Iconic American actor, John Forsythe, died on April 1, 2010, from cancer and complications with pneumonia.

Forsythe began a reluctant career in acting in the 1930s, encouraged by his father to pursue the big screen. After appearing in a number of small productions, he abandoned Hollywood to serve in the U.S. Army during World War II. During his service, the actor within continued to flourish, and he appeared in numerous Army plays.

In the late 1940s and early 1950s, he appeared in a number of films, and began acting in numerous television series. In 1957, he took the leading role in the CBS sitcom Bachelor Father. In 1976, he took on the role of Charles Townsend, the mysterious millionaire behind the scenes in the hit series Charlie’s Angels The success of the series quickly marked Forsythe one of the highest paying actors on television at that time.

Following the success of Charlie’s Angels, Forsythe went on to star in Dynasty as Blake Carrington, and was often named one of the sexiest men on television during the 1980s.

Forsythe retired from acting in 2003, after appearing as Charles Townsend in the film adaptation of Charlie’s Angels.

Forsythe is survived by his wife, Nicole Carter, and three children from previous marriages.