'Apocalypse Now' Actor Dead at 86
Actor Frederic Forrest has passed away at the age of 86.
He is best known for his portrayal of Jay “Chef” Hicks in Francis Ford Coppola’s war film “Apocalypse Now.”
His friend and actor Barry Primus told The Hollywood Reporter he died Friday at his home in Santa Monica, California, after suffering from a long illness.
A GoFundMe was previously set up in September to help with Forrest’s caregiving costs. It raised over $57,000 before being shut down.
Forrest received an Academy Award nomination for the 1979 film “The Rose” which also starred actress Bette Midler.
“The Rose” was originally going to be a biopic of female rock star Janis Joplin, but was fictionalized after her family wouldn’t allow the producers the rights to her story. Forrest played limousine driver Huston Dyer in the movie, and was a love interest of Midler’s character.
The actress took to Twitter to comment on his death.
The great and beloved Frederic Forrest has died. Thank you to all of his fans and friends for all their support these last few months. He was a remarkable actor, and a brilliant human being, and I was lucky to have him in my life. He was at peace.”
— bettemidler (@BetteMidler) June 24, 2023
“The great and beloved Frederic Forrest has died,” Middler tweeted. “Thank you to all of his fans and friends for all their support these last few months. He was a remarkable actor, and a brilliant human being, and I was lucky to have him in my life.
“He was at peace.”
Fans of the actor took to Twitter to express their sadness over his passing.
R.I.P. Frederic Forrest, a terrific actor who could believably play Bette Midler’s love interest, a sweet hippie dad, and a vile Neo-Nazi. Coppola understood his malleability better than anyone, giving him the most crucial and ambiguous line in The Conversation. pic.twitter.com/8JQ6b4xvlU
— William Friedkin Truths (@LazlosGhost) June 24, 2023
One wrote, “I’ll never forget his turn as the terrifying Blue Duck on the wonderful series Lonesome Dove. He dominated his scenes. May he rest in peace.”
He earned a Golden Globe nomination for New Star of the Year for his performance in the 1972 film “When the Legends Die.”
Forrest portrayed Tom Black Bull in that film.
The 2016 film “All the King’s Men,” where Forrest played actor Sean Penn’s father, was his last major role.
While he was rarely cast as a leading man, he appeared in three other Coppola films — “The Conversation,” “One from the Heart,” and “Tucker: The Man and His Dream.”
He is survived by his sister.
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