Steve Forrest
Known for: Acting
A ruggedly handsome action man of the 1960's and 70's, Steve Forrest began his screen career as a small part contract player with MGM. A brother of star Dana Andrews, he was born William Forrest Andrews, the youngest of thirteen children. His father was a Baptist minister in Huntsville, Texas. In 1942, Steve enlisted in the U.S. Army, rose to the rank of sergeant and saw action at the Battle of the Bulge. Following his demobilisation, he visited his brother in Hollywood and came to the conclusion that acting wasn't a bad way to make a living (having already done some work as a movie extra). He went on to study in college at UCLA, eventually graduating in 1950 with a B.A. Honours Degree in theatre arts. He then served a brief apprenticeship as a carpenter, prop boy and set builder at San Diego's La Jolla Playhouse, where he was discovered by resident actor Gregory Peck and given a small part as a bellboy in the cast of the summer stock production of "Goddbye Again". A subsequent screen test led to a contract with MGM and resulting employment as second leads, brothers of the titular star, toughs and outlaws. His first proper recognition was being awarded 'New Star of the Year' by Golden Globe for his role in So Big (1953), a drama based on a Pulitzer prize-winning novel by Edna Ferber. From the mid-1950's, the rangy, 6-foot-3 actor became much in-demand on TV, beginning with classic early anthology and western series, interspersed with occasional appearances on the big screen (notably, in The Longest Day (1962) and as Joan Crawford's lover/attorney Greg Savitt in Mommie Dearest (1981)). In addition to numerous guest roles, he was regularly featured in series like Gunsmoke (1955), Dallas (1978) (as Wes Parmalee, who believes himself to be lost Ewing patriarch Jock) and Murder, She Wrote (1984). Already from the mid-60's, he decided to pick his assignments more carefully. In order to shed his image as the perpetual bad guy, he had relocated his family to England to star as antique-dealer-cum-undercover intelligence agent John Mannering in BBC's The Baron (1966). He followed this by another starring role as the stoic, tough Lieutenant Dan 'Hondo' Harrelson in the short-lived ABC police drama series S.W.A.T. (1975), possibly his best-remembered role. Steve later lampooned his screen personae in the satirical Amazon Women on the Moon (1987). In private life, Steve Forrest was known as a skilled golfer, lover of football and (according to 1970's newspaper articles) as a dedicated amateur beekeeper.
Filmography
Series
Columbo
Big Fred McCain
1971
Series
Bonanza
Dan Logan
1959
Series
Murder, She Wrote
Rev. Willie John Fargo
1984
Series
Murder, She Wrote
Sheriff Hank Masters
1984
Series
Murder, She Wrote
Lt. Paul Stratton
1984
Series
Murder, She Wrote
Captain Ned Larkin
1984
Series
Murder, She Wrote
Max Teller
1984
Series
Love, American Style
Don Finletter
1969
Series
Ironside
1967
Series
L.A. Law
Leonard Bey
1986
Series
Dallas
Ben Stivers
1978
Series
Dallas
Wes Parmalee
1978
Series
The Fugitive
Barry Craft
1963
Series
Mission: Impossible
1966
Series
Climax!
Ben
1954
Series
Climax!
Pete Mayer
1954
Series
Climax!
Tom Gardener
1954
Series
The F.B.I.
Lee Barrington
1965
Series
The Twilight Zone
Robert Gaines
1959
Series
The Six Million Dollar Man
Quail
1974
Series
The Virginian
Roger Layton
1962
Series
The Virginian
James Templeton
1962
Series
Cannon
1971
Series
Hotel
Gil Strider
1982
Series
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
Mike Bagley
1956
Series
The Name of the Game
A.J. Ward
1968
Series
The Name of the Game
Walter Royce
1968
Series
Medical Center
1969
Series
Medical Center
Dr. Eric Canford
1969
Series
Dinah!
Self
1974
Series
Fantasy Island
Jordan Montgomery
1978
Series
Burke's Law
Jocko Creighton
1963
Series
Gunsmoke
Mannon
1955
Series
Gunsmoke
Morgan
1955
Series
Gunsmoke
Cord Wrecken
1955
Series
Gunsmoke
Scott Coltrane
1955
Series
The Rookies
1972
Series
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Steve Archer
1955
Series
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Joe Rogers
1955
Series
The Streets of San Francisco
1972
Series
Night Gallery
Grant Wilson (segment "Hatred Unto Death") (as Stephen Forrest)
1970
Series
The High Chaparral
Johnny Rondo
1967
Series
Kraft Suspense Theatre
David Buchanan
1963
Series
Kraft Suspense Theatre
Mike Taggart
1963
Series
McMillan & Wife
Mark Erickson
1971
Series
Alias Smith and Jones
1971
Series
Dream On
Eden Pilott
1990
Series
The DuPont Show with June Allyson
Major Anderson
1959
Series
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
1958
Series
Arrest and Trial
1963
Series
Outlaws
1960
Series
Finder of Lost Loves
James Osborne
1984
Series
The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts
Self
1973
Lux Video Theatre
Matt Barker
1950
Series
Ghost Story
Andrew Alcott
1972
Series
Nichols
Sam Yeager
1971
Series
Target: The Corruptors!
1961
Series
Cimarron Strip
1967
Series
Bus Stop
1961
Series
The Sixth Sense
1972
Series
Letter to Loretta
Mark Carter
1953
Film
S.W.A.T.
S.W.A.T. Truck Driver
2003
Series
S.W.A.T.
Lt. Dan "Hondo" Harrelson
1975
Series
Kraft Mystery Theatre
1961
Film
The Longest Day
Capt. Harding
1962
Series
A Rumor of War
Col. Atherton
1980
Series
Kodiak
Samson Toey
1974
Series
The Baron
John Mannering
1966
Film
Amazon Women on the Moon
Captain Nelson (segment "Amazon Women on the Moon")
1987
Series
Condominium
Gus Garver
1980
Series
Hollywood Wives
Ross Conti
1985
Film
Spies Like Us
General Sline
1985
Series
The Manions of America
James Kent
1981
Series
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Eddie Martin
1951
Series
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Sam Rayford
1951
Series
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Harpenning Brothers
1951
Film
Mommie Dearest
Greg Savitt
1981
Film
Sahara
Gordon
1983
Film
Miracle at St. Anna
Capt. Harding in The Longest Day (archive footage) (uncredited)
2008
Film
The Bad and the Beautiful
Actor in Georgia's Screen Test (uncredited)
1952
Series
Testimony of Two Men
Martin Eaton
1977
Film
The Band Wagon
Passenger on Train (uncredited)
1953
Film
Flaming Star
Clint Burton
1960
Film
Captain America
Lou Brackett
1979
Film
Phantom of the Rue Morgue
Prof. Paul Dupin
1954
Film
The Second Time Around
Dan Jones
1961
Film
Meet Me in Las Vegas
Steve Forrest (uncredited)
1956
Film
Killer: A Journal of Murder
Warden Charles Casey
1996
Film
Last of the Comanches
Lt. Floyd (uncredited)
1953
Film
It Happened to Jane
Larry Hall
1959
Film
Take the High Ground!
Lobo Nagalaski
1953
Film
North Dallas Forty
Conrad Hunter
1979
Film
Wanted: The Sundance Woman
Charlie Siringo
1976
Film
Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge
Will Mannon
1987
Film
Heller in Pink Tights
Clint Mabry
1960
Film
The Baron: The Man in a Looking Glass
John Mannering 'The Baron'
1972
Film
The Wild Country
Jim Tanner
1970
Film
A Chant of Silence
State Police Officer
1973
Film
The Hatfields and the McCoys
Randall McCoy
1975
Film
Last of the Mohicans
Hawkeye
1977
Film
The Baron: Mystery Island
John Mannering 'The Baron'
1972
Film
The Yellow Canary
Hubbard "Hub" Wiley
1963
Film
Bedevilled
Gregory Fitzgerald
1955
Film
Maneaters Are Loose!
David Birk
1978
Film
Rogue Cop
Eddie Kelvaney
1954
Film
Five Branded Women
Paul Keller
1960
Film
I Love Melvin
Photographer on Crane (uncredited)
1953
Film
The Hanged Man
James Devlin
1974
Film
So Big
Dirk De Jong
1953
Film
Prisoner of War
Cpl. Joseph Robert Stanton
1954
Film
Storyville
Judge Quentin Murdoch
1992
Film
Rascal
Willard North
1969
Film
The Late Liz
Jim Hatch
1971
Film
Great Lady Has an Interview
Reporter (uncredited)
1954
Film
The Clown
Young Man
1953
Film
Hotline
Tom Hunter
1982
Film
Sealed Cargo
Holtz
1951
Film
Malibu
Rich Bradley
1983
Film
The Deerslayer
Hawkeye
1978
Film
Roughnecks
Paul Marshall
1980
Film
Geisha Girl
Rocky Wilson (as William Andrews)
1952
Film
The Living Idol
Terry Matthews
1957
Film
The Magic of Walt Disney World
Narrator
1972
Film
Wild Geese Calling
Narrator
1969
Film
Clipper Ship
Matt Bowers
1957
Film
The Owl That Didn't Give a Hoot
Jr. Narrator
1968