Steve Forrest, a ruggedly handsome action man of the 1960's and 70's, began his screen career as a small part contract player with MGM. Born William Forrest Andrews, the youngest of thirteen children, he was the brother of star Dana Andrews and son of a Baptist minister in Huntsville, Texas.
Enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1942, Steve rose to the rank of sergeant and saw action at the Battle of the Bulge. Following his demobilization, he visited his brother in Hollywood and discovered that acting wasn't a bad way to make a living. He went on to study at UCLA, graduating in 1950 with a B.A. Honours Degree in theatre arts.
Steve 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 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.
In addition to numerous guest roles, he was regularly featured in series like Gunsmoke (1955),Dallas (1978),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 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 dedicated amateur beekeeper.
