Michael Forest, a prolific and longtime actor who appeared in Roger Corman’s B-movies, lent his voice to numerous anime projects, and starred in numerous television series from The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, The Twilight Zone And The Dick Van Dyke Show at Silk Stalkings, daytime soap operas and a memorably outsized role in Star Trekdied October 14. He was 97 years old.
Sparks most recently resided at an assisted living facility in Sparks, Nevada. His death was announced on Facebook by his friend James A. Brown.
Among the actor’s many TV roles, he was among the favorites Star Trek fans: Forest played the giant Greek god Apollo in the memorable 1967 episode “Who Mourns Adonais?”
Other notable television roles include a former boyfriend of The Dick Van Dyke ShowLaura Petrie (Mary Tyler Moore) who goes on a date with Rose Marie’s still-single Sally Rogers (Laura doesn’t know he’s become a priest. The same year – 1964 – Forest played a member of an alien biker gang in The Twilight Zone episode “Black Leather Jackets”.
Just a sampling of his many other TV credits in the 50s, 60s and 70s, including appearances in episodes of Z.orro, Have Gun – Will Travel, Maverick, Ben Casey, The Outer Limits, Gunsmoke, Gomer Pyle: USMC, I Spy, Mission: Impossible, Gilligan’s Island, Get Smart, The Rookies And Who is the boss.
Forest was also a busy voice and voice actor, appearing in hundreds of animated films, lending his skills to hundreds of films. The 1990s and 2000s saw Forest turn largely to voice work and voice acting for animated series and video games, including entries in the Power Rangers and Dynasty Warriors franchises, World of Warcraft and various anime projects.
Michael Forest as Apollo in 1967 Star Trek episode “Who mourns Adonaïs? »
On the big screen, Forest appeared in notable drive-ins like the one in 1959. Beast of the Haunted Cave and that of Roger Corman The saga of the Viking women and their journey to the waters of the great sea serpent (1958), Attack of the ski troops (1960) and Sword and Sandal Adventure Atlas (1961). Decades later, he played a pilot in the 2000 Tom Hanks film. Dismiss, among other late-career appearances.
Over the years he appeared in soap operas As the world turns, the days of our lives And The young and the restless.
In 2013, Forest reprized his role as Apollo for the fan-created web series. Star Trek continues.
Born Gerald Michael Charlebois on April 17, 1929, in Harvey, North Dakota, Forest moved to Los Angeles in 1955 and met director Corman through an acting class, leading to their collaboration that began in the late 1950s.
Forest was preceded in death by his wife, actress Diana Hale, who died in 2022. Complete survivor information was not immediately available.
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