Frederic Forrest, ‘Apocalypse Now,’ ‘The Rose’ actor, dead at 86

Actor Frederic Forrest, who was nominated for an Academy Award in “The Rose” and played the high-strung Jay “Chef” Hicks in “Apocalypse Now,” died Friday. He was 86.

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Forrest died at his home in Santa Monica, California, his friend, actor Barry Primus, told The Hollywood Reporter.

Forrest played Hicks, the New Orleans chef who memorably said, “I didn’t come here for this,” in Francis Ford Coppola’s war epic, “Apocalypse Now.” He also excelled in the role of Huston Dyer, the love interest to Bette Midler in 1979′s “The Rose,” People reported. On Friday, Midler paid tribute to Forrest in a tweet.

“The great and beloved Frederic Forrest has died,” Midler wrote. “Thank you to all of his fans and friends for all their support these last few months.

“He was a remarkable actor, and a brilliant human being, and I was lucky to have him in my life.”

“Freddie Forrest was a sweet, much beloved person, a wonderful actor and a good friend,” Coppola wrote in a statement, according to Variety. “His loss is heartbreaking to me.”

According to IMDb.com, the character actor appeared in several movies, including “The Conversation” (1974) ‘The Missouri Breaks” (1976), “It Lives Again” (1978), “Valley Girl” (1983), “The Stone Boy” (1984), “Tucker: The Man and His Dream” (1988), “The Two Jakes” (1990), “Chasers” (1994), “Lassie” (1994), “Point Blank” (1998) and “The Quality of Light” (2003).

Forrest also had roles on television, appearing on “21 Jump Street”, “Lonesome Dove,” “Die Kinder” and “Murphy Brown,” ET Canada reported.

His portrayal of the title character in the 1974 telefilm, “Larry,” was also notable for its intensity, according to The Hollywood Reporter. In the true-life story, Forrest played Larry Harmon, a man with average intelligence who was mistakenly committed to a California state mental hospital, according to IMBd.com.

Despite his Oscar nomination for “The Rose,” top-tier stardom eluded Forrest, according to the entertainment news website.

“I don’t expect much. I’ve been around too long to have expectations,” Forrest said in a 1979 interview with The New York Times. “This is a fickle town, no rhyme or reason to it. By the time you go down the driveway to pick up your mail, you’re forgotten.”

Forrest was born on Dec. 23, 1936, in Waxahachie, Texas, according to Variety. He studied at Texas Christian University and later received a distinguished alumni award. He made his screen debut in 1973 in “When the Legends Die,” and earned a Golden Globe nomination for most promising newcomer.

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