‘Blue Bloods’ Star Donnie Wahlberg Honors ‘Gem of a Man’ Robert Forster After His Death at 78

Beloved actor Robert Forster passed away on Friday at age 78 after battling brain cancer. Since the news of his death, there has been an outpouring of remembrances shared on social media. On Friday night, Blue Bloods star Donnie Wahlberg shared his thoughts on Forster, with whom Wahlberg co-starred in the 2000 indie film Diamond Men.

“Had the honor of making this little gem of a movie (Diamond Men) with this incredible gem of a man — Robert Forster,” he tweeted. “Truly one of the kindest, most giving actors/human beings that I’ve ever worked with, and forever a dear friend. He’ll be missed.” He added the hashtag #RIPRobertForster.

Several other actors who shared the screen with him mourned the loss of Forster. Nancy Travis, who he worked with on 10 episodes of the Fox series Last Man Standing, wrote, “A truly gifted actor and one of the loveliest people I have ever had the pleasure of working with. RIP Robert.”

Forster was also a guest star on AMC’s Breaking Bad, and appeared in the new Netflix film El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie which debuted on the streaming service the day before his death. The show’s star, Bryan Cranston, tweeted his thoughts about Forster.

“I’m saddened today by the news that Robert Forster has passed away. A lovely man and a consummate actor,” he wrote. “I met him on the movie Alligator (pic) 40 years ago, and then again on BB. I never forgot how kind and generous he was to a young kid just starting out in Hollywood. RIP Bob.”

Forster’s career spanned six decades, but he went through many years during which he struggled to get any work in Hollywood. His career was revived by Jackie Brown in 1997, which introduced him to a new audience and earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

He told IndieWire in 2011, “Here was a guy [Quentin Tarantino] who liked me when he was growing up, who decided he was going to put me back to work, and he has given me a huge, huge gift,” Forster said. “And these last 14 years have been filled with the fruits of that gift. So if you start out with great material and a guy who takes care of you on the set, and then in post, and even after, and here we are. I’m still alive, and it’s been a great run.”

Forster is survived by his third wife, Evie, and children Elizabeth, Katherine, Maeghen and Robert.