Michael Forest Dies: Actor In Roger Corman B-Movies, ‘Star Trek’s Apollo Was 97 — SkimNews
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- Michael Forest died October 14 at age 97, with his passing announced on Facebook by friend James A. Brown; he had most recently resided at an assisted living facility in Sparks, Nevada.
- Forest played the Greek god Apollo in the beloved 1967 Star Trek episode 'Who Mourns for Adonais?' and reprised the role for the 2013 fan-made web series Star Trek Continues.
- Forest starred in multiple Roger Corman productions in the late 1950s and early 1960s — including Beast From Haunted Cave (1959), The Saga of the Viking Women (1958), Ski Troop Attack (1960) and sword-and-sandal adventure Atlas (1961) — after meeting Corman through an acting class in Los Angeles.
- His TV credits spanned decades and genres, from The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, Zorro and Maverick to The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Twilight Zone, Gunsmoke, Gilligan's Island, Get Smart, Mission: Impossible and soap operas including As The World Turns and Days of Our Lives.
- Forest pivoted to voice and dubbing work in the 1990s and 2000s, lending his voice to Power Rangers, Dynasty Warriors, World of Warcraft and various anime projects.
- Born Gerald Michael Charlebois on April 17, 1929, in Harvey, North Dakota, Forest also appeared as a pilot in Tom Hanks' Cast Away (2000) among other late-career film roles.
- Forest was preceded in death by his wife, actress Diana Hale, who passed away in 2022.
Why it matters: Forest's 70-year arc — from 1950s Roger Corman drive-ins to Twilight Zone guest spots to 2000s World of Warcraft voiceover work — illustrates how a working character actor could build a durable career across every corner of the entertainment industry without ever becoming a star, making his Apollo turn a rare moment when a journeyman performer landed an episode that fans still revisit decades later.
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