Twin Peaks, Heroes, Black Hole actor Robert Forster dead at 78

Veteran character actor Robert Forster has passed away at the age of 78.

The actor died on Friday at his Los Angeles home of brain cancer, his agent told The Hollywood Reporter. Sadly, his death comes on the very day that El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie premiered on Netflix, where he reprised his role as Ed, a vacuum salesman with deep connections to the criminal underground.

Forster's first substantial role in Hollywood was in 1967's Reflections in the Golden Eye, where he held his own opposite co-stars Elizabeth Taylor and Marlon Brando. His rugged, no-nonsense demeanor and steely-eyed gaze often landed him roles as an authority figure, including that of Captain Dan Holland in Disney's 1979 sci-fi adventure Black Hole.

However, by the early '90s his career path had narrowed, and he was forced to take roles in low-budget fare like Maniac Cop III: Badge of Silence to support his family.

That all changed thanks to Quentin Tarantino, who cast him as a sympathetic bail bondsman in his 1997 crime drama Jackie Brown. His Oscar-nominated performance led to a career resurgence, along with more lucrative film roles that included Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, David Lynch's Mulholland Drive (shown above), and Gus Van Zandt's shot-for-shot remake of Psycho. On the small screen he appeared as Arthur Petrelli in Heroes, in Children's Hospital, and as Sheriff Frank Truman in Twin Peaks: The Return.

He also did a fair amount of voice work along the way, popping up on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Todd McFarlane's Spawn, and as the president in Justice League Unlimited.

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