From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia Forrest Meredith Tucker February 12 1919 October 25 1986 was an American actor in both movies and television who appeared in nearly a hundred films Tucker described himself as a farm boy He was born in Plainfield Indiana on February 12 1919 a son of Forrest A Tucker and his wife Doris Heringlake His mother has been described as an alcoholic Tucker began his performing career at age 14 at the 1933 Chicago Worlds Fair pushing the big wicker tourist chairs by day and singing Throw Money at night After his family moved to Washington DC Tucker attracted the attention of Jimmy Lake the owner of the Old Gaiety Burlesque Theater by winning its Saturday night amateur contest on consecutive weeks After his second win Tucker was hired there at full time as Master of Ceremonies but left when it was soon discovered that he was underage He graduated from WashingtonLee High School Arlington Virginia near Washington DC in 1938 and joining the United States Cavalry was stationed at Fort Myer in Arlington County Virginia but discharged for once again being underage He returned to work at the Old Gaiety after his 18th birthday When Lakes theatre closed for the summer in 1939 Tucker was helped by a wealthy mentor to travel to California and try to break into film acting He made a successful screen test and began auditioning for movie roles In his own estimation Tucker was in the mold of large ugly guys such as Wallace Beery Ward Bond and Victor McLaglen rather than a matinee idol His debut was as a powerfully built farmer who clashes with the hero in The Westerner 1940 which starred Gary Cooper Like many other movie actors at the time Tucker enlisted in the United States Army during World War II he earned a commission as a second lieutenant Tucker married four times Sandra Jolley 19191986 in 1940 divorced in 1950 daughter of the character actor I Stanford Jolley who also died of emphysema and the sister of the Academy Awardwinning art director Stan Jolley They had a daughter Pamela Brooke Tucker Marilyn Johnson on March 28 1950 died on July 19 1960 Marilyn Fisk on October 23 1961 They had a daughter Cindy Tucker and son Forrest Sean Tucker Sheila Forbes on April 15 1986 Tucker who had battled lung cancer for more than a year as well as having a series of minor illnesses collapsed and was hospitalized for the second time in a week on his way to the ceremony for his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on August 21 1986 He died at the Motion Picture Television Country House and Hospital on October 25 1986 a few months after the theatrical release of Thunder Run and Outtakes He was interred in Forest LawnHollywood Hills Cemetery in the Hollywood Hills CLR
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