Midler said in a Twitter tribute, “I was lucky to have him in my life. An Oscar-nominated actor named Frederic Forrest has passed away. He was 86.

The Hollywood Reporter received confirmation from Forrest’s friend and fellow actor Barry Primus that the star passed away on Friday after a protracted illness. In the musical drama The Rose from 1979, in which he co-starred with Bette Midler, he played Midler’s potential suitor Huston Dyer.

The late great and adored Frederic Forrest has passed away, Midler, 77, stated in a tribute on Twitter. I want to express my gratitude to all of his friends and supporters over the past few months.

One supporter responded with “RIP to a brilliant actor,” uploading a picture of Midler and Forrest from The Rose. Another person wrote, “Oh that is sad news, he was a wonderful actor and had so many memorable roles.” Another commenter said, “I’ll never forget his appearance as the scary Blue Duck on the amazing [TV] series Lonesome Dove. “He was the star of his shows. Peace be upon him.

The Texas native also acted in Francis Ford Coppola’s epic war film Apocalypse Now, which was released in 1979, as Jay “Chef” Hicks. Forrest collaborated with Coppola, 84, on four further movies: Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988), One from the Heart (1982), Hammett (1982), and The Conversation (1974).

He was also well-known for his TV appearances, such as playing Captain Richard Jenkins in the first five episodes of 21 Jump Street in 1987 and starring alongside Miranda Richardson in the British political miniseries Die Kinder in 1990. Forrest was married twice: to Marilu Henner, an actress, from 1980 to 1983, and to Nancy Ann Whitaker, his college sweetheart, from 1960 to 1963.

THR reports that he is survived by his sister.