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Eric Porter
Actor

Eric Porter

8 Apr 1928Born
15 May 1995Died
67Age at death
55Credits

Biography

A highly respected Shakespearean for five decades until his death of colon cancer in 1995, classical actor Eric Porter's claim to international fame would, ironically, be outside of that realm, with one superb portrayal in one superb miniseries, The Forsyte Saga(1967), in which he won the BAFTA award. The son of Richard John Porter and Phoebe Elizabeth Spall, Porter first attended Wimbledon Technical College before stepping onto the stage as a walk-on in a production of William Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" in February 1945 at the Arts Theatre in Cambridge. He continued in repertory until joining the National Service with the RAF during the war years.

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Early post-war credits would include touring with Sir Donald Wolfit and Sir Barry Jackson in their prestigious companies. Favorite roles in his repertoire would eventually include "Macbeth", "King Lear" and "Uncle Vanya". He won London's Evening Standard Award for "Rosmersholm" in 1959. Joining the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1960, he became a prime, esteemed resident for decades. Porter made his film debut in mid-career with The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964) at age 36, but it was the BBC that made him an international favorite as the ever-proper but intensely emotional and unhinged "Soames Forsyte". Taboos were broken on that series with a violent rape scene that had people talking for months. Along with the newly acquired fame came leads in lesser films such as The Lost Continent(1968) and Hands of the Ripper (1971), adding class to both those atmospheric horrors. On the plus side, Porter engaged himself frequently in quality TV miniseries fare includingAnna Karenina (1977), The Jewel in the Crown (1984) and Oliver Twist (1985) (as Fagin), while transferring many classics to TV as well, with "Cyrano de Bergerac", "Man and Superman" and "Macbeth" being but a few.

Known for

Filmography

  1. 2007Morecambe & Wise: Christmas SpecialsFilm
  2. 2003The Heroes of Telemark: Location report from NorwayFilm
  3. 1994Message for PosterityFilm: James Player
  4. 1991PerformanceSeries: James Player (1 episode)
  5. 1986The Return of Sherlock HolmesSeries: Professor Moriarty (1 episode)
  6. 1985Oliver TwistSeries: Fagin (10 episodes)
  7. 1985Oliver TwistFilm: Fagin
  8. 1984Sherlock HolmesSeries: Professor Moriarty (3 episodes)
  9. 1984The Adventures of Sherlock HolmesSeries: Professor Moriarty (2 episodes)
  10. 1984The Jewel in the CrownSeries: Dimitri Bronowsky (6 episodes)
  11. 1982A Shilling LifeFilm: Petersham
  12. 1981Winston Churchill: The Wilderness YearsSeries: Neville Chamberlain (8 episodes)
  13. 1981The CrucibleFilm: Deputy Governor Danforth
  14. 1981The Sin BinFilm: Stanley Wilkinson
  15. 1980Little Lord FauntleroyFilm: Mr. Havisham
  16. 1980HamletFilm: Polonius
  17. 1980Why Didn't They Ask Evans?Film: Dr. Nicholson
  18. 1979Churchill and the GeneralsFilm: Gen. Sir Alan Brooke
  19. 1978The Thirty Nine StepsFilm: Chief Superintendent Lomas
  20. 1977Anna KareninaSeries: Karenin (10 episodes)
  21. 1977The Winslow BoyFilm: Arthur Winslow
  22. 1977The Shetland ExperienceFilm: Narrator (voice)
  23. 1976Hitler’s Germany - A World at War Special PresentationFilm: Narrator
  24. 1975HennessyFilm: Tobin
  25. 1975The Statue and the RoseFilm: Parnell
  26. 1975Private AffairsSeries: Charles Stewart Parnell (1 episode)
  27. 1975The Two Deaths of Adolf HitlerFilm: Narrator
  28. 1975The Final SolutionFilm: Narrator
  29. 1974CallanFilm: Hunter
  30. 1974From War to PeaceFilm: Narrator
  31. 1974Warrior - World at War Special PresentationFilm: Narrator
  32. 1974PlayhouseSeries: Petersham (1 episode)
  33. 1973The Day of the JackalFilm: Colonel Rodin
  34. 1973Hitler: The Last Ten DaysFilm: Generalfeldmarschall Robert Ritter von Greim
  35. 1973The Belstone FoxFilm: Asher Smith
  36. 1972Antony and CleopatraFilm: Enobarbus
  37. 1971Nicholas and AlexandraFilm: Stolypin
  38. 1971Hands of the RipperFilm: Dr. John Pritchard
  39. 1970Play for TodaySeries: Stanley Wilkinson (1 episode)
  40. 1970MacbethFilm: Macbeth
  41. 1970Separate TablesFilm: Major Pollock / John Malcolm
  42. 1970SoloSeries (1 episode)
  43. 1969CivilisationSeries: Macbeth (voice) (1 episode)
  44. 1968The Lost ContinentFilm: Lansen
  45. 1967The Forsyte SagaSeries: Soames Forsyte (26 episodes)
  46. 1966The Last InvasionFilm: Harold
  47. 1966KaleidoscopeFilm: Harry Dominion
  48. 1965The Heroes of TelemarkFilm: Terboven
  49. 1965BBC Play of the MonthSeries: Cyrano de Bergerac, Councillor Albert Parker, Arthur Winslow, Jack Tanner, Maj. Pollock / John Malcolm, Macbeth (1 episode)
  50. 1965Knock on Any DoorSeries: Johnny Isaacs (1 episode)
  51. 1965The Wars of the RosesFilm: Henry VII
  52. 1964Theatre 625Series: 'Newton' (1 episode)
  53. 1964The Fall of the Roman EmpireFilm: Julianus
  54. 1957Theatre NightSeries: Vadim Romanoff (1 episode)
  55. 1948EmmaFilm

Biography and credits from TMDB. This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.