Robert Forster
Encyclopedia
Robert Forster 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
.
, 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
and his father was of English and Irish
ancestry. 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.
(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. A busy actor, he has since gone on to appear 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
, Jackie Brown
, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor). 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 oldest child, Kate Forster (born 1969), has worked as an actress, also appearing in Mulholland Drive.
Haskell Wexler
Haskell Wexler, A.S.C. is an American cinematographer, film producer, and director. Wexler was judged to be one of film history's ten most influential cinematographers in a survey of the members of the International Cinematographers Guild.-Early life and education:Wexler was born to a Jewish...
's Medium Cool
Medium Cool
Medium Cool is an American film written and directed by Haskell Wexler and starring Robert Forster, Verna Bloom, Peter Bonerz, Marianna Hill and Harold Blankenship. It takes place in Chicago in the summer of 1968...
, and as Max Cherry in Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
's Jackie Brown
Jackie Brown (film)
Jackie Brown is a 1997 American crime drama film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It is an adaptation of the novel Rum Punch by American novelist Elmore Leonard and pays homage to 1970s blaxploitation films....
, the latter of which gained him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...
.
Early life
Forster was born Robert Wallace Foster, Jr. in Rochester, New YorkRochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
, 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
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is an American circus company. The company was started when the circus created by James Anthony Bailey and P. T. Barnum was merged with the Ringling Brothers Circus. The Ringling brothers purchased the Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1907, but ran the circuses...
and later as an executive for a baking supply company. His mother was Italian American
Italian American
An Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
and his father was of English and Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
ancestry. 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
Jackie Brown (film)
Jackie Brown is a 1997 American crime drama film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It is an adaptation of the novel Rum Punch by American novelist Elmore Leonard and pays homage to 1970s blaxploitation films....
.
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 MoonThe Stalking Moon
The Stalking Moon is a 1968 western film in Technicolor starring Gregory Peck and Eva Marie Saint. It is directed by Robert Mulligan and based on the novel of the same name by T.V. Olsen.-Plot:...
(1968), Forster starred in the critically acclaimed 1969 film Medium Cool
Medium Cool
Medium Cool is an American film written and directed by Haskell Wexler and starring Robert Forster, Verna Bloom, Peter Bonerz, Marianna Hill and Harold Blankenship. It takes place in Chicago in the summer of 1968...
. After starring roles in the TV shows Banyon
Banyon
Banyon is a detective series broadcast in the United States by NBC as part of its 1972-73 television schedule, though a standalone two-hour television movie was broadcast first in March 1971. The series was a Quinn Martin Production Banyon is a detective series broadcast in the United States by NBC...
(1972) and Nakia (1974), he played mostly supporting roles in action and horror films including Disney's The Black Hole
The Black Hole
The Black Hole is a 1979 American science fiction film directed by Gary Nelson for Walt Disney Productions. The film stars Maximilian Schell, Robert Forster, Joseph Bottoms, Yvette Mimieux, Anthony Perkins, and Ernest Borgnine, while the voices of the main robot characters are provided by Roddy...
(1979). Forster had lead roles in cult B-movies in the 1980s like Alligator
Alligator (film)
Alligator is a 1980 monster movie, directed by Lewis Teague with a screenplay by John Sayles. It stars Robert Forster, Robin Riker, and Michael V. Gazzo...
(1980), Vigilante
Vigilante (film)
Vigilante is a 1983 film directed by William Lustig. It stars Robert Forster and Fred Williamson.-Plot:New York City factory worker Eddie Marino is a solid citizen and regular guy, until the day a sadistic street gang brutally assaults his wife and murders his child. But when a corrupt judge sets...
(1983), The Delta Force
The Delta Force (film)
The Delta Force is a 1986 American action film starring Chuck Norris and Lee Marvin as leaders of an elite squad of Special Forces troops based on the real life U.S. Army Delta Force unit. It was directed by Menahem Golan and featured Martin Balsam, Joey Bishop, Robert Vaughn, Steve James, Robert...
(1986), and The Banker (1989). He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...
in 1997 for Jackie Brown
Jackie Brown (film)
Jackie Brown is a 1997 American crime drama film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It is an adaptation of the novel Rum Punch by American novelist Elmore Leonard and pays homage to 1970s blaxploitation films....
, which he credits with reviving his career. A busy actor, he has since gone on to appear in Like Mike
Like Mike
Like Mike is a 2002 film, directed by John Schultz and starring Lil' Bow Wow, Morris Chestnut, Jonathan Lipnicki and Brenda Song. It was produced in association with NBA Entertainment and features many cameo appearances by NBA stars...
; Mulholland Drive
Mulholland Drive (film)
Mulholland Drive is a 2001 American neo-noir psychological thriller written and directed by David Lynch, starring Justin Theroux, Naomi Watts, and Laura Harring. The surrealist film was highly acclaimed by many critics and earned Lynch the Prix de la mise en scène at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival...
; Me, Myself, & Irene; Lucky Number Slevin
Lucky Number Slevin
Lucky Number Slevin, renamed for the German/USA DVDs as Lucky # Slevin , is a 2006 crime thriller film written by Jason Smilovic, directed by Paul McGuigan and starring Josh Hartnett, Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Ben Kingsley, Stanley Tucci, and Lucy Liu...
and Firewall
Firewall (film)
Firewall is a 2006 British-American thriller film directed by Richard Loncraine and written by Joe Forte. Harrison Ford stars as Jack Stanfield, a security expert at a bank faced with a corporate merger and the offer of a new job.-Plot:...
, to name a few. He recently appeared in the made for television movie The Hunt for the BTK Killer
The Hunt for the BTK Killer
The Hunt for the BTK Killer is a 2005 biographical telefilm directed by Stephen T. Kay. First shown on CBS it is based on the true story of Dennis Rader killing ten people from 1974 to 1991. Though the events take place in Wichita, Kansas, the film was made in Nova Scotia.-Cast:*Robert Forster ......
, as the detective intent on capturing serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
Dennis Rader
Dennis Rader
Dennis Lynn Rader is an American serial killer who murdered ten people in Sedgwick County , between 1974 and 1991....
. Forster also played the father of Van on the short-lived Fox series Fastlane
Fastlane (TV series)
Fastlane is an American action/crime drama series that was broadcast on Fox from 2002 to 2003. On August 14, 2005 G4 began rebroadcasting the complete series. After finishing its initial run on the network, Fastlane stopped airing on G4...
.
Forster recorded a public service announcement for Deejay Ra's 'Hip-Hop Literacy' campaign, encouraging reading of books by Elmore Leonard
Elmore Leonard
Elmore John Leonard Jr. , better known as Elmore Leonard, is an American novelist and screenwriter. His earliest published novels in the 1950s were westerns, but Leonard went on to specialize in crime fiction and suspense thrillers, many of which have been adapted into motion pictures.Among his...
(he starred in the movie adaption of Leonard's book Rum Punch
Rum Punch
Rum Punch is a 1992 novel written by Elmore Leonard. It was later adapted into a film by director Quentin Tarantino, who changed some of the characters and the plot...
, Jackie Brown
Jackie Brown (film)
Jackie Brown is a 1997 American crime drama film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It is an adaptation of the novel Rum Punch by American novelist Elmore Leonard and pays homage to 1970s blaxploitation films....
, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor). Forster is also a motivational speaker.
He appeared in the hit NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
show Heroes as Arthur Petrelli, the father of Nathan and Peter Petrelli.
Twice divorced, Forster is a father of four children. His oldest child, Kate Forster (born 1969), has worked as an actress, also appearing in Mulholland Drive.
Filmography
- Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967)
- The Stalking MoonThe Stalking MoonThe Stalking Moon is a 1968 western film in Technicolor starring Gregory Peck and Eva Marie Saint. It is directed by Robert Mulligan and based on the novel of the same name by T.V. Olsen.-Plot:...
(1968) - JustineJustine (1969 film)Justine is a drama film directed by George Cukor and Joseph Strick. It was written by Lawrence B. Marcus and Andrew Sarris, based on the 1957 novel Justine by Lawrence Durrell.-Plot:...
(1969) - Medium CoolMedium CoolMedium Cool is an American film written and directed by Haskell Wexler and starring Robert Forster, Verna Bloom, Peter Bonerz, Marianna Hill and Harold Blankenship. It takes place in Chicago in the summer of 1968...
(1969) - Cover Me BabeCover Me BabeCover Me Babe is a 1970 drama film about a young filmmaker who will do anything to get a studio contract. The film was directed by Noel Black, and stars Robert Forster and Sondra Locke....
(1970) - The Don Is DeadThe Don Is Dead-Plot:While the head of an organized crime family is in prison his underboss schemes to replace him by secretly provoking a savage war between two other crime families....
(1973) - StuntsStunts (film)-Plot:After a stuntman dies his brother takes his place in order to find out what really happened.-Cast:* Robert Forster as Glen Wilson* Fiona Lewis as B.J. Parswell* Ray Sharkey as Paul Salerno* Joanna Cassidy as Patti Johnson* Bruce Glover as Chuck Johnson...
(1977) - AvalancheAvalanche (1978 film)Avalanche is a 1978 American disaster film, directed by Corey Allen and starring Rock Hudson, Robert Forster, Mia Farrow and Jeanette Nolan...
(1978) - The Lady in RedThe Lady in Red (1979 film)The Lady in Red is a 1979 film directed by Lewis Teague, and starring Pamela Sue Martin and Robert Conrad. It is an early writing effort of John Sayles who became better known as a director in the 1980s and 90s...
(1979) - The Black HoleThe Black HoleThe Black Hole is a 1979 American science fiction film directed by Gary Nelson for Walt Disney Productions. The film stars Maximilian Schell, Robert Forster, Joseph Bottoms, Yvette Mimieux, Anthony Perkins, and Ernest Borgnine, while the voices of the main robot characters are provided by Roddy...
(1979) - AlligatorAlligator (film)Alligator is a 1980 monster movie, directed by Lewis Teague with a screenplay by John Sayles. It stars Robert Forster, Robin Riker, and Michael V. Gazzo...
(1980) - Goliath AwaitsGoliath AwaitsGoliath Awaits is a 1981 American television movie originally broadcast in two parts in November 1981 on various stations as a part of Operation Prime Time's syndicated programming...
(1981) - Heartbreak High (1981)
- Walking The EdgeWalking the EdgeWalking the Edge is a 1983 crime film, action film written by Curt Allen and directed by Norbert Meisel. The film stars Robert Forster, Nancy Kwan, Joe Spinell, A Martinez, James McIntire, Wayne Woodson, Luis Contreras....
(1983) - The Delta ForceThe Delta Force (film)The Delta Force is a 1986 American action film starring Chuck Norris and Lee Marvin as leaders of an elite squad of Special Forces troops based on the real life U.S. Army Delta Force unit. It was directed by Menahem Golan and featured Martin Balsam, Joey Bishop, Robert Vaughn, Steve James, Robert...
(1986) - The Banker (1989)
- Checker Flag (1990)
- 29th Street29th Street (film)29th Street is a 1991 American comedy-drama film. It was written and directed by George Gallo and was adapted from the story by Frank Pesce and James Franciscus.- Plot :...
(1991) - American YakuzaAmerican YakuzaAmerican Yakuza is a 1993 American action film written by Takashige Ichise with a screenplay by John Allen Nelson and Max Strom, and directed by Frank Cappello for First Look International. Starring Viggo Mortensen and Ryo Ishibashi, the film had its theatrical release in Japan in December 1993,...
(1994) - Original GangstasOriginal GangstasOriginal Gangstas is a 1996 action movie set in urban Gary, Indiana starring Blaxploitation film stars such as Fred Williamson, Pam Grier, Jim Brown, and Richard Roundtree....
(1996) - Toygay Shemale (1996)
- Demolition UniversityDemolition UniversityDemolition University is a 1997 direct-to-video action film starring Corey Haim and Ami Dolenz. It is the sequel to 1996 film Demolition High.-Plot:...
(1997) - American PerfektAmerican PerfektAmerican Perfekt is a 1997 road movie/thriller/drama film written and directed by Paul Chart, produced by Irvin Kershner. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival.-Plot:...
(1997) - Jackie BrownJackie Brown (film)Jackie Brown is a 1997 American crime drama film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It is an adaptation of the novel Rum Punch by American novelist Elmore Leonard and pays homage to 1970s blaxploitation films....
(1997) - PsychoPsycho (1998 film)Psycho is a 1998 American horror film produced and directed by Gus Van Sant for Universal Pictures, a remake of the 1960 film directed by Alfred Hitchcock...
(1998) - Outside OzonaOutside OzonaOutside Ozona is a 1998 American comedy film written and directed by J. S. Cardone. The film follows a group of strangers who are all listening to the same radio station.-Plot:...
(1998) - It's the RageIt's the Rage (film)It's the Rage is a 1999 film version of Keith Reddin's play "The Alarmist" about three interconnected stories and how handguns affect each of the nine people involved. The film is James D. Stern's first time directing a feature, and boasts an all-star cast....
(1999) - Kiss Toledo GoodbyeKiss Toledo GoodbyeKiss Toledo Goodbye is a 1999 independent comedy/thriller film directed by Lyndon Chubbuck. Film stars Michael Rapaport, Christopher Walken, Robert Forster, Nancy Allen and Christine Taylor....
(1999) - Supernova (2000)
- LakeboatLakeboatLakeboat is a semi-autobiographical play by David Mamet, first produced in 1980.As he would later do with Glengarry Glen Ross, Mamet drew upon experiences from a past vocation to create high drama...
(2000) - Me, Myself & Irene (2000)
- Diamond MenDiamond MenDiamond Men is a 2000 film, a crime drama starring Robert Forster and Donnie Wahlberg. The independent film was written and directed by Dan Cohen, and was screened at the Hamptons International Film Festival in October 2000...
(2000) - Mulholland Dr. (2001)
- Human NatureHuman Nature (film)Human Nature is a 2001 American comedy film written by Charlie Kaufman and directed by Michel Gondry. The film stars Tim Robbins, Rhys Ifans, Miranda Otto and Patricia Arquette...
(2001) - Finder's Fee (2001)
- Roads to Riches (2001)
- Like MikeLike MikeLike Mike is a 2002 film, directed by John Schultz and starring Lil' Bow Wow, Morris Chestnut, Jonathan Lipnicki and Brenda Song. It was produced in association with NBA Entertainment and features many cameo appearances by NBA stars...
(2002) - Due East (2002)
- Lone HeroLone HeroLone Hero is a 2002 action film written and directed by Ken Sanzel.It tells of an actor in a Far West village who acts against bikers who held up the village's bar, and the actions that followed.-Plot:...
(2002) - Strange Hearts (2002)
- Murder in Greenwich (2002)
- Confidence (2003)
- Charlie's Angels: Full ThrottleCharlie's Angels: Full ThrottleCharlie's Angels: Full Throttle is a 2003 American action comedy film. It is the sequel to 2000's Charlie's Angels. It opened in the United States on June 27, 2003, and was number one at the box office for that weekend and made a worldwide total of $259.2 million.The cast again includes Cameron...
(2003) - Grand Theft ParsonsGrand Theft ParsonsGrand Theft Parsons is a 2003 film based on the true story of the country musician Gram Parsons , who died of an overdose in 1973...
(2003) - FirewallFirewall (film)Firewall is a 2006 British-American thriller film directed by Richard Loncraine and written by Joe Forte. Harrison Ford stars as Jack Stanfield, a security expert at a bank faced with a corporate merger and the offer of a new job.-Plot:...
(2006) - Lucky Number SlevinLucky Number SlevinLucky Number Slevin, renamed for the German/USA DVDs as Lucky # Slevin , is a 2006 crime thriller film written by Jason Smilovic, directed by Paul McGuigan and starring Josh Hartnett, Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Ben Kingsley, Stanley Tucci, and Lucy Liu...
(2006) - D-WarD-WarD-War , is a 2007 South Korean fantasy action film released in North America as Dragon Wars: D-War, War of the Dragons in Malaysia, and sometimes referred to colloquially and in some marketing materials as Dragon Wars. It is written and directed by Shim Hyung-rae...
(2007) - RiseRise (film)Rise: Blood Hunter is a 2007 horror/neo-noir film directed by Sebastian Gutierrez. It is a Samuel Goldwyn Films release starring Lucy Liu and Michael Chiklis. Rise is a supernatural thriller in which a reporter wakes up in a morgue to discover she is now a vampire. She vows revenge against the...
(2007) - CleanerCleaner (film)Cleaner is a 2007 thriller film directed by Renny Harlin, and starring Samuel L. Jackson, Ed Harris, and Eva Mendes.-Plot:Single father and former cop Tom Cutler has an unusual occupation: he owns and operates a crime scene cleanup company, and performs much of the duties himself...
(2007) - Jack and Jill vs. the WorldJack and Jill vs. the WorldJack and Jill vs. the World is a film by Vanessa Parise. It was released on April 4, 2008 and stars Freddie Prinze Jr. and Taryn Manning as Jack and Jill.-Cast:*Freddie Prinze Jr...
(2008) - HeroesHeroes (TV series)Heroes is an American science fiction television drama series created by Tim Kring that appeared on NBC for four seasons from September 25, 2006 through February 8, 2010. The series tells the stories of ordinary people who discover superhuman abilities, and how these abilities take effect in the...
(2008) (TV series) - Thick as Thieves (2009)
- Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009)
- Middle Men (2010)
- Girl Walks Into a BarGirl Walks into a BarGirl Walks Into a Bar is a 2011 multiple story line ensemble comedy film produced exclusively for Internet distribution. It is directed by Sebastián Gutiérrez from his own script, much like the anthology style of Gutiérrez's Women in Trouble, and follows a group of apparent strangers in...
(2011) - AlcatrazAlcatraz (TV series)Alcatraz is an upcoming American television series filmed in Vancouver, BC, starring Sarah Jones and Jorge Garcia. Bad Robot Productions produced the pilot episode, which is based on a screenplay by Elizabeth Sarnoff, Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt. The series was officially picked up by Fox on...
(2011) - The DescendantsThe Descendants (film)The Descendants is a 2011 comedy-drama film based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings. The film stars George Clooney, Judy Greer, Matthew Lillard and Shailene Woodley and it was released in the United States on November 18, 2011. It is directed by Alexander Payne, with a screenplay by Payne, Nat...
(2011)
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.