One of director Francis Ford Coppola’s favorite actors is no more. Frederic Forrest, American actor who notably starred in the films Secret Conversations, Coup de coeur, Tucker and especially Apocalypse Now, died this Saturday, June 24, at the age of 86. From 1968 to 2007, the comedian from Texas scoured American cinema, leaving behind him an unforgettable memory.
Bette Midler, Forrest’s former costar in The Rose, paid a poignant tribute. “The great and beloved Frederic Forrest has passed away. Thank you to all his fans and friends for all their support over the past few months. He was a remarkable actor and a brilliant human being, and I was lucky to have him in my life. Rest in peace,” she wrote on her Twitter account. Moviegoers hailed his memory on social media. “I loved Frederic Forrest. He had this particular gift of playing guys who were always off the mark. Not easy. He put a mad grace into it. May the road be gentle to him,” it read.
In 1979, the interpreter of Huston Dyer had narrowly missed the Oscar for best actor in a supporting role for the film The Rose. 1979, will also remain the culmination of his four decades spent in the world of the seventh art. That same year, his portrayal of Jay “Chef” Hicks was noticed on Apocalypse Now. Coppola’s work received the Palme d’Or at Cannes.
Also appearing on television in the series 21 Jump Street, Frederic Forrest had become rarer in the world of cinema from the 2000s. His last role was in Steven Zaillian’s The King’s Fools in 2006. He had left definitely the world of cinema in 2007, after the tribute film to his great friend Marlon Brando, where he had expressed his admiration for the sacred monster of cinema.
