Star Trek and The Twilight Zone star, Michael Forest, has died, it’s been revealed by a friend who shared a moving tribute to the late actor on social media
Michael Forest has died. The Star Trek actor was 97 when he died earlier this month. His death was confirmed by a friend on social media.
James A. Brown said: “It is with great sadness that I report that we have lost Michael Forest (Gerald Michael Charlebois), April 17, 1929 – October 14, 2026. I knew him as an actor and loved him as a friend. I’m sure others will share, but that’s all I’m capable of right now.”
Michael died on Wednesday (October 14) at an assisted living facility in Sparks, Nevada, where he’d been living for several years. The veteran performer featured in countless television programmes and cult films during his extensive career, amassing over 200 acting credits.
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He became particularly beloved among Star Trek enthusiasts for his portrayal of Apollo in the 1967 episode Who Mourns for Adonais?. The actor subsequently returned to the role of Apollo in the fan-produced web series Star Trek Continues in 2013, appearing alongside his late wife, actress Diana Hale, who portrayed Athena.
Forest also delivered a standout performance in the 1964 Twilight Zone episode Black Leather Jackets, playing a member of an extraterrestrial biker gang.
That same year, he featured in The Dick Van Dyke Show as a former romantic interest of Laura Petrie, portrayed by Mary Tyler Moore. Born in Harvey, North Dakota, in 1929, Forest relocated with his family to Seattle during childhood and later studied at the University of Washington and San Jose State. He relocated to Los Angeles in 1955, where he started forging a career across television, theatre and film.
His major breakthrough came after he met legendary filmmaker Roger Corman, who cast him as the barbarian Zarko in the 1957 adventure picture The Saga of the Viking Women and Their Voyage to the Waters of the Great Sea Serpent, launching a series of collaborations with the director.
He subsequently starred as Gil Jackson in the 1959 horror flick Beast From Haunted Cave, which achieved cult status amongst devotees of classic B-movies.
Forest’s television work included Zorro (1958), Maverick (1959-1961), Gunsmoke (1963), The Outer Limits (1963), Mission: Impossible (1967), Gilligan’s Island (1967) and Get Smart (1968).
He also featured in the enduring American soap operas The Young and the Restless (1973), Days of Our Lives (1979-1990) and As the World Turns (1980-1982).
In his later career, he progressively concentrated on voice work, contributing his skills to animated projects, video games and beloved franchises, including Power Rangers, Dynasty Warriors and World of Warcraft.
He also made a late-career cameo as a pilot in the film Cast Away, starring Tom Hanks. Beyond the screen, Forest was a distinguished theatre performer. He portrayed Othello on three separate occasions and appeared as Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew at the Old Globe in San Diego.
Forest’s death comes four years following the passing of his wife, Hale, in 2022. Heartbroken fans have since taken to social media to pay tribute to the late star.
One penned: “I had the great pleasure of hanging out with him and 4 other fans in the bar at a convention many years ago while he entertained us with stories. He was a wonderful and interesting man!”
“I met him in Las Vegas. Such a lovely man. He liked that I liked his episode, even though I was only 9; it did make an impression on me. RIP,” said a second person. Meanwhile, a third typed: “He was wonderful on Star Trek and other TV shows. May he rest in peace.”
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