Michael Forest, the character actor remembered for his iconic appearance in Star Trek as well as roles on The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Twilight Zone, has died at 97.
Forest died Wednesday at a senior assisted-living facility in Sparks, Nevada, where he had lived in recent years. His friend James A. Brown announced the news on Facebook, according to Deadline.
His career stretched across 65 years and included television, film and extensive voice work in anime, animated productions and video games.
Standing six feet three inches tall and possessing a rugged, muscular build, Forest was frequently cast as larger-than-life heroes, mythical figures and imposing characters.
Among his early film credits were four notable movies made by Roger Corman in the late 1950s and early 1960s, including The Saga of the Viking Women and Their Voyage to the Waters of the Great Sea Serpent (1958) and Atlas (1961).
His signature role came in the 1967 Star Trek episode “Who Mourns for Adonais?”, in which he played the enormous Greek god Apollo. The installment remains a favorite among the series’ most devoted fans.
Michael Forest, the character actor known for an iconic Star Trek episode and appearances on The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Twilight Zone, died at 97. Forest is pictured in 2008.
Forest’s best-known role was the giant Greek god Apollo in the 1967 Star Trek episode “Who Mourns for Adonais?”
As Apollo, Forest captured the USS Enterprise and demanded that Captain Kirk, played by William Shatner, and his crew bow before him. Kirk refused.
Apollo ultimately lost his power after Lt. Carolyn Palamas, portrayed by Leslie Parrish, rejected him. The Enterprise then destroyed his temple with the ship’s phasers.
Forest also played Steve, the lead alien biker, in the 1964 Twilight Zone episode “Black Leather Jackets.”
The story followed three alien brothers in disguise who were sent to Earth to exterminate humanity and claim the planet for their own race.
The North Dakota native later appeared in the 1964 Dick Van Dyke Show episode “The Life and Love of Joe Coogan.” He played Joe, Laura Petrie’s handsome former college sweetheart, who had since become a Catholic priest.
Unaware of Joe’s identity, Rob Petrie, played by Dick Van Dyke, played golf with him. Rob became jealous after learning that Joe and Laura had once dated, then tried to pair Joe with Sally Rogers, portrayed by Rose Marie, with comic results.
Forest built an extensive television résumé during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, appearing in episodes of Zorro, Have Gun – Will Travel, Maverick, The Outer Limits, Gunsmoke, Ben Casey, Gomer Pyle: USMC, Mission: Impossible, I Spy, Gilligan’s Island, Get Smart and The Rookies. He also appeared on Alias in the early 2000s.
His credits further included the daytime dramas The Young and the Restless, As the World Turns and Days of Our Lives.
The episode featuring Apollo’s capture of the Enterprise and his demand that Kirk and the crew worship him remains one of the most popular among dedicated Star Trek fans.
Apollo eventually lost his powers when Lt. Carolyn Palamas, played by Leslie Parrish, rejected him, allowing the Enterprise to destroy his temple with its phasers. Forest and Parrish are pictured in 1967.
Forest’s six-foot-three-inch frame and rugged, muscular appearance helped him land roles as heroic, mythical and larger-than-life figures. He is pictured in the 1969 television movie The Silent Gun.
The prolific character actor also played Humara, a Yaqui Indian compatriot, in the 1969 Western 100 Rifles, alongside Raquel Welch, Burt Reynolds and Jim Brown.
CHECK THIS OUT: Woman Reveals She’s Been Faking Orgasms With Her Partner for Four Years in Ask Jana Advice Column
Forest was a regular B-movie leading man for Roger Corman.
Forest met Corman in an acting class, during which the film producer and director approached him and asked if he wanted a part in his upcoming movie.
That led to the role of Zarko the Bavarian in The Saga of the Viking Women and Their Voyage to the Waters of the Great Sea Serpent (1958), followed by Beast from Haunted Cave (1959), Ski Troop Attack (1960) and Atlas (1961).
Forest had roles in other movies including Humara, a Yaqui Indian compatriot in the western 100 Rifles (1969) opposite Raquel Welch as Sarita.
In the film’s tragic climax, after Sarita is shot, Humara carries her limp body back to the Arizona sheriff (Jim Brown) and Yaqui Joe (Burt Reynolds).
He also had roles in King Kong Lives (1986) and the Tom Hanks movie Cast Away (2000), playing the pilot.
Forest’s last movie role, at age 90, was playing Marshal Preston Booth in the short film When the Train Stops (2019).
Over the course of his long career, Forest did a lot of Voiceover and dubbing work.
Forest was a regular B-movie leading man for famed film producer and director Roger Corman. Above, Forest in Corman’s Ski Troop Attack (1960)
In 1964, Forest guest-starred on the TV show Gilligan’s Island as tribe warrior Ugundi. Above, Forest and Bob Denver as Gilligan
The North Dakota native married actress Diana Hale in 1970. Above, Forest and Hale in 1979
Between 1968 to 1978, when he was living in Rome, he dubbed voices for over 500 international and Italian productions.
Using the alias Alfred Thor, he voiced characters in English dubs for anime series and films including Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Cowboy Bebop, Akira, Samurai Champloo, and The Last Exile.
At 71, he voiced Prince Olympius in Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue.
He lent his voice to video games including the Dynasty Warriors series, in which he voiced Zuo Ci.
Forest reprised his iconic role of Apollo in the Star Trek Continues fan-made web series in 2013.
Forest was born Gerald Michael Charlebois in Harvey, North Dakota, on April 17, 1929, and adopted Michael Forest as a stage name around 1957.
When he was young, he moved with his family to Seattle, Washington, later graduating from San Jose State University with a BA in English and Drama.
Forest married actress Diana Hale in 1970 and they were together for more than 50 years until Hale’s death in 2022.