Forrest Tucker

FORREST TUCKER d1986. American tv and film actor who appeared in nearly a hundred films. He first worked as a vaudeville straight man at the age of only fifteen years old. A mentor provided funds and contacts for a trip to California, where party hostess Cobina Wright persuaded guest Wesley Ruggles to give him a screen test because of his photogenic good looks, thick wavy hair and height of six foot five inches. He was a sight reader who needed only one take and his film career started well despite a perception in most Studios that blond men were not photogenic. After twenty years spent mainly in Westerns and action roles, he returned to his roots, showing versatility as a comedic and stage musical actor. In the television series F Troop, he became identified with the character of Cavalry Sgt. Morgan O'Rourke. He later struggled with a drink problem that began to affect his performances in his latter career. He died in California aged 67 on October 25th 1986