ST. LOUIS — Some actors try too hard.
You see them on screen and can sense the sweat dripping off their craft as the camera rolls. It's not always a bad thing. I'll watch Sean Penn chew through the screen in "Mystic River" any day of the week, but most of the time, it's tiresome to take in.
Robert Forster, who passed away suddenly on Friday at the tender age of 78, made acting look easy. He also delivered a genuine vibe to every role, like he had either lived in that skin for a decade or found a way to channel it without taking extra routes.
Over a career that spanned 185 projects and 50 years, Forster delivered convincing and often affecting portrayals of ordinary men fighting something in their lives. He never played a superhero or had to appear larger than the screen. Forster, often the supporting actor, liked to blend in and steal a few scenes. He wasn't a character actor, but someone you could trust to give the role something extra.
He was also a true professional. According to a Twitter follower of mine, James Gentry, Forster treated every part, no matter the size, the same. James was able to work with Forster back in 2015 on a low budget short film. While he was intimidated at first, James had the chance to speak with Forster near the craft services table. Expecting a negative push for the petty food and drink offerings (low-budget meant low-quality), Forster thanked him for his work. The two talked about film and other things.
"Unlike some actors that feel like they’re above it all, (he) respected what we did and appreciated the fact he was chosen to play a role," James told me.
Perhaps that's because nothing was handed to Forster in his career. He took every job he could find as the 1990's closed their doors. Between 1993 and the middle of 1997, Forster acted in 18 different films and television shows, but truth be told, he was flailing in the business. It wasn't until Quentin Tarantino wrote the part of the kind-hearted and old fashioned bail bondsman Max Cherry for "Jackie Brown" that Forster's star recovered all its shine from the 1970's and 1980's.
He was nominated for an Oscar, but more importantly, he was back on Hollywood's radar, collecting fine supporting work in films such as "Me, Myself, and Irene," "Mulholland Drive," and a bevy of other roles. He had a signature role on the "Twin Peaks" television revival in 2017, but a lot of people know him from the 2013 episode of "Breaking Bad," where Forster played the vacuum specialist who helped criminals find a new life.
It was on Friday, the same day that Forster passed away, that the Breaking Bad movie, "El Camino," was released, showcasing the actor's final completed role. He shared a wonderfully taut scene with Aaron Paul in the middle of the film, evoking that effortless grace on screen. With the veteran actor, it felt like a slow dance on screen.
For my money though, Forster's best work came in last year's criminally under-seen drama, "What They Had." He played Burt, a loving husband slowly losing his wife (Blythe Danner) to the rigors of Alzheimer's Disease. It's a powerhouse performance that finally gave Forster the showcased spotlight he had in Tarantino's film, but with a more tragic appeal to the part. Forster's Burt absolutely broke your heart as a guy who refused to believe his wife's mind was disappearing. He should have been nominated for every award. He wasn't.
That's Forster's career in a nutshell. Often forgotten or underappreciated, but easily felt when watched. He connected every time and made it look easy.
"What They Had" is available on Amazon Prime. I urge you to take a couple hours and see what this late actor could do with a role that had four walls to it.
You won't be disappointed. Brain cancer may have taken Forster too soon, but it can't take away his work in film and television. That sticks around forever. The mark of a true pro is never lost on the viewer.
