Apocalypse Now Actor Frederic Forrest Dead at 86

Apocalypse Now star Frederic Forrest is dead at the age of 86. TMZ reported his passing after Bette Midler shared the news on social media. He is said to have had a long illness, but there has been no reported cause of death yet. The Rose actor thrilled audiences across a long career that saw him teamed with director Francis Ford Coppola multiple times. The legendary filmmaker also issued a statement on Forrest’s passing. Coppola said, “Freddie Forrest was a sweet, much beloved person, a wonderful actor and a good friend. His loss is heartbreaking to me.”

As the news trickles in, fans are sharing some favorite moments on social media. It seems a lot of them learned about Forrest’s passing from Middler on Twitter. “The great and beloved Frederic Forrest has died,” Midler said on Friday. “Thank you to all of his fans and friends for all their support these last few months. He was a remarkable actor, and a brilliant human being, and I was lucky to have him in my life. He was at peace.”

The great and beloved Frederic Forrest has died. Thank you to all of his fans and friends for all their support these last few months. He was a remarkable actor, and a brilliant human being, and I was lucky to have him in my life. He was at peace.”

— bettemidler (@BetteMidler) June 24, 2023

Big Moment For Forrest In His Career

From the moment he started acting, there were loft expectations. But, the big moment for Forrest wouldn’t occur until later in his life. The New York Times talked about it back in 1979 after he made a big impression in The Rose opposite Midler. 

“Mr. Forrest, one of the under‐acknowledged assets of ‘Apocalypse Now,’ is an extremely fine actor whose presence gives unexpected balance to what might otherwise have been considered a star vehicle,” Vincent Canby said back then.

It seems like he had stopped waiting for his ship to come in until these roles kind of materialized. He told the Times: “I don’t expect much. I’ve been around too long to have expectations,” Forrest explained. “This is a fickle town, no rhyme or reason to it. By the time you go down the driveway to pick up your mail, you’re forgotten. I waited a year after ‘Larry’ to try to do something good, but no scripts came. They told me to hire a public‐relations firm to try to get an Emmy. There was no way I could do that. It goes against my grain to buy ads. I don’t want to buy a prize. I want someone to give me one. Who wants a prize if you have to hustle it?”

Our thoughts and prayers are with Frederic Forrest’s family and friends at this time.