Forsyth was born in Montreal, Quebec.^[3] Her father, David Forsyth,^[4] was Scots-Canadian; her mother was an Irish American^[5] who worked as a model in New York using her maiden name, Rosemary Collins.^[4] Her parents separated when she was an infant, and at five years of age she and her mother moved to New York. She studied drama in high school and college and became a model as a teenager.^[3] Educated in Stockbridge, Massachusetts,^[6] she added to her acting studies by attending the Wynn Handman Drama School in New York.^[3] Before she became a model, she worked as a file clerk and a counselor at a camp.^[6]

Forsyth made her screen debut in 1963 on the television series Route 66 as Claire in episode No. 101, "I Wouldn't Start from Here" and also that year had a recurring role on the NBC daytime soap opera, The Doctors. In 1964 she guest starred on the crime drama series, Mr. Broadway. A caption under Forsyth's picture in 1964 Life magazine reported, "Rosemary ... was plucked out of a magazine by Universal, then sent to New York for 18 months to act in TV, summer stock, anywhere she could find seasoning jobs."^[7] Forsyth made her big screen debut in 1965 in the Western film Shenandoah from Universal Pictures as James Stewart's daughter.^[8] In 1966, Forsyth was nominated for a Golden Globe Award as New Star of the Year-Actress for her work in Shenandoah.^[9] Later that year, Forsyth starred in the epic historical film The War Lord with Charlton Heston, playing the female lead.^[10]

In 1966, Forsyth played the female lead in the western comedy film Texas Across the River with Dean Martin and Alain Delon.^[11] Marrying actor Michael Tolan in 1966, Forsyth took acting break for rise their daughter.^[12] She returned to cinema in 1969, starring alongside David Janssen in the drama Where It's At for United Artists,^[13] neo-noir thriller What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice? opposite Geraldine Page,^[14] and the comedy Some Kind of a Nut alongside Dick Van Dyke and Angie Dickinson.^[15] In 1970, Forsyth starred in the box-office bomb comedy-drama film, How Do I Love Thee?.^[16] Later that year she starred alongside Glenn Ford in the made-for-television drama film, The Brotherhood of the Bell.^[17] The following year she starred in the science fiction film and television pilot City Beneath the Sea, and the spy film The Death of Me Yet.^[18] On big screen, Forsyth made uncredited cameo in the 1973 Western comedy One Little Indian, starred opposite Fred Williamson in the neo-noir action film Black Eye (1974), with Heston again in the disaster film Gray Lady Down (1978).^[19]

During the 1970s, Forsyth mostly acted on television. She starred in a pilot for the television series Is There a Doctor in the House?, about a young city doctor who moves to the country to work with a crusty older doctor played by William Windom,^[20]: 512 but the series was not picked up by the networks. She was featured in the 1971 episode of Columbo television series episode "Murder by the Book", directed by Steven Spielberg. She made appearances on Night Gallery, Kung Fu, Mannix, Barnaby Jones, Petrocelli, Charlie's Angels and CHiPs. From August 24, 1976 to March 25, 1980, Forsyth played Laura Horton on the NBC daytime soap opera, Days of Our Lives, becoming the fourth actress to play the part.^[21] After leaving soap, Forsyth guest-starred on The Incredible Hulk, WKRP in Cincinnati, T. J. Hooker, Fantasy Island and Magnum, P.I.. In 1984, she was cast as Sophia Wayne Capwell on the new NBC daytime soap opera, Santa Barbara. Forsyth left the series after 40 episodes on October 26 1984.^[22] The following year she had a recurring role as Ann McFadden in the CBS prime time soap opera, Dallas.^[20] In 1986 she appeared in the made-for-television action film The Gladiator. Since then, Forsyth appeared in a made-for-television movies and series, notable having guest shots on Murder, She Wrote, JAG, Star Trek: Voyager, Chicago Hope, Dharma & Greg, ER and Ally McBeal.

In 1994, after 16 years absence, Forsyth made her return to big screen, playing mature supporting roles in the comedy film Exit to Eden based on Anne Rice's novel of the same name, and the thriller film Disclosure starring Michael Douglas based on a novel by Michael Crichton.^[23] She played psychologist in the 1995 drama film Melissa and played head of New York's engineer company in the disaster film Daylight (1996). She played mother roles in films Girl (1998) and Valerie Flake (1999).^[24] In 2001, Forsyth made her final big screen appearance in the space Western horror film, Ghosts of Mars.^[25] Since then she made appearances on Boston Public, Monk, NYPD Blue and Without a Trace, as well made-for-television films A Time to Remember (2003) and Sweet Nothing in My Ear (2008).^[23] In 2003, Forsyth was elected to Screen Actors Guild's Hollywood Division Board.^[26]

Forsyth was married to actor Michael Tolan.^[27] In 1972, she married Ron Waranch.^[28] In 1980, she married Alan Skip Horwits.^[29] In 1983 she married actor Robert Yuro (she appeared opposite him in an episode of Mannix) and lived with him until his death in 2020.^[30]

Film edit

Television edit

• Rosemary Forsyth at IMDb