'Dynasty' actor John Forsythe dies at 92

By BOB THOMAS. The Associated PressApril 2, 2010

John Forsythe, the handsome, smooth-voiced actor who made his fortune as the scheming oil tycoon in TV's "Dynasty" and the voice of the leader of "Charlie's Angels," has died after a yearlong battle with cancer. He was 92.

Forsythe died late Thursday at his home in Santa Ynez, Calif., from complications of pneumonia, publicist Harlan Boll said Friday. "He died as he lived his life, with dignity and grace," daughter Brooke Forsythe said.

Despite his distinguished work in theater and films, Forsythe's greatest fame came from his role as Blake Carrington in producer Aaron Spelling's 1981-89 prime-time soap opera "Dynasty."

He lent dignity to the tale of murder, deceit, adultery and high finance, which often brought Carrington into conflict with his flashy, vengeful former wife, Alexis Colby, played to the hilt by Joan Collins.

"He was one of the last of the true gentlemen of the acting profession," Collins said in a statement. "I enjoyed our years of feuding, fussing and fighting as the Carringtons."

The actor was an important part of another hit Spelling series without being seen. From 1976 to 1981 he played the voice of Charlie, the boss who delivered assignments to his beautiful detectives, including Farrah Fawcett, via telephone in "Charlie's Angels." "We were so happy when he agreed to be the voice of Charlie, and he always laughed about having to take a backseat to Farrah's hair," Spelling's widow, Candy, said in a statement.

Forsythe was born John Lincoln Freund on Jan. 29, 1918, in Penn's Grove, N.J. He won an athletic scholarship to the University of North Carolina.

After World War II, the call to Hollywood was irresistible, and Forsythe moved west to star in such films as "The Captive City." His big break came in 1955 when he starred in Alfred Hitchcock's one attempt at whimsy, "The Trouble with Harry," about a corpse that kept turning up in a New England town.

But his film roles were limited because he was already busy in TV. The comedy "Bachelor Father," in which he played a Hollywood lawyer who cared for his teenage niece, lasted from 1957 to 1962, appearing successively on CBS, NBC and ABC.

His first marriage, to actress Parker McCormick, ended after the birth of a son, Dall. Forsythe later married another actress, Julie Warren. They had two daughters, Page in 1950, Brooke in 1954.

The family said there will be no public service.

A life on stage and screen