Robert Forster, Star of ‘Jackie Brown’ and ‘What They Had,’ Dies At Age 78

As far back as I can remember, Robert Forster was a source of comfort. It wasn’t just that Forster was a great actor; he was an ageless wonder, a performer whose quiet competence and weathered good looks reinforced the idea that it’s never too late in life to make a difference with your career. For those, like myself, who sometimes struggle with the uncertainty of aging, there was Forster, making middle-age look like the best thing that could ever happen to a man. That—plus the kind of incredible career second act you can’t help but root for—made him one of the most iconic performers of the last 30 years. And now, after a brief battle with brain cancer, he’s gone. It sucks.

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Forster was a staple of 1970s television, headlining shows like “Nakia” and “Banyon” before settling into a prolific (if somewhat unspectacular) career in film. While there are standout performances throughout his filmography—the 1980 creature-feature “Alligator” is much-beloved in my neck of the woods—it wasn’t until Quentin Tarantino‘s “Jackie Brown” in 1997 that Forster became a go-to performer for A-list productions.  Forster’s Max Cherry is one of Tarantino’s best characters, a man defined in equal parts by experience and compassion, and he plays him with a reserve at odds with his own struggling career. The love story between Cherry and Pam Grier‘s Jackie Brown remains one of the most affecting onscreen romances of the decade, and that’s in no small part to Forster’s calming screen presence.

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As it so often the case with older character actors, Forster had spent the past few years carving out a wonderful niche for himself as a voice of experience on the screen. While fans of “Breaking Bad” will appreciate the opportunity to see him go out strong in this weekend’s “El Camino,” his roles in films like “Damsel” and “What They Had” show the breadth of his talent to anyone looking to start with his more contemporary work. “What They Had” in particular is heartbreaking stuff, the story of a man who is unwilling to let go of the love he’s already begun to lose. We’re glad for the time we had with Forster, but it’s hard not to feel like we were denied countless iconic work in the process. He will be deeply missed.