LOS ANGELES: Actor Robert Forster, who was nominated for an Oscar for his role in Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown, has died in Los Angeles aged 78.
The actor, born in Rochester, New York state, died on Friday of brain cancer. It happened on the same day that El Camino, a film in which he had a role and which is based on the TV series Breaking Bad was broadcast on Netflix.
Forster also appeared in the Breaking Bad TV series as well as David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive and Twin Peaks. He was best known for his roles in the latter part of his career following his appearance in Jackie Brown.
Starring alongside Samuel L Jackson, Pam Grier and Robert De Niro, his performance was nominated for a best supporting actor Oscar. The award eventually went to Robin Williams for his role in Good Will Hunting.
Tarantino created the role of Max Cherry with Forster in mind — the actor had unsuccessfully auditioned for a part in Reservoir Dogs.
Forster is survived by his partner Denise Grayson. children Bobby, Elizabeth, Kate and Maeghen and four grandchildren.
Jackie Brown co-stars Samuel L Jackson and Pam Grier were among those to pay tribute.
Bryan Cranston called Forster a “lovely man and a consummate actor” in a tweet. The two met on the 1980 film Alligator and then worked together again on the television show Breaking Bad and its spinoff film El Camino.
“I never forgot how kind and generous he was to a young kid just starting out in Hollywood,” Cranston wrote.
