Mark Forest

Mark Forest

Actor
Born
January 6, 1933
Died
January 7, 2022

Actor and bodybuilder Mark Forest was born in Brooklyn as Lorenzo Luis Degni, a third generation Italian-American (his grandparents hailed from Naples). He began as a bodybuilder at the tender age of thirteen, found himself featured on the cover of magazines and soon operated his own gym on Long…

Biography

Actor and bodybuilder Mark Forest was born in Brooklyn as Lorenzo Luis Degni, a third generation Italian-American (his grandparents hailed from Naples). He began as a bodybuilder at the tender age of thirteen, found himself featured on the cover of magazines and soon operated his own gym on Long Island. He entered and won several bodybuilding competitions before finding his way into show business via Mae West's troupe of musclemen (who featured as ladies' eye candy in her touring act along with the singers and dancers). West's entourage variously included other luminaries of the muscular fraternity, such as Ed Fury, Gordon Mitchell and Reg Lewis.

Mark Forest came to international fame after being recruited to star in Italian peplum (sword and sandal) epics, becoming only the second American actor (after Steve Reeves) to find lucrative work and popularity in that medium. His success was greatly helped by the fact that he was already fluent in Italian. Forest's film career spanned a modest five years (1960-1965), in the course of which he starred in a dozen pictures. Most often, he portrayed either Hercules or the equally brawny hero Maciste, created by Gabriele D'Annunzio and Giovanni Pastrone. In fact, Forest played Maciste seven times - more than any other actor.

At the end of his brief fling with the movies, Forest turned to his other passion and reinvented himself as an opera singer (tenor) in Europe. He became adept at the bel canto technique, trained by Giovanni Milillo, a composer and former tenor at the New York Opera and father of operatic soprano Aprile Millo. After his return to the U.S., Forest settled in California, latterly teaching vocal technique in Studio City.

Actor

Married to the MobMarried to the Mob(1988)as Shown on TV
Kindar the InvulnerableKindar the Invulnerable(1965)as Kindar
Il magnifico gladiatoreIl magnifico gladiatore(1964)as Hercules, Attalus
Hercules Against the Sons of the SunHercules Against the Sons of the Sun(1964)as Hercules
The Lion of ThebesThe Lion of Thebes(1964)as Arian

Known for

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Photos 13

Mark ForestMark Forest in Son of Samson (1960)Mark Forest in Maciste, gladiatore di Sparta (1964)Mark Forest in Goliath and the Dragon (1960)Nello Pazzafini, Erno Crisa, Mark Forest, Giuliano Gemma, Paul Muller, and Mimmo Palmara in Goliath and the Sins of Babylon (1963)Mark Forest and Mimmo Palmara in Goliath and the Sins of Babylon (1963)

Credit Score: Mark Forest

87654
1953195419551956195719581959196019611962196319641965196619671968196919701971197219731974197519761977197819791980198119821983198419851986198719881989
Hercules
Thu Dec 31 1964
#NameScoreYearWinNomKnownā˜…WinsNomsVotes
1Il magnifico gladiatore3.091964•5.400118
2Goliath and the Sins of Babylon3.091963•5.400338
3Colossus of the Arena3.091962•5.300140
4Son of Samson3.091960•5.200330
5Goliath and the Dragon3.091960•5.200679
6Hercules Against the Sons of the Sun2.601964•4.200241
7Hercules Against the Barbarians2.601964•4.500248
8Maciste, gladiatore di Sparta2.601964•4.800260
9Hercules Against the Mongols2.601963•4.600303
10Mole Men Against the Son of Hercules2.601961•4.700409