1990 | Peacemaker | Yates | |
| 1991 | 29th Street | Srgt. Tartaglia | |
| 1994 | American Yakuza | Littman | |
| 1996 | Original Gangstas | Detective Slatten | |
| 1997 | Demolition University | Gentry | |
| 1997 | Jackie Brown | Max Cherry | Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor 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. Simon | |
| 1998 | Rear Window | Detective Charlie Moore | Television movie |
| 1998 | Outside Ozona | Odell Parks | |
| 1999 | It's the Rage | Tyler | |
| 1999 | Kiss Toledo Goodbye | Sal Fortuna | |
| 2000 | Supernova | A.J. Marley | |
| 2000 | Lakeboat | Joe Kitko | |
| 2000 | Me, Myself & Irene | Colonel Parington | |
| 2000 | Diamond Men | Eddie Miller | Hamptons International Film Festival: Special Recognition Nominated-Chlotrudis Award for Best Actor |
| 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 | |
| 2002-2003 | Fastlane | Raymond Ray | (TV series, 2 episodes) |
| 2002 | Murder in Greenwich | Steve Carroll | Television movie |
| 2003 | Confidence | Morgan Price | |
| 2003 | Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle | Roger Wixon | |
| 2003 | Grand Theft Parsons | Stanley Parsons | |
| 2003-2004 | Karen Cisco | Marshall Cisco | (TV series, 10 episodes) |
| 2004-2005 | Huff | Buff Huffstodt | (TV series, 4 episodes) |
| 2006 | Numb3rs | Agent Thomas Lawson | (TV series, 1 episode: "Protest") |
| 2006 | Firewall | Harry Romano | |
| 2006 | Lucky Number Slevin | Murphy | |
| 2007 | D-War | Wilson | |
| 2007 | Rise | Lloyd | |
| 2007 | Cleaner | Arlo Grange | |
| 2007 | Desperate Housewives | Nick Delfino | (TV series, 1 episode: "Now I Know, Don't Be Scared") |
| 2008 | Jack and Jill vs. the World | Norman | |
| 2008 | Heroes | Arthur Petrelli | (TV series, 9 episodes) Nominated-Saturn Award for Best Guest Starring Role on Television |
| 2009 | Thick as Thieves | Lt. Weber | |
| 2009 | Ghosts of Girlfriends Past | Srgt. Volkom | |
| 2010 | Middle Men | Louie | |
| 2011 | Girl Walks Into a Bar | Dodge | |
| 2011 | The Descendants | Scott Thorson | Nominated-Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast Nominated-Gotham Award for Best Ensemble Cast Nominated-Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture |
| 2012 | Alcatraz | Ray Archer | (TV series, 4 episodes) |
| 2012 | Last Man Standing | Bud Baxter | (TV series, 2 episodes) |
| 2013 | Olympus Has Fallen | General Edward Clegg |
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 Internet Broadway Database
- DVD Talk Interview
- House Petrelli Interview 12/08, Part 1
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