Forrest Tucker (February 12, 1919 – October 25, 1986) was a towering American actor whose booming voice and large, intimidating frame made him a natural for playing tough guys, but whose real legacy was cemented by his beloved comedic role as the scheming Sergeant O’Rourke in the classic 1960s sitcom, F Troop.
After a colorful early career in burlesque theatre and a stint in the U.S. Cavalry, Tucker broke into Hollywood with a memorable role as a farmer who brawls with Gary Cooper in the classic Western The Westerner (1940). A decorated veteran of World War II, he became a staple in films for decades, often playing brawny heavies or stalwart military men in action films and Westerns, including the John Wayne classic Sands of Iwo Jima (1949) and the cult horror film The Abominable Snowman (1957).
In 1965, he was cast in F Troop, the role that would define his career. As the charismatic but conniving Sergeant Morgan O’Rourke, he was the mastermind behind O’Rourke Enterprises, the illegal business dealings at Fort Courage. After the show’s run, Tucker achieved his lifelong dream of starring in a major musical, succeeding Robert Preston as Professor Harold Hill in a long-running national production of The Music Man, a role he would play over 2,000 times.