Michael Forest, the American character actor known for playing the Greek god Apollo in Star Trek and appearing in numerous films and television series, died on 14 October at the age of 97. His death was announced on Facebook by his friend James A. Brown on 17 October.
Forest, who most recently lived in an assisted living facility in Sparks, Nevada, built a career spanning several decades, appearing in television dramas, B-movies and animated productions.
One of his best-known roles was Apollo in the 1967 Star Trek episode “Who Mourns for Adonais?”, in which he portrayed the giant Greek god. He returned to the role in 2013 for the fan-made web series Star Trek Continues.
Forest also appeared in The Dick Van Dyke Show, playing a former boyfriend of Laura Petrie, portrayed by Mary Tyler Moore. In the same year, 1964, he appeared as a member of an alien biker gang in The Twilight Zone episode “Black Leather Jackets”.
His television credits included The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, Zorro, Have Gun – Will Travel, Maverick, The Outer Limits, Gunsmoke, Mission: Impossible, Gilligan’s Island and Get Smart. He also appeared in the daytime soap operas As the World Turns, Days of Our Lives and The Young and the Restless.
On the big screen, Forest featured in several B-movies, including The Saga of the Viking Women and Their Voyage to the Waters of the Great Sea Serpent (1958), Beast from Haunted Cave (1959), Ski Troop Attack (1960) and Atlas (1961). Later in his career, he played a pilot in the 2000 film Cast Away, starring Tom Hanks.
Forest was also a prolific voice and dubbing actor, lending his voice to hundreds of animated productions. During the 1990s and 2000s, he increasingly focused on voice work for animated series, video games and anime projects, including titles from the Power Rangers and Dynasty Warriors franchises and World of Warcraft.
Born Gerald Michael Charlebois on 17 April, 1929, in Harvey, North Dakota, Forest moved to Los Angeles in 1955. He met filmmaker Roger Corman through an acting class, leading to collaborations that began in the late 1950s.
Forest was preceded in death by his wife, actress Diana Hale, who died in 2022. Details about his survivors were not immediately available.