Robert Forster facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Robert Forster
Forster in 2009
Born	Robert Wallace Foster Jr. (1941-07-13)July 13, 1941 Rochester, New York, U.S.
Died	October 11, 2019(2019-10-11) (aged 78) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Rochester (B.A.)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1967–2019
Spouse(s)	June Provenzano ​ ​ (m. 1966; div. 1975)​ Zivia Forster ​ ​ (m. 1978; div. 1980)​
Partner(s)	Denise Grayson (2004–2019)
Children	4

Robert Wallace Forster Jr. (born July 13, 1941 – died October 11, 2019) was an American actor. He was known for many roles in movies and TV shows. Some of his famous movie roles include John Cassellis in Medium Cool (1969) and Max Cherry in Jackie Brown (1997). For Jackie Brown, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Forster also appeared in films like The Black Hole (1979), Alligator (1980), and Mulholland Drive (2001). On TV, he had important roles in Heroes (2007–2008), Twin Peaks (2017), and Breaking Bad. He won an award for his role as Ed Galbraith in Breaking Bad. He played this character again in the movie El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019) and the TV show Better Call Saul.

Early Life and Name Change

Robert Forster was born and grew up in Rochester, New York. His mother was Italian American, and his father had English and Irish family. His parents divorced when he was eight years old.

He added an "R" to his last name, changing it from Foster to Forster. He did this because another actor named Robert Foster was already part of the Screen Actors Guild. This group represents actors.

Acting Career Highlights

Forster started his career with strong performances in movies like Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967). He also starred in the well-known film Medium Cool (1969). After some TV shows, he often played supporting roles in action and horror movies. One of these was Disney's The Black Hole (1979). In the 1980s, he had main roles in popular B-movies like Alligator (1980) and The Delta Force (1986).

His role as Max Cherry in Jackie Brown (1997) was a big turning point. This movie helped bring his career back into the spotlight. After that, he worked steadily in many films. These included Mulholland Drive, Me, Myself & Irene, and Firewall. He also played a detective in the TV movie The Hunt for the BTK Killer.

Forster was also a motivational speaker. He appeared in the popular TV show Heroes as Arthur Petrelli. He also played Ed Galbraith, a specialist who helps people disappear, in Breaking Bad. He later played Bud Baxter on the comedy show Last Man Standing.

Twin Peaks and Other Roles

Robert Forster was first asked to play Sheriff Harry S. Truman in the original Twin Peaks TV show. But he could not do it because he had promised to work on another TV show. Years later, he got to work with director David Lynch in the movie Mulholland Drive. Finally, he joined Twin Peaks in 2017. He played Sheriff Frank Truman, who was the brother of the original sheriff.

Forster passed away on the same day his movie El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie was released. He played Ed Galbraith again in that film. He also appeared in an episode of Better Call Saul and Amazing Stories after his death. These episodes were dedicated to him.

Personal Life

Forster was married to June Provenzano from 1966 to 1975. They met at the University of Rochester. They had three daughters: Elizabeth, Kathrine, and Maeghen. He also had a son, Robert III, from an earlier relationship. He was married to Zivia Forster from 1978 to 1980. From 2004 until his death, his partner was Denise Grayson.

He was a member of the Triple Nine Society. This is a group for people with very high IQs.

Health and Death

In June 2019, Forster was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He passed away from this illness at his home in Los Angeles on October 11, 2019. He was 78 years old.

Filmography

Movies

Television Shows

Theater Performances

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Robert Forster para niños