Hal De Forrest

Hal De Forrest (born 14 July 1862, Porto, Portugal – died 16 February 1938, New York City) was a Portuguese-born American stage and early silent film actor.

Hal De Forrest (left) and Jack Dempsey with his wife, actress Estelle Taylor.

Born as Aloysius J. De Sylva, he emigrated to the United States and became a stage actor. He starred on Broadway in the original production of A Gentleman from Mississippi, which played from September 29, 1908 until September 1909.

De Forrest moved into film in 1915 but only starred in 9 films until his retirement from acting in 1922 aged 60. He was the father of the prolific songwriter and producer Buddy DeSylva.

He died in New York City on 16 February 1938.