Farrah Forke facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Farrah Forke
Born	Farrah Rachael Forke (1968-01-12)January 12, 1968 Corpus Christi, Texas, U.S.
Died	February 25, 2022(2022-02-25) (aged 54) Houston, Texas, U.S.
Other names	Farrah R. Forke
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1991–2005
Children	2

Farrah Rachael Forke (January 12, 1968 – February 25, 2022) was an American actress. She was well-known for her roles on popular TV shows. Farrah played Alex Lambert on the NBC sitcom Wings. She also played Mayson Drake on Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.

Farrah Forke also used her voice for animated characters. She was the voice of Big Barda on Batman Beyond and Justice League Unlimited. She appeared in movies like Disclosure and Heat. She also starred in TV movies such as Nurses on the Line.

Early life and acting start

Farrah Forke was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, on January 12, 1968. She was one of two children. Her parents were Chuck and Beverly Forke. Farrah was named after the famous actress Farrah Fawcett. Farrah Fawcett was a friend of the family.

Farrah Forke once said that she was a big fan of Farrah Fawcett. She thought, "If she can do it so can I." Farrah went to the Hockaday School in Dallas. This was an all-girls private school. She was a cheerleader there.

Farrah started acting in a play called The Rocky Horror Show in Texas. After high school, she moved to New York City in 1989. She studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Institute. While studying, she also worked to support herself.

Acting career highlights

Farrah Forke began her film career in 1991. Her first movie was Brain Twisters.

Playing Alex Lambert on Wings

Farrah became very well-known for her role as Alex Lambert. She played this character for two seasons on the NBC sitcom Wings. This was only her second acting job. It became one of her most important roles.

She said she felt nervous during her first episodes. "I was so new and so nervous," she shared. "There were many people around, and four cameras." She even said her hands would shake in early episodes. She would hold coffee cups with both hands to stop them from shaking.

Farrah used her own experiences to play Alex. Alex was a tough character. Farrah had worked as a bartender in New York. This helped her prepare for the role. She learned a lot from her co-stars on Wings. She especially learned from Steven Weber and Tony Shalhoub.

Alex was a recurring character in the show's fourth season. She became a regular cast member in the fifth season. The writers later found it hard to write new stories for Alex. They wanted to focus on her onscreen boyfriend Brian's single life. Farrah was asked back for one guest appearance. This episode gave a conclusion to her character's story.

Other TV shows and movies

After Wings, Farrah Forke starred in other TV shows. She played Carey in the sitcom Dweebs in 1995. This show was about an office manager at a computer software company. From 1996 to 1997, she was Nikki Harkin on NBC's Mr. Rhodes. She played a guidance counselor at a prep school.

Farrah also appeared on Ned and Stacey. She worked with her Wings co-star Thomas Haden Church on this show. Farrah also did voice-overs for many companies. These included Arby's, Cadillac, and Checkers.

Farrah had a recurring role on Lois and Clark. She played Mayson Drake. Mayson was a lawyer who thought Superman was a vigilante. But she also liked Clark Kent.

Farrah returned to the Superman universe with her voice. She voiced Big Barda in two episodes of Batman Beyond. She also voiced Big Barda in one episode of Justice League Unlimited. These were animated shows.

In movies, she appeared in Disclosure (1994). This film was directed by Academy Award winner Barry Levinson. She was also in Heat (1995), directed by Michael Mann. Another movie was Ground Control (1998). She also acted in TV movies like Nurses on the Line: The Crash of Flight 7 (1993).

Her last onscreen role was in the 2001 movie It Is What It Is. Farrah was very proud of this role. She said it was her best work. She also helped produce the movie. Around 2003, she moved to New Mexico. She later decided to stop acting for good. She moved back to Texas. She said she loved her life in Texas. She enjoyed raising her twin boys there. Her last voice role was in 2005. She voiced Big Barda again in Justice League Unlimited.

Personal life

Farrah Forke was good friends with actress Caroline Aaron. Caroline played Mary Pat Lee on Wings. They appeared together in Farrah's last episode of the series.

Farrah met Mark Layton Brown while he worked on the show Wings. They had two children together. They had twin sons named Chuck and Wit. Farrah took a break from acting in the early 2000s. She returned to Texas to raise her children. This break eventually became a permanent retirement from Hollywood.

Death

Farrah Forke passed away at her home in Spring, Texas. She died on February 25, 2022, at 54 years old. She had been fighting cancer for several years before her death.

Many people shared tributes to her. Her Wings co-star Steven Weber shared kind words. He played her onscreen boyfriend Brian. He said she was "every bit as tough, fun, beautiful and grounded as her character 'Alex' on Wings."

Filmography