Eric Porter
Acting
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. 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.
Hitler: The Last Ten Days
as Generalfeldmarschall Robert Ritter von Greim
Age 45 (now 67)
The Heroes of Telemark: Location report from Norway
The Best of Morecambe and Wise
as Self (archive footage)
Age 73 (now 67)
Churchill and the Generals
as Gen. Sir Alan Brooke
Age 51 (now 67)
Hitler’s Germany - A World at War Special Presentation
as Narrator
Age 48 (now 67)
Hitler: The Last Ten Days
as Generalfeldmarschall Robert Ritter von Greim
Age 45 (now 67)
Warrior - World at War Special Presentation
as Narrator
Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years
as Neville Chamberlain
Age 53 (now 67)
Morecambe & Wise: Christmas Specials
as Himself
Age 41 (now 67)
BBC Play of the Month
as Maj. Pollock / John Malcolm
Age 37 (now 67) BBC Play of the Month
as Councillor Albert Parker
Age 37 (now 67)
Gathering insights...
IMDB
nm0692110