# Michael Forest
**Michael Forest** (born Gerald Michael Charlebois; April 17, 1929 – October 14, 2026) was an American actor and voice actor best known for playing the Greek god Apollo in the 1967 *Star Trek: The Original Series* episode "Who Mourns for Adonais?". His career spanned Roger Corman B-movies, dozens of American television series, a decade of film work in Italy, and hundreds of English dubbing roles in Japanese animation.[1](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/michael-forest)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Gerald Michael Charlebois, born April 17, 1929, in Harvey, North Dakota[1](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/michael-forest) |
| Signature role | Apollo in "Who Mourns for Adonais?", second season of *Star Trek: The Original Series* (1967)[2](https://www.startrek.com/news/catching-up-with-star-treks-apollo) |
| Corman films | Zarko in *The Saga of the Viking Women and Their Voyage to the Waters of the Great Sea Serpent* (1957), *Beast from Haunted Cave* (1959), *Ski Troop Attack* (1960), title role in *Atlas* (1961)[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0148061/bio/) |
| European period | Lived in Rome for 10 years, dubbing more than 500 films and filming in Italy, Spain, Yugoslavia, and North Africa[4](https://peopleforever.com/p/michael-forest) |
| Voice work | Prince Olympius in *Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue*, anime dubs including *Samurai Champloo*, *Planetes*, *Paranoia Agent*, and *Paprika*, and Dynasty Warriors video games[5](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/michael-forest/) • [6](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/michael-forest.html) |
| Late reprise | Played Apollo again as an older man in the fan series *Star Trek Continues* (2013)[7](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/46868/michael-forest) |
| Death | October 14, 2026, in Sparks, Nevada, aged 97[8](https://www.legacy.com/legacy/notable-deaths/michael-forest) |
## Early life and name change
Forest was born in Harvey, North Dakota, and moved with his family to Seattle as a young child. He attended the University of Washington for a year and then transferred to [San Jose State University](https://www.edgepedia.org/san-jose-state-university), graduating with a B.A. in English and drama.[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0148061/bio/) He later said he chose acting over a boxing career after watching a friend perform at the Seattle Rep Playhouse.[4](https://peopleforever.com/p/michael-forest)
He moved to Los Angeles in 1955 and acted on television and at the Players Ring theater. The stage name came from his surname: Charlebois ends in the French "bois", meaning wood or woods, so he took "Forest" from his own name.[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0148061/bio/) In a 2012 interview he explained that a casting director had trouble pronouncing Charlebois and insisted, wrongly, that he spoke English with a French accent; after similar incidents he adopted the name Michael Forest.[2](https://www.startrek.com/news/catching-up-with-star-treks-apollo)
## Corman films and television
In 1957 Forest began studying with the actor and teacher [Jeff Corey](https://www.edgepedia.org/jeff-corey), and in those classes he met [Roger Corman](https://www.edgepedia.org/roger-corman), who hired him for his first film, *The Saga of the Viking Women and Their Voyage to the Waters of the Great Sea Serpent* (1957). He described working his way up from a stuntman role by positioning himself in scenes until Corman told the crew to keep him in the close-up.[2](https://www.startrek.com/news/catching-up-with-star-treks-apollo) He went on to star in *Beast from Haunted Cave* (1959), *Ski Troop Attack* (1960), and the title role of *Atlas* (1961).[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0148061/bio/)
Under contract to Warner Bros. and later Universal, he guest-starred in dozens of series including *Bonanza*, *Gunsmoke*, *Perry Mason*, *The Man from U.N.C.L.E.*, and *Gilligan's Island*.[4](https://peopleforever.com/p/michael-forest) In 1964 he appeared as one of three alien brothers in *The Twilight Zone* episode "Black Leather Jackets" and played a former boyfriend of Laura Petrie turned priest on *The Dick Van Dyke Show*.[4](https://peopleforever.com/p/michael-forest) He also had a recurring role as Pierre Duran in *The Alaskans* alongside [Roger Moore](https://www.edgepedia.org/roger-moore).[9](https://prcelebrity.com/michael-forest/)
## Apollo and Star Trek
Forest was cast as Apollo in the second-season *Star Trek* episode "Who Mourns for Adonais?" (1967) after the producers, who wanted an actor familiar with English dialect and Shakespearean theatrics, called the San Diego Shakespeare festival; the theater's head recommended Forest, who was already in Hollywood. He read three times, was asked to remove his shirt to confirm his build, and was offered a British accent, which he declined in favor of a Mid-Atlantic theater speech (stage accent blending American and British pronunciation).[2](https://www.startrek.com/news/catching-up-with-star-treks-apollo) According to his recollection, the producers had first considered [Jon Voight](https://www.edgepedia.org/jon-voight), who had been cast elsewhere.[2](https://www.startrek.com/news/catching-up-with-star-treks-apollo)
The role became his most famous. He later said the episode gave him his "[15 minutes of fame](https://www.edgepedia.org/15-minutes-of-fame)" and that he had done other work as good or better, but the *Star Trek* credit outlasted them all.[2](https://www.startrek.com/news/catching-up-with-star-treks-apollo) Footage of his performance later appeared in *X-Men: Apocalypse* (2016).[4](https://peopleforever.com/p/michael-forest) In 2013 he reprised Apollo, as an older man, in the first episode of the fan series *Star Trek Continues*, "Pilgrim of Eternity".[7](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/46868/michael-forest)
## Europe and dubbing
In 1968 Forest moved to Rome and spent ten years there, filming in Italy, Spain, Yugoslavia, and North Africa and dubbing more than 500 films.[4](https://peopleforever.com/p/michael-forest) His dubbing career in Europe included providing English voices for European actors, including the Italian star Fabio Testi.[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0148061/bio/) After returning to the United States he continued as a dubbing voice for films such as *La Femme Nikita* (1990) and *[Windaria](https://www.edgepedia.org/windaria)*.[1](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/michael-forest)
## Voice acting and later career
From the 1980s onward Forest became a familiar voice in English versions of Japanese animation. His credits include English dubbing on *Ninja Scroll* (1993), *Ghost in the Shell* (1995), *Akira* (1988), *Paprika* (2006) as Dr. Seijiro Inui, and the anime series *Samurai Champloo*, *Planetes*, and *Paranoia Agent*.[5](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/michael-forest/) • [10](https://www.ecartelera.com.mx/personas/michael-forest/) • [1](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/michael-forest) He voiced Prince Olympius in *Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue* (2000) and characters in several editions of the [Dynasty Warriors](https://www.edgepedia.org/dynasty-warriors) video games.[5](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/michael-forest/) • [6](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/michael-forest.html) On screen, his later film appearances included *Cast Away* (2000) as Pilot Jack.[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0148061/bio/)
## Personal life and death
Forest married the actress, acting coach, and theater teacher Diana Hale; the marriage lasted 52 years until her death in 2022.[4](https://peopleforever.com/p/michael-forest) He held a pilot's license and had been an amateur boxer in his youth.[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0148061/bio/)
He died on October 14, 2026, at the age of 97 in a facility for seniors in [Sparks, Nevada](https://www.edgepedia.org/sparks-nevada). His death was announced by his friend James A. Brown and reported by *The Hollywood Reporter* on October 16, 2026; the cause was not made public.[4](https://peopleforever.com/p/michael-forest) • [8](https://www.legacy.com/legacy/notable-deaths/michael-forest)
## References
1. [Michael Forest, Television Academy](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/michael-forest)
2. [Catching Up With Star Trek's Apollo, StarTrek.com (2012)](https://www.startrek.com/news/catching-up-with-star-treks-apollo)
3. [Michael Forest Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0148061/bio/)
4. [Michael Forest (1929–2026): life, family and tributes, People Forever](https://peopleforever.com/p/michael-forest)
5. [Michael Forest, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/michael-forest/)
6. [Michael Forest, Famous Birthdays](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/michael-forest.html)
7. [Michael Forest, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/46868/michael-forest)
8. [Michael Forest Obituary Oct 14, 2026, Legacy.com](https://www.legacy.com/legacy/notable-deaths/michael-forest)
9. [Michael Forest, PR Celebrity](https://prcelebrity.com/michael-forest/)
10. [Michael Forest, eCartelera México](https://www.ecartelera.com.mx/personas/michael-forest/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Voice performers › American voice performers › Animation and cartoon voice actors*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license