Eric Porter
Known for Acting · 58 credits
- Born
- 1928-04-08
- Died
- 1995-05-15
- Place of birth
- Shepard's Bush, London, UK
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. 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
Play for Today
1970
as Stanley Wilkinson
Sherlock Holmes
1984
as Professor Moriarty
BBC Play of the Month
1965
as Cyrano de Bergerac / Arthur Winslow / Councillor Albert Parker / Jack Tanner / Maj. Pollock / John Malcolm / Macbeth
Playhouse
1974
as Petersham
Theatre 625
1964
as 'Newton'
The World of Hammer
1994
as Self (archive footage)
TV Shows (20)
Play for Today
1970
as Stanley Wilkinson
Sherlock Holmes
1984
as Professor Moriarty
BBC Play of the Month
1965
as Cyrano de Bergerac / Arthur Winslow / Councillor Albert Parker / Jack Tanner / Maj. Pollock / John Malcolm / Macbeth
Playhouse
1974
as Petersham
Theatre 625
1964
as 'Newton'
The World of Hammer
1994
as Self (archive footage)
Performance
1991
as James Player
The Forsyte Saga
1967
as Soames Forsyte
The Jewel in the Crown
1984
as Dimitri Bronowsky
Theatre Night
1957
as Vadim Romanoff
Private Affairs
1975
as Charles Stewart Parnell
Oliver Twist
1985
as Fagin
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
1984
as Professor Moriarty
Civilisation
1969
as Macbeth (voice)
Anna Karenina
1977
as Karenin
The Return of Sherlock Holmes
1986
as Professor Moriarty
Solo
1970
Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years
1981
as Neville Chamberlain
Morecambe & Wise: Christmas Specials
1969
as Himself
The Final Solution
1975
as Self - Narrator
Movies (38)
The Day of the Jackal
1973
as Colonel Rodin
The Heroes of Telemark
1965
as Terboven
The Fall of the Roman Empire
1964
as Julianus
Little Lord Fauntleroy
1980
as Mr. Havisham
Why Didn't They Ask Evans?
1980
as Dr. Nicholson
Nicholas and Alexandra
1971
as Stolypin
The Thirty Nine Steps
1978
as Chief Superintendent Lomas
Antony and Cleopatra
1972
as Enobarbus
Separate Tables
1970
as Major Pollock / John Malcolm
The Two Deaths of Adolf Hitler
1975
as Narrator
Kaleidoscope
1966
as Harry Dominion
Hitler: The Last Ten Days
1973
as Generalfeldmarschall Robert Ritter von Greim
The Wars of the Roses
1965
as Henry VII
The Sin Bin
1981
as Stanley Wilkinson
Hands of the Ripper
1971
as Dr. John Pritchard
Hennessy
1975
as Tobin
Message for Posterity
1994
as James Player
The Lost Continent
1968
as Lansen
Hamlet
1980
as Polonius
The Crucible
1980
as Deputy Governor Danforth
The Statue and the Rose
1975
as Parnell
The Belstone Fox
1973
as Asher Smith
Oliver Twist
1985
as Fagin
Churchill and the Generals
1979
as Gen. Sir Alan Brooke
The Heroes of Telemark: Location report from Norway
2003
Morecambe & Wise: Christmas Specials
2007
The Winslow Boy
1977
as Arthur Winslow
Callan
1974
as Hunter
Macbeth
1970
as Macbeth
The Shetland Experience
1977
as Narrator (voice)
The Best of Morecambe and Wise
2001
as Self (archive footage)
Warrior - World at War Special Presentation
1974
as Narrator
The Final Solution
1975
as Narrator
The Last Invasion
1966
as Harold
Emma
1948
From War to Peace
1974
as Narrator
Hitler’s Germany - A World at War Special Presentation
1976
as Narrator
A Shilling Life
1982
as Petersham
About Eric Porter
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… With 58 credits spanning from 1948 to 2007, Eric Porter has appeared in 38 films and 20 TV shows.
Fans searching for Eric Porter movies, Eric Porter filmography, or the latest projects starring Eric Porter can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Eric Porter Movies
- The Day of the Jackal (1973) — as Colonel Rodin
- The Heroes of Telemark (1965) — as Terboven
- The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964) — as Julianus
- Little Lord Fauntleroy (1980) — as Mr. Havisham
- Why Didn't They Ask Evans? (1980) — as Dr. Nicholson
Where to Watch Eric Porter Films
Most Eric Porter movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Eric Porter, check our movies catalogue and browse page.