Robert Forster was born in Rochester, New York in 1941 and first become interested in acting while attending Rochester's Madison High School where he performed as a song-and-dance man in musical revues. After graduating in 1959, Forster attended Heidelberg College, Alfred University, and the University of Rochester on football scholarships and continued to perform in student theatrical revues.

After earning a bachelor's degree in Psychology from Rochester in 1963, Forester took an apprenticeship at an East Rochester theater where he performed in such plays as 'West Side Story'. Forester moved to New York City in 1965 where his first big break came when he landed the lead in a two-character play opposite Arlene Francis in the play 'Mrs. Dailey Has a Lover'. But after the play ran its course, work was hard to find in the theater. Forester returned to Rochester where he worked as a substitute teacher and construction worker until an agent from 20th Century Fox pictures offered him a five-picture deal. His movie debut was a small part in the 1967 drama, Reflections in a Golden Eye which starred Elizabeth Taylor and Marlon Brando. Forester went on to appear in small and minor roles and acting alongside some top Hollywood actors in films like The Stalking Moon (1968), and Medium Cool (1969), and a large part in Justine (1969). Although he continued to act in feature films, he took a part of a hardboiled detective in the short-lived 1974 TV series "Banyon".

Forester also appeared in notable parts in The Black Hole (1979), Avalance (1979), and as the lead in the cult horror flick Aligator (1980), and played the part of a factory worker-turned-vigilante in the 1982 thriller Vigilante. Forester also was offered the lead as a taxi driver in Walking the Edge (1983) by director Norbert Meisel. A series of action flicks followed, most notable being Delta Force (1986) which starred Chuck Norris. By the late 1980s Forester's acting career had began to slide, with work becoming less and less, and if there was any, he would be cast in small parts playing villains. Forester then began to work as a motive speaker and an acting coach in Hollywood film schools.

But in the mid 1990s, Forester's career was resurrected by writer-director Quinten Tarantino a long-time fan of Forester's early works whom offered him to audition for a part in his latest movie. After a seven-hour audition, Tarantino cast Forester in the role of the tough, but sympathetic, bail bondsman Max Cherry in Jackie Brown (1997) which netted him an Academy Award nomination and some nationwide recognition. His success landed him more high profile starring roles in films such as All the Rage (1998), the Gus Van Sant's remake of Psycho (1998), and Supernova (2000). Forester continues to act in many big budget Hollywood productions playing many charming characters who often steal the scenery around him.
Father of four children including Kate Forster. Attended University of Rochester in Rochester, NY. Majored in psychology. Once worked as a door-to-door vacuum cleaner salesman. Forster made a test for a part in the film True Romance, directed by Tony Scott, but Christopher Walken eventually got the role. Appeared with former NFL star/actor Fred Williamson in 4 films: Night Vision, Original Gangstas, South Beach, and Vigilante. In the books-on-tape world, Forster provides the voice for Midnight Louie, a crime-fighting tomcat in Las Vegas. The author of the Midnight Louie book series is Carole Nelson Douglas.