According to Deadline, television actor Erich Anderson (Unfaithful, Beyond Suspicion) died of cancer on June 1st. He is perhaps most well known for his portrayal of Dr. Edward Porter in the drama series Felicity. The actor was 67.
Actress Saxon Trainer (Nowhere Man, Sand Castles), Anderson’s wife, announced his death on social media. “My husband Erich died this morning. I am sharing my brother-in-law Michael O’Malley’s words as I am too bereft now to write anything,” she said. “My brother in law Erich Anderson passed this morning after a brutal struggle with cancer. He had a long successful career as an actor—he was on that old show 30 something; he was Felicity’s father on “Felicity;” he was killed in a basement in a Friday the 13th movie: he was on Star Trek and dozens of other shows. He was a smart and funny guy, a fantastic cook; he wrote three great novels which you can find on Amazon. I’ll miss him but his ordeal is over.”
As Trainor touched on, Anderson began his career by portraying Rob Dier in Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter and Bobby Stang in Bay City Blues. For the next few years, he had several quick roles in series like Tour of Duty, Quantum Leap, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Matlock, Melrose Place, 7th Heaven, Sisters, NYPD Blue, Touched By An Angel, Jag, Major Crimes, Franklin & Bash, Bosch and The Paper Chase.
One of his most recognized roles was as Billy Sidel on thirtysomething, where, in the final seasons, his character married Polly Draper’s (Shiva Baby, Stella’s Last Weekend) Ellyn Warren. In 1998, he starred as Dr. Edward Porter, father of Keri Russell’s (The Americans, The Diplomat) titular character Felicity Porter in Felicity.
His three published novels are Thy Kingdom Come, Rabbit: A Golf Fable, and Hallowed By Thy Name, all of which are available on Amazon.