John Forsythe Dead at 92

Image from source, TV Squad

It would be odd to say that John Forsythe had an "untimely death," living well past the average human life-span and all. But I'm still sad. It's yet another reminder of my own mortality, and that of my generation (Generation X) moving on up from "middle aged" to "old." Forsythe was a presence in my "tween" and teen years as the voice of Charles Townsend, the horn-dog boss of Charlie's Angels (who oddly never even met any of the gorgeous girls he employed). And he was a fixture every week of my late teens and early adulthood as Blake Carrington on Dynasty. A program of which I never missed an episode.

But one of my favorites of Forsythe's TV career was as Senator Powers on a little-remembered The Powers That Be, a hilariously subversive sitcom by Norman Lear. It was a deeply warped show, with tragically flawed characters, and many fantastic character actors. David Hyde-Pierce (Frasier), Valarie Mahaffey (Northern Exposure) and Holland Taylor (Two and a Half Men) all had prominent roles in the show. It's a shame that it didn't catch on. Anyway, thanks to Mr. Forsythe for the memories, and RIP. Go be with the "real" Angels.*

[Excerpt]

'Dynasty' Actor John Forsythe Dead at 92

The distinguished actor and television leading man, John Forsythe, passed away yesterday at his home in Santa Ynez, California, following a year-long battle with cancer. According to his publicist, Harlon Boll, the 92-year-old actor succumbed to complications of pneumonia. . .

Read more at: TV Squad

*Asterisked because I'm agnostic and don't believe in actual angels. But it's a good line.