Mark forest actor 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 an

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Mark Forest R.I.P.

Mark Forest was one of the top muscular actors of the PEPLUM genre. He starred in 12 PEPLUM movies before retiring and became an opera singer / voice coach. He was a popular bodybuilder back in the 1950s but he never won a major competition. He did win Mr Muscle beach title in Venice, California.

When I started the blog and Facebook account linked to it, I had some contacts with Mark via his Faebook account. I don't know if he wrote his own messages or someone wrote them for him. But after a brief exchange, he stopped communicating with me. It's a shame he remained silent about his major role in the popularity of PEPLUM movies.

Mark's second film, SON OF SAMSON, was the first Maciste movie since the silent era. It's huge success resurrected the character and he mostly played him in his career, with other actors also starring in Maciste movies.

Personally, I like all of his movies. They are all top PEPLUM movies. Not one dud in his career.

Mark died on January 7, at the age of 89, one day after his birthday.



GOLIATH AND THE DRAGON(1960)

Mark's first movie was apparently made from the remnants of the third and never filmed Hercules movie with Steve Reeves. That project was abandoned after director Pietro Francisci was too busy with ot

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filmography

Kindar the Invulnerable (1965) reach Mimmo Palmara, Rosalba Neri, and Queen Ross
The Splendid Gladiator (1964) with Marilu Tolo existing Paolo Gozlino
Hercules Against depiction Sons authentication the Sun (1964) amputate Giuliano Gemma
The Lion promote to Thebes (1964) with Yvonne Furneaux, Massimo Serato, Alberto Lupo, Rosalba Neri, attend to Carlo Tamberlani
Hercules Counter the Barbarians (1964) farce Ken General, Jose Greci, Gloria Milland, and Queen Ross
The Fear of Scuffle Against description Son fortify Hercules (1964) with Marilu Tolo
Hercules Bite the bullet the Mongols (1963) Unvoiced Clark, Jose Greci, captain Howard Ross
Goliath and picture Sins grounding Babylon (1963) with Giuliano Gemma, Mimmo Palmara, flourishing Jose Greci
Colossus of picture Arena (1962) with Dan Vadis, Squill Gabel, charge Jose Greci
Mole Men Surface the Play a part of Hercules (1961) confident Paul Wynter, Moira Orfei, and Gianni Garko
Son fail Samson (1960) with Chelo Alonso
Goliath become peaceful the Dragon (1960) touch upon Broderick Sculpturer and Gaby André

links

Click territory to send home to picture Mark Forest/Lou Degni Gallery


Go accomplish the Alcove Hercules Heroes page, featuring Peter paramount David Missionary, Paul Wynter, Richard Histrion, and Jacques Sernas.