Actor, Producer, and Director Robert Forster burst on to the scene in 1967 with a starring role in the John Huston film, ‘Reflections in a Golden Eye’ starring Marlon Brando and Elizabeth Taylor. He also made a lasting impression in the film “Medium Cool’ in 1969. He has fifty-four television shows and seventy-nine movies to his credit.
By the late 1980s Forster's acting career had began to slide, with work becoming less and less, and if there was any, he would be cast in small parts playing villains. Forster then began to work as a motivational speaker and an acting coach in Hollywood film schools.
But in the mid 1990s, Forster's career was resurrected by writer-director Quinten Tarantino a long-time fan of Forster's early works whom offered him to audition for a part in his latest movie. After a seven-hour audition, Tarantino cast Forster in the role of the tough, but sympathetic, bail bondsman Max Cherry in Jackie Brown (1997) which netted him an Academy Award nomination and some nationwide recognition.
I have always loved Robert Forster’s acting skills and on screen persona. He always comes off as a tough, but kind character. He was so gracious to work with. You would be hard pressed to find a more congenial man. We shot these photographs in natural light on an early afternoon. Eric Venturo was there to assist.
Robert Forster told us a couple of stories about his Hollywood beginnings after the shoot.
AM: Can you tell me about your first acting job?
RF: I got myself a job on Broadway in 1965 in a two character play named ‘Mrs. Dailey Has A Lover’ and I got a deal at Twentieth Century Fox. I came out to Los Angeles that same year and was a contract player at Fox. Darryl Zanuck had seen the screen tests I did and put me under contract. I never met him for several years.
AM: That is interesting that he didn’t meet you for so long.
RF: I was in on a pass. I had no idea how you do this business. All I knew was I had an agent and I went back to Rochester, New York and lived with my family.
AM: Did you have kids?
RF: I had daughters, but every once in a while I would get a job and then go do it. It didn’t last forever. I finally had to move to Los Angeles.
AM: Were you nervous about working with Marlon Brando and Liz Taylor?
RF: Basically I sort of snuck in, and as far as I am concerned, when I did that first picture with Brando and Elizabeth Taylor, I figured they had to be worried about me, not me worried about them. They KNEW what they were doing.
AM: You say you snuck in because you were inexperienced?
RF: I don’t know quite how I snuck in and I didn’t have any credentials. All I know is that John Huston gave me my first lesson in how to work in front of the camera.
AM: Can you tell me that story?
RF: I flew to New York after reading the book, ‘Reflections in a Golden Eye.’ My agent called me out here in LA. I had only been here for a few days. I drove out here with my brand new wife. My agent asked, ’Do you know who John Huston is?’ I said,
No I don’t.’ Well he wants to meet you for this new film. I read it quick and jumped on an airplane and flew to NYC. It was a hot bright Saturday afternoon and I found the hotel on Madison Avenue where I was going to meet this John Huston guy. As I walked in the hotel and my eyes got adjusted to the dim light I notice that all around me there were guys that looked just like me! I thought he wanted to meet ME for the part. This was a cattle call. I took one look at all the guys and said forget this. I walked around Midtown for a couple of hours and talked to myself.
AM: What made you go back and audition?
RF: I thought I should at least meet this guy. I did come all the way from California. I went back to the hotel and there were less guys. I put my name at the bottom of the list. There was ALWAYS a list. Eventually my name is called. I was escorted up the elevator. We wait outside a room and then I am escorted in the room and introduced to this tall old guy. (Imitating John Huston’s voice Robert says, ‘What have you done?’) I said, ‘Look I haven’t done much I did one Broadway play, it wasn’t bad but I don’t call myself an actor. I have never done a movie. I don’t know how they are made. I don’t know what the tricks are but if you hire me I’ll give you your moneys worth. He says, ‘Come in here Ray (legendary producer Ray Stark) I’d like you to meet an actor. I’m thinking who is this guy? In comes a little guy and we shake hands.
AM: John Huston and Ray Stark in one meeting. That is a lot of power. You obviously impressed them.
RF: John Huston then says I will be hearing from them. I figured that was the kiss off when somebody says you will be hearing from us, you don’t hear from anybody.
AM: So what happened next?
RF: I went back to Rochester to visit my father and I get off the plane and he says quick call your agent they worked out a deal for you. REALLY!! I didn’t know they worked that fast. I came back out to Los Angeles and my agent arranged a phone call with this John Huston guy. I told him I appreciate the fact that he hired me and thank you very much. Do you remember I told you I never did a movie? He said, ‘I remember.’ Then reading my mind he says, ‘I’ll give you some instruction.’
AM: That must have made you feel a little better. Did he have some words of wisdom for you?
RF: About a month later he comes out to Los Angeles. I meet him at Western Costume so we can do the wardrobe. I go straight to him. I said, ‘Do you remember you said you had some instructions for me. What are they?’ He says, ‘Not yet, Bobby.’ I thought well he is the boss.
AM: I bet you were getting really curious by now.
RF: I’m thinking maybe he is going to take me to lunch so I’ll wait. I wait and days go by turning into weeks turning into months and nobody calls. Finally I do get the call and we are going to meet on Long Island for ten days of shooting and then Rome for twelve weeks. I show up three days early and I ask John Huston where are the instructions you have for me? Huston replies, ‘Not yet Bobby, not yet.’ Ok I don’t know what he is waiting for but it’s now the night before we start shooting.
AM: He still hasn’t shared any information with you!
RF: We are all having dinner at a long table and John Huston is sitting right next to me and all during dinner I’m thinking when is he going to lean over to me and toss me these pearls of wisdom. At the end of dinner no such thing. I lean over to him and say, ‘We’re going to start this thing don’t you think now is the time to give me the instructions? He says, ‘Tomorrow morning Bobby, tomorrow morning.’ Tomorrow morning finally comes.
AM: I bet you were on pins and needles by this time.
RF: They put me in wardrobe and make-up and a car delivers me to the set. I get one foot out the door and from behind I hear John Huston say, ‘Now’s the time Bobby.’ I say I am all ears. He says, ‘Take a look through the lens. I look through the lens and I turn back to Huston and he has his hands in a little box shape that directors do. He says, ‘Those are the frame lines. Now ask yourself this. What needs to be there?’
AM: Is that all he said!?!
RF: He didn’t tell me that I would have to figure out what the writer needed and what the intention of the words were. He didn’t tell me about the guy with the lights and I had to be in them. He didn’t tell me about the sound guy needing to have the sound perfect or if I put the cup in the wrong place someone screamed, ‘No good for continuity.’ He didn’t tell me that I owed something to everybody on that set.
AM: But somehow you learned right away.
RF: You have to be ready to go when the director shouts action. You have to be able to bring this movie in on time. I remind people who think this is a really hard thing to do that there are actors I know, and I include myself in this, who I would not trust with a grocery list, but who can do that eight days a week. It is not that hard to create an action that works for everyone. It is more than just your needs. All you have to do is keep them in mind.
AM: Do you still audition?
RF: I must admit that I stopped auditioning some years ago because except for the first job I got I’ve always been offered jobs because if they didn’t want me they made me come in and read and then didn’t hire me. I’m 0 for 700. I have never gotten a job by reading for it. They are all politically given. You need someone to go to bat for you and say I want that guy. Otherwise you don’t get it. It’s a very political business and every single job is politically given no matter how big or small.
AM: Not many actors are this honest. Maybe this is why you are revered in Hollywood.
RF: Revered? That would be way over stating it. I don’t expect my dog to revere me. How lucky to be still standing and lucky to be still in it.
AM: Do you consider yourself fortunate to still be working?
RF: I had a long patch of rough spots in my career. The first five years were all up and the next 27 years were all down. That is the general shape of a career. Then I got lucky with Quinten Tarantino. You got a get lucky to have a career at all and you got be lucky to have a sustained career. I have gotten lucky and been blessed.
AM: Is it easy for you to cope with getting older?
RF: It is one of the things that is universal. Like all actors you have to learn to accept a loss of status. If you can’t handle a loss in status you have to stop working but I had kids all in collage so I could not stop working. I learned to take any job no matter what the level is. I took almost every job offered during that worst period of my career. Eventually I got lucky again and I’ve had a nice eleven year run since Jackie Brown.
AM: Jackie Brown is about the best Tarantino movie and you are phenomenal in it.
RF: Many thanks for that!
photos: Alan Mercer assisted by: Eric Venturo
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