`The Rose' actor Frederic Forrest dies at 86

SANTA MONICA >> Actor Frederic Forrest, known for roles in such films as “Apocalypse Now,” “The Conversation,” “The Rose” and “One From the Heart,” has died at the age of 86.

Forrest died Friday in Santa Monica after a long illness, according to multiple media reports.

Actress Bette Midler, who starred with Forrest in 1979's “The Rose,” shared the news on Twitter Friday evening.

“The great and beloved Frederic Forrest has died,” Midler wrote. “Thank you to all of his fans and friends for all their support these last few months. He was a remarkable actor, and a brilliant human being, and I was lucky to have him in my life. He was at peace.”

Forrest was born in Texas and began acting on stage in the 1960s. His long list of film credits also includes “Tucker: The Man and His Dream” (1988), “The Missouri Breaks” (1976), “It Lives Again” (1978), “Hammett” (1982), “Valley Girl” (1983), “The Stone Boy” (1984), “The Two Jakes” (1990), “Chasers” (1994), “Lassie” (1994), “Point Blank” (1998) and “The Quality of Light” (2003).

His television appearances include playing the lead in the 1974 CBS movie “Larry,” the miniseries “Quo Vadis?” in 1985 and “Lonesome Dove” in 1989, and a recurring role on the late 1980s series “21 Jump Street.”

Forrest had a particularly productive relationship with director Frances Ford Coppola, acting in four films directed by Coppola and one — “Hammett” — in which Coppola was executive producer.

His character of “Chef” Hicks was memorably beheaded near the end of “Apocalypse Now,” and he played the male lead opposite Teri Garr in Coppola's ambitious 1982 romance “One From the Heart,” which bombed at the box office.

His final acting credit was the 2006 remake “All the King's Men,” in which he played the father of Sean Penn's Willie Stark character.