Eric Porter

Died at 97

born April 8, 1928

male9 suggestions0 votes

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.

Known for

The Day of the Jackal

Little Lord Fauntleroy

Hands of the Ripper

Top Casting Suggestions

Eric Porter has been suggested to play 9 roles. Click below to see other actors suggested for each role, and vote for who you think would play the role best.

Eric Porter

Professor Moriarty

Actors Sorted By Public Domain Characters

Professor Moriarty

Eric Porter

Best Professor James Moriarty

Best & Worst Sherlock Holmes Adaptations

Best Professor James Moriarty

Eric Porter

Professor Moriarty

The Perfect Sherlock Holmes Movie

Professor Moriarty

Eric Porter

James Moriarty

The Best Sherlock Holmes

James Moriarty

Eric Porter

Soames Forsyte

Anno Dracula

Soames Forsyte

Eric Porter

Macbeth

Best portrayal of fictional characters

Macbeth

Eric Porter

Neville Chamberlain

Biographies

Neville Chamberlain

Eric Porter

James Moriarty

Villains At Halloween

James Moriarty

Eric Porter

Grand Inquisitor Silecio

The Fountain (1965)

Grand Inquisitor Silecio

Eric Porter

Professor Moriarty

Victorian & Edwardian characters

Professor Moriarty

Eric Porter

Verwalter John

5 Geschwister (TV Series)

Verwalter John

Eric Porter

Profesor Moriarty

The Best Incarnations of Characters

Profesor Moriarty

Eric Porter

William James Moriarty

Moriarty the Patriot

William James Moriarty

Eric Porter

Known for

Related Talent

Top Casting Suggestions

Voters (6)

Join myCast

Voters (4)

Join myCast

Voters (6)

Join myCast

Voters (8)

Join myCast

Voters (1)

Join myCast

Voters (1)

Join myCast

Voters (1)

Join myCast

Voters (1)

Join myCast

Voters (1)

Join myCast

Voters (1)

Join myCast

Voters (1)

Join myCast

Voters (1)

Join myCast

Voters (2)

Join myCast