Steve Forrest (born William Forrest Andrews; September 29, 1925 – May 18, 2013) was an American actor who was well known for his role as Lt. Hondo Harrelson in the hit television series ''

S.W.A.T. In the United States, a SWAT team (special weapons and tactics, originally special weapons assault team) is a police tactical unit that uses specialized or military equipment and tactics. Although they were first created in the 1960s to ...

'' which was broadcast on ABC from 1975 to 1976. He was also known for his performance in ''

Mommie Dearest ''Mommie Dearest'' is a memoir and exposé written by Christina Crawford, the adopted daughter of actress Joan Crawford. Published in 1978, it attracted much controversy for its portrayal of Joan Crawford as a cruel, unbalanced, and alcoholic m ...

'' (1981).

Early years

Forrest was born William Forrest Andrews in Huntsville, Texas, the 12th of 13 children of Annis (née Speed) and Charles Forrest Andrews, a Baptist minister. One of his older brothers was film star

Dana Andrews Carver Dana Andrews (January 1, 1909 – December 17, 1992) was an American film actor who became a major star in what is now known as film noir. A leading man during the 1940s, he continued acting in less prestigious roles and character parts ...

. Forrest enlisted in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

at the age of 18 and fought in the

Battle of the Bulge The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, was the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during World War II. The battle lasted from 16 December 1944 to 28 January 1945, towards the end of the war in ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. In 1950, he earned a bachelor's degree with honors from

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...

, majoring in theater with a minor in psychology.

Career

Forrest worked as a stagehand at the

La Jolla Playhouse La Jolla Playhouse is a not-for-profit, professional theatre on the campus of the University of California, San Diego. History La Jolla Playhouse was founded in 1947 by Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, and Mel Ferrer. In 1983, it was revived under ...

outside

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United State ...

. There Gregory Peck discovered him, cast him in

La Jolla La Jolla ( , ) is a hilly, seaside neighborhood within the city of San Diego, California, United States, occupying of curving coastline along the Pacific Ocean. The population reported in the 2010 census was 46,781. La Jolla is surrounded on ...

's production of ''Goodbye Again'', and then arranged for Forrest's first screen test with

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...

, where he was signed to a contract. Among Forrest's notable films were '' So Big'', for which he won the

Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actor The Golden Globe for New Star of the Year – Actor was an award given by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association at their annual Golden Globe Awards. History The award was first introduced at the 6th Golden Globe Awards in 1948, where it was ...

, '' The Longest Day'', ''

North Dallas Forty ''North Dallas Forty'' is a 1979 American sports film starring Nick Nolte, Mac Davis, and G. D. Spradlin set in the decadent world of American professional football in the late 1970s. It was directed by Ted Kotcheff and based on the best-selling ...

'', and ''

''. He had cameo roles in the comedies '' Spies Like Us'' and ''

Amazon Women on the Moon ''Amazon Women on the Moon'' is a 1987 American satirical science fiction film that parodies the experience of watching low-budget films on late-night television. The film, featuring a large ensemble cast including cameo appearances from film and ...

'', and the 2003 film version of ''

'' Forrest was also a trained vocalist, and he made his debut on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

as boxer Bob Stanton in the 1958 production of the Harnick and Bock musical ''

The Body Beautiful ''The Body Beautiful'' is a musical with a book by Joseph Stein and Will Glickman, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and music by Jerry Bock. The first collaboration by Harnick and Bock, and the only one to have a contemporary setting, its plot focuses ...

'' opposite

Mindy Carson Mindy Carson is an American former traditional pop vocalist. She was heard often on radio during the 1940s and 1950s. Early years Carson grew up in the Bronx, graduating from James Monroe High School. After graduation, she took a position as typ ...

Jack Warden Jack Warden (born John Warden Lebzelter Jr.; September 18, 1920July 19, 2006) was an American character actor of film and television. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for ''Shampoo'' (1975) and '' Heaven Can Wait' ...

and

Brock Peters Brock Peters (born George Fisher; July 2, 1927 – August 23, 2005) was an American actor and singer, best known for playing the villainous "Crown" in the 1959 film version of ''Porgy and Bess'', and the wrongfully convicted Tom Robinson in t ...

. Forrest played later U.S. Senator

William Borah William Edgar Borah (June 29, 1865 – January 19, 1940) was an outspoken Republican United States Senator, one of the best-known figures in Idaho's history. A progressive who served from 1907 until his death in 1940, Borah is often co ...

in the 1963 episode "The Lion of Idaho" of the

syndicated television Broadcast syndication is the practice of leasing the right to broadcasting television shows and radio programs to multiple television stations and radio stations, without going through a broadcast network. It is common in the United States where ...

anthology series An anthology series is a radio, television, video game or film series that spans different genres and presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a dif ...

Death Valley Days ''Death Valley Days'' is an American old-time radio and television anthology series featuring true accounts of the American Old West, particularly the Death Valley country of southeastern California. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program ...

''. In the storyline, Borah as a young attorney defends a woman in Nampa,

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyomi ...

, on a murder charge. In 1965, Forrest and his family moved to London, where he starred as John Mannering in the title role of the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

crime drama Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combin ...

'' The Baron''. His other television credits included '' The DuPont Show with June Allyson'', ''

Storefront Lawyers ''Storefront Lawyers'' (also known as ''Men at Law'') is an American legal drama that ran from September 1970 to January 1971 and February 1971 to March 1971 on CBS. The series starred Robert Foxworth, Sheila Larken, David Arkin, and A Martinez. ...

'', ''

'', '' Hollywood Wives'', and Rod Serling's hour-long '' Twilight Zone'' episode " The Parallel", as well as Serling's ''

Night Gallery ''Night Gallery'' is an American anthology television series that aired on NBC from December 16, 1970, to May 27, 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, ''The Twilight Zone ...

'' segment "The Waiting Room". On a 1969 episode of '' Gunsmoke'' titled "Mannon", he portrayed Will Mannon (one of the very few men ever to outdraw Matt Dillon), then reprised the character 18 years later for the 1987 television film '' Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge'' with James Arness. Jock Ewing, the character played by Jim Davis in the television series ''

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

'' from 1978 to 1981, was presumed to have been killed in a helicopter crash during the 1981–82 season, although Jock's body was never found. This storyline was written into the series script on account of Davis' real-life death. In 1986 Lorimar Television, now renamed Lorimar Tele-Pictures, extended Forrest's contract from the 1985–1986 season of "Dallas" (the " Dream Season"), during which he had played the character Ben Stivers. They brought him back as a similar character renamed Wes Parmalee, who would be revealed to actually be Jock Ewing, in the 1986-87 season. While the season was still in production, the news leaked that Forrest would be playing the new Jock Ewing. Fans of the show believed the new storyline was disrespectful to the memory of Davis. Lorimar was forced to drop the Wes Parmalee character and change the story outcome. In 1953, he earned the Most Promising Newcomer award from the Golden Globes for his performance in the Warner Bros. film 'So Big'. In a career that spanned six decades, among films he appeared in were 'Prisoner of War' (1954), 'The Living Idol' (1957), 'Flaming Star' (1960), 'The Longest Day' (1962), 'Rascal' (1969), 'The Wild Country' (1970), 'North Dallas Forty' (1979), 'Mommie Dearest' (1981), 'Sahara' (1983), 'Amazon Women on the Moon' (1987) and 'S.W.A.T.' (2003). Among television series he was featured in were 'Playhouse 90', 'Outlaws', 'Death Valley Days', 'The Virginian', 'Rawhide', 'Bonanza', 'Insight', 'Alias Smith and Jones', 'Ironside', 'Night Gallery', 'Medical Center', 'The Rookies', 'Dallas', and 'Murder, She Wrote', however his most memorable TV role was that of Lt. Dan 'Hondo' Harrelson on 'S.W.A.T.' from 1975 through '76.

Personal life

Forrest married Christine Carilas on December 23, 1948. They had three sons: Michael, Forrest, and Stephen. Forrest was also an avid and accomplished golfer, Forrest often played in charity tournaments. He competed in 1976, for example, on the U.S. team at the Bing Crosby Great Britain vs. U.S.A. Tournament, which was held that year in Scotland at Gleneagles. Forrest died of natural causes on May 18, 2013, in

Thousand Oaks, California Thousand Oaks is the second-largest city in Ventura County, California, United States. It is in the northwestern part of Greater Los Angeles, approximately from the city of Los Angeles and from Downtown. It is named after the many oak tr ...

, aged 87.

Partial filmography

*'' The Ghost Ship'' (1943) as Sailor (uncredited) *'' Sealed Cargo'' (1951) as Holtz (uncredited) *'' Geisha Girl'' (1952) as Rocky Wilson *''

The Bad and the Beautiful ''The Bad and the Beautiful'' is a 1952 American melodrama that tells the story of a film producer who alienates everyone around him. The film was directed by Vincente Minnelli, written by George Bradshaw and Charles Schnee, and starring Lana T ...

'' (1952) as Actor in Georgia's Screen Test (uncredited) *'' The Clown'' (1953) as Young Man *''

Last of the Comanches ''Last of the Comanches'' is a 1953 American Western film directed by Andre DeToth and starring Broderick Crawford, Barbara Hale, Johnny Stewart and Lloyd Bridges. The film is a remake of the 1943 World War II film ''Sahara'', starring Humphre ...

'' (1953) as Lt. Floyd (uncredited) *'' Battle Circus'' (1953) as Sergeant *''

I Love Melvin ''I Love Melvin'' is a 1953 American Technicolor musical romantic comedy film directed by Don Weis, starring Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds. According to MGM records, the film earned $1,316,000 in the United States and Canada and $654,000 ...

'' (1953) as Photographer on Crane (uncredited) *''

Dream Wife ''Dream Wife'' is a 1953 romantic comedy film starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed by Sidney Sheldon and produced by Dore Schary, from a screenplay by Herbert Baker, Alfred Lewis Levitt and Sidney S ...

'' (1953) as Louis *''

The Band Wagon ''The Band Wagon'' is a 1953 American musical romantic comedy film directed by Vincente Minnelli, starring Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse. It tells the story of an aging musical star who hopes a Broadway show will restart his career. However, ...

'' (1953) as Passenger on Train (uncredited) *'' So Big'' (1953) as Dirk DeJong *'' Take the High Ground!'' (1953) as Lobo Naglaski *'' Phantom of the Rue Morgue'' (1954) as Prof. Paul Dupin *''

Prisoner of War A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of w ...

'' (1954) as Cpl. Joseph Robert Stanton *''

Rogue Cop ''Rogue Cop'' is a 1954 American film noir directed by Roy Rowland, based on the novel by William P. McGivern, and starring Robert Taylor, Janet Leigh, and George Raft.Everett Aaker, ''The Films of George Raft'', McFarland & Company, 2013 p 159 ...

'' (1954) as Eddie Kelvaney *''

The Long Gray Line ''The Long Gray Line'' is a 1955 American Cinemascope Technicolor biographical comedy-drama film in CinemaScope directed by John Ford based on the life of Marty Maher and his autobiography, Bringing Up the Brass'' co-written witNardi Reeder Cam ...

'' (1955) as Sergeant (uncredited) *'' Bedevilled'' (1955) as Gregory Fitzgerald *''

Meet Me in Las Vegas ''Meet Me in Las Vegas'' (1956) is an MGM musical comedy produced by Joe Pasternak, directed by Roy Rowland, filmed in Eastman Color and CinemaScope, and starring Dan Dailey and Cyd Charisse. The screenplay is by Isobel Lennart, cinematograph ...

'' (1956) as Steve Forrest (uncredited) *'' The Living Idol'' (1957) as Terry Matthews *'' Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' (1957, TV Series) as Steve Archer / Joe Rogers *'' It Happened to Jane'' (1959) as Lawrence Clay 'Larry' Hall *''

Heller in Pink Tights ''Heller In Pink Tights'' is a 1960 American Technicolor Western film adapted from Louis L'Amour's 1955 novel ''Heller with a Gun''. It stars Sophia Loren and Anthony Quinn and was directed by George Cukor. The movie is noted for its lavishly ...

'' (1960) as Clint Mabry *''

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre ''Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre'' is an American Western anthology television series that was broadcast on CBS from October 5, 1956, until September 20, 1962. Format Many episodes were based on novels by Zane Grey, to all of which Four Star ...

'' (1960, TV Series) as Mike Bagley *''

Five Branded Women ''Five Branded Women'' is a 1960 Italian-American film directed by Martin Ritt (his only war film) and produced by Dino De Laurentiis. It features an international cast including Silvana Mangano, Barbara Bel Geddes, Jeanne Moreau and Vera Miles. T ...

'' (1960) as Sargeant Paul Keller *''

Flaming Star ''Flaming Star'' is a 1960 American Western film starring Elvis Presley, Barbara Eden and Steve Forrest, based on the book ''Flaming Lance'' (1958) by Clair Huffaker. Critics agreed that Presley gave one of his best acting performances as t ...

'' (1960) as Clint Burton *'' The Second Time Around'' (1961) as Dan Jones *'' The Longest Day'' (1962) as Captain Harding *''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, sup ...

'' (1963, TV Series) as Major Robert Gaines *'' The Yellow Canary'' (1963) as Hub Wiley *'' The Virginian'' (1963–1964, TV Series) as James Templeton / Roger Layton *''

Twelve O'Clock High ''Twelve O'Clock High'' is a 1949 American war film about aircrews in the United States Army's Eighth Air Force, who flew daylight bombing missions against Germany and Occupied France during the early days of American involvement in World War II ...

'' (1965, TV Series) as Maj. Peter Gray *'' Rawhide'' (1965, TV Series) as Cable *'' The Fugitive'' (1965, TV Series) as Barry Craft *'' Burke's Law'' (1965, TV Series) as Jocko Creighton *'' The Baron'' (1966–1967, TV Series) as John Mannering 'The Baron' *''

Cimarron Strip ''Cimarron Strip'' is an American Western television series starring Stuart Whitman as Marshal Jim Crown. The series was produced by the creators of '' Gunsmoke'', and aired on CBS from September 1967 to March 1968. Reruns of the original show ...

'' (1967–1968, TV Series) as Clayton Tyce / Wiley Harpe *'' Bonanza'' (1967-1969, TV Series) as Dan Logan / Josh Tanner *'' Rascal'' (1969) as Willard North *'' Gunsmoke'' (1970–1973, TV Series) as Scott Coltrane / Cord Wrecken / Cole Morgan / Will Mannon *''

The High Chaparral ''The High Chaparral'' television series, which was broadcast on NBC from 1967 to 1971, is an American Western action adventure drama set in the 1870s. It stars Leif Erickson and Cameron Mitchell. The series was made by Xanadu Productions ...

'' (1970, TV Series) as Johnny Rondo *'' The F.B.I.'' (1970) as Lee Barrington *'' The Wild Country'' (1970) as Jim Tanner *'' The Late Liz'' (1971) as Jim Hatch *'' Mission: Impossible'' (1971, TV Series) as Edward Granger *''

Nichols Nichols may refer to: People *Nichols (surname) *Nichol, a surname Places Canada * Nichols Islands, Nunavut United States * Nichols, California, an unincorporated community * Nichols Canyon, Los Angeles, California * Nichols, Connecticut * Nich ...

'' (1971, TV Series) as Sam Yeager *''

Alias Smith and Jones ''Alias Smith and Jones'' is an American Western series that originally aired on ABC from January 1971 to January 1973. The show initially starred Pete Duel as Hannibal Heyes and Ben Murphy as Jedediah "Kid" Curry, outlaw cousins who are tryin ...

'' (1972, TV Series) as Jake Halloran *''

'' (1972, TV Series) as Grant Wilson (segment "Hatred Unto Death") / Sam Dichter (segment "The Waiting Room") *''

The Sixth Sense ''The Sixth Sense'' is a 1999 American psychological thriller film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. It stars Bruce Willis as a child psychologist whose patient ( Haley Joel Osment) claims he can see and talk to the dead. Released ...

'' (1972, TV Series) as Glenn Tuttle *'' Ghost Story'' (1972, TV Series) as Andrew Alcott *'' Hec Ramsey'' (1972, TV Series) as Wes Durham *''

The Streets of San Francisco ''The Streets of San Francisco'' is a television crime drama filmed on location in San Francisco and produced by Quinn Martin Productions, with the first season produced in association with Warner Bros. Television (QM produced the show on its ...

'' (1973, TV Series) as Art Styles *'' The Hanged Man'' (1974) (TV pilot) as James Devlin *''

The Six Million Dollar Man ''The Six Million Dollar Man'' is an American science fiction and action television series, running from 1973 to 1978, about a former astronaut, USAF Colonel Steve Austin, portrayed by Lee Majors. After a NASA test flight accident, Austin is re ...

'' (1974, TV Series) as Quail *''

Cannon A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder ...

'' (1974, TV Series) as Arthur Rogers *''

'' (1975–1976, TV Series) as Lieutenant Dan 'Hondo' Harrelson *''Testimony of Two Men'' (1977, TV Series) as Martin Eaton *'' The Last of the Mohicans'' (1977, TV Movie) as Hawkeye *''Maneaters Are Loose!'' (1978) as David Birk *''The Deerslayer'' (1978) as Hawkeye *'' Captain America'' (1979, TV Movie) as Lou Brackett *''

'' (1979) as Conrad Hunter *'' Condominium'' (1980, TV Movie) as Gus Garver *''

'' (1981) as Greg Savitt *'' Hotline'' (1982, TV Movie) as Tom Hunter *'' Malibu'' (1983, TV Movie) as Rich Bradley *'' Sahara'' (1983) as Gordon *'' Hollywood Wives'' (1985, TV Series) as Ross Conti *'' Spies Like Us'' (1985) as General Sline *''

'' (1985 & 1986, TV Series) as Ben Stivers (1985) & Wes Parmalee (1986) *''

'' (1987) as Capt. Steve Nelson (segment "Amazon Women on the Moon") *'' Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge'' (1987, TV Series) as Will Mannon *'' Dream On'' (1990, TV Series) as Eden Pilott *'' Storyville'' (1992) as Judge Quentin Murdoch *'' Columbo: A Bird in the Hand'' (1992) as Big Fred *'' Killer: A Journal of Murder'' (1995) as Warden Charles Casey *''

'' (2003) as SWAT Truck Driver (cameo) (final film role)

Radio appearances

References

External links

* * *
Obituary - Hollywood Reporter

Obituary - Dignity Memorial
{{DEFAULTSORT:Forrest, Steve (actor) 1925 births 2013 deaths Male actors from Texas American male film actors American male television actors American male stage actors Baptists from Texas People from Huntsville, Texas United States Army personnel of World War II New Star of the Year (Actor) Golden Globe winners Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players UCLA Film School alumni 20th-century American male actors United States Army soldiers 21st-century American male actors Western (genre) television actors Burials at Valley Oaks Memorial Park 20th-century Baptists