Robert Forster: Fans Mourn Loss of Oscar-Nominated Actor After Death at 78

Beloved actor Robert Forster passed away on Friday at the age of 78 after a fight with brain cancer. The actor enjoyed a career that started back in the ’60s and became best known for his revitalizing Oscar-nominated performance in Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown, an adaptation of Elmore Leonard’s Rum Punch.

His death comes on the heels of his final performance as Ed in El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie on Netflix. His list of credits stretches through various popular films over the years, bolstered by some equally memorable TV appearances on series like Twin Peaks and Last Man Standing as Tim Allen’s late father.

Fans were quick to take to social media and praise the late actor for his longevity and memorable roles.

“Very saddened to hear Robert Forster has passed away. Dude radiated a kind-hearted spirit and a reassuring presence in everything he ever appeared in, and was by all accounts an absolute sweetheart in real life,” Birth Movies Death editor Scott Wampler wrote on social media. “RIP to a legit legend.”

“A man’s man with a sensitive side & a true character actor w/ range, Robert Forster’s best moments onscreen were the ones where his humanity & heart shined through, like his recent work on TWIN PEAKS where we felt like we knew his character’s whole life before he even spoke,” Film Intuition’s Jen Johans added on Twitter.

Other fans also chimed in once the news broke, just sharing their thoughts and well wishes, plus their surprise at losing the actor right on the heels of El Camino‘s premiere.

“I literally just got done watching El Camino and he was fantastic in it. One of the most underrated actors ever. RIP,” one fan wrote.

“Aw man, Jackie Brown is one of my all-time favorites. I spotted him a couple times around town over the years. Glad we had him for 78 years,” another fan added.

“Aww, gee. Just saw him as Sam Spade in The Maltese Falcon over at Tree People. It was his birthday; they brought out a cake and we sang Happy Birthday,” a third fan wrote. “Rest lightly, sir. Rest lightly.”