John Forsythe

John Forsythe was a television and film actor for five decades. He was best known for his roles in three iconic American television series: Bachelor Father, Charlie's Angels, and Dynasty.

Forsythe died on April 2, 2010, following complications from pnuemonia, after battling cancer for over a year. He was 92 years old when he passed at his home in Santa Ynez, California.http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iQstKyn4kK4p_CBBcA0q0Zie_ZkgD9ER3U0O0

Forsythe was a bit player for Warner Brothers in the 1940's and served in the US Army during World War II. He was then part of the original class at the Actors Studio with Marlon Brando and Julie Harris.

He appeared in several films during the 1940's and 50's, as well as the anthology television series Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

In 1957, he was cast in the lead role for the CBS comedy series Bachelor Father. He played the role of Bentley Gregg, a single man who was happy in his life as a lawyer/playboy, before having his niece thrust into his life when her parents are killed. The series launched not only Forsythe's career on television, but also those of until then unknown actresses such as Mary Tyler Moore, Sally Kellerman, and Linda Evans.

The series moved to ABC in 1961, but was eventually canceled. He then appeared in several other TV shows that didn't have the same success, including a self-titled series. He then took on the role of narrator for the syndicated television series The World of Survival, considered a poor man's version of Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom.

Then in 1976, television mogul Aaron Spelling tabbed Forsythe to provide the voice of the unseen Charles Townsend on the groundbreaking ABC drama Charlie's Angels. His voice was heard typically just three times per episode: in the opening credits; in the first or second scene speaking on a speaker phone to hand out that week's assignment to his 'angels', and at the end of the episode, congratulating the team on their efforts.

Despite never appearing on camera in the entire run of the series, he was at the time the highest paid actor on television. When the show was remade into several successful movies in the the 2000's, he was asked to reprise his role. The series ran through 1981, but Forsythe woiuld then simply transition into perhaps his most memorable role.

Spelling then cast him as a last-second replacement for George Peppard as Denver oilman Blake Carrington in the 1980's soap-drama Dynasty. The trials and tribulations of the Carrington family centered around the main story, which featured Blake's love affair with Krystal (played by Linda Evans) and the attempts to break up their romance by Blake's ex-wife, Alexis (played by Joan Collins). During it's heyday, Dynasty was the number one show on television for nearly two years, and netted two Golden Globe awards for best actor in a television drama series in 1983 and 1984, part of six consecutive years that he was nominated. Forsythe was also nominated for the same award for the Primetime Emmy Awards for four consecutive years. He has the distinction of appearing in all 220 episodes of the series run.