| Michael Forest | |
|---|---|
Forest in March 2011 |
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| Born | Gerald Michael Charlebois April 17, 1929 Harvey, North Dakota USA |
| Other names | Mike Forest, Michael Forrest, Mike Forrest, Alfred Thor, Russell Thor, Russel Thor |
| Occupation | Voice Actor/Actor |
| Years active | 1953–present |
| Spouse | Diana Hale (? - present) |
| Website | |
| http://celebhost.net/michaelforest | |
Gerald Michael Charlebois, better known as Michael Forest (born April 17, 1929 in Harvey, North Dakota) is an American actor who provides the voices for many animated titles. At the age of 71, he provided the voice of Prince Olympius in Power Rangers: Lightspeed Rescue. In his earlier years, Forest was a film and television actor, notably playing the part of Apollo in the 1967 Star Trek episode Who Mourns for Adonais?. Forest was also a rugged-looking addition to Roger Corman's list of leading men during their 1950s heyday.
In some of his roles he does for non-union animation dubbing he is known as Mike Forest, Michael Forrest, Mike Forrest, Alfred Thor, Russell Thor, and Russel Thor.
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Born in Harvey, North Dakota, he moved with his family at a very early age to Seattle, Washington where he attended the University of Washington for a year and then made his way south to the sunnier campuses of San Jose State University. He graduated with a B.A. in English and drama.
Forest, excelled in athletics in his school years, and was training to be a boxer when his coach suggested he choose between boxing and acting, since he could possibly have his face smashed in the ring, and that could end any acting career to which he might be aspiring. Michael decided to choose acting.
In 1955, Michael arrived in Los Angeles, he began to study with veteran actor/acting teacher Jeff Corey where he first met Roger Corman who asked him to be in The Saga of the Viking Women (1957), a film he was directing. His brother, Gene Corman, then cast him to co-star in Beast from Haunted Cave, followed by Roger’s Ski Troop Attack (1959) and then Atlas (1960), which was filmed in Greece. In between these movies, Mike continued as a stage actor in Shakespearean plays and other legitimate productions. For the next ten years, he juggled his theatre career and his starring roles in hundreds of television shows. He played Othello three times at the San Diego Old Globe Theatre where he also appeared as Petruchio in Taming of the Shrew.
Forest was cast as ‘Apollo’ in the famous episode of Star Trek, entitled "Who Mourns For Adonais?" There was a call out for an actor who could handle Shakespeare’s dialogue and had the stature necessary for the character. At the time, Mike was appearing at the Old Globe and was the one actor they recommended. Throughout the late ‘50s and ‘60s, Michael went from one television show to another. He was under contract to Warner Brothers and Universal and it was at the height of westerns, cops and robbers and other episodic shows. Michael starred or co-starred in most of them, all the while appearing on stage in regional theatres around the country.[1]
From 1968 to 1978, Michael lived in Rome, but made films throughout Spain, France and England. While Forest was living there he learned to speak fluent Italian. When he arrived, he was immediately cast in “100 Rifles,” went on to make 26 films and dubbed over 500 films while he was in Rome. His last feature overseas was Mohammad, Messenger of God (known also as The Message) on which he worked for a year all over North Africa. Forest did almost all of his own stunts over there. In 1979, just after Michael returned to Los Angeles, he was asked to co-star in a film with Franco Nero, Shark Fighters, which was made in Cozumel. When he returned from location, Michael was contracted to play a leading role on As The World Turns. He relocated to New York City where he lived for the length of his contract playing Nick Andropolous and even traveled to Greece to film segments of the soap opera.[1]
While living in New York, he even ended up in a Broadway Show, Breakfast With Les and Bes, back on stage. After a few years on another soap, The Catlins, shooting in Atlanta, He is a member of an Equity-Waiver theatre company, and was nominated for an award for Outstanding Male Actor in a Drama for his performance in Painting Churches.
Since Mike was a teenager, he had a fascination with airplanes. In fact, he was learning to fly seaplanes in Washington. When he moved, all that was put on hold. However, while he was living in New York, he started flying Ultralights and that led to the realization of his boyhood dream. Mike now holds a pilot’s license and goes flying as often as time allows. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and a cat named “Puffy.”[1]