RIP – Robert Forster

Robert Forster, the actor best known for his Academy Award nominated role in Jackie Brown has passed away at the age of 78 from brain cancer.

Forster was one of those rare actors who made everything in was in better.  I first became aware of Forster in the tv series Banyon.  I liked him better than the show and often that seemed to be the case.  The same could be said for his appearances in Reflections in a Golden Eye; The Black Hole; Alligator; The Delta Force; and so many more.

Forster was quoted in a 2018 interview with the Chicago Tribune…

“My career went like this for five years and then like that for 27. Every time it reached a lower level I thought I could tolerate, it dropped some more, and then some more. Near the end I had no agent, no manager, no lawyer, no nothing. I was taking whatever fell through the cracks.”

But Forster hung in taking whatever parts he could that would pay the bills.

Quentin Tarantino was a fan and had Forster audition for Reservoir Dogs. Ultimately Tarantino gave the part to Lawrence Tierney, but had another idea for Forster.  And that was the male lead in Jackie Brown.  Forster was nominated for an Academy Award and that restarted his career.  Better roles continued, and Forster worked until his death — having two films, El Camino: A Breaking Bad Story and Phil coming out in 2019.

I loved Forster’s acting and his attitude about life.  As he told this interviewer…

“You gotta be ready… Accept all things that give you a good attitude.  Deliver excellence right now… And never quit. You can win it in the late innings if you don’t quit.”

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Robert Forster’s family, friends and fans.