Gerald Michael Charlebois' birthday is tomorrow. He was born in Harvey in 1929 and later moved to Seattle, where he showed promise in acting and boxing. His coach suggested he choose, because having his face mashed in the ring would probably affect his acting opportunities.

Charlebois got a drama degree, changed his name to Michael Forest and went to Hollywood. His first movie was “The Saga of the Viking Women...” in 1957. Over the years, he has played hundreds of roles in shows from "Gilligan’s Island" to "Mission Impossible" to "The Virginian." He also stayed active in theater, which led him to a now famous role in the original "Star Trek" series. He played Apollo, a part that called for an actor with commanding stature who could also handle Shakespearean dialogue.

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