Date of Birth

22 January 1936, Napier, New Zealand

Date of Death

10 April 2001, London, England, UK

Birth Name

Ngaire Dawn Porter

Nyree Dawn Porter was born in New Zealand. She left New Zealand in the late 50s to seek her fortune. She is the star of The Forsyte Saga.

Landing the starring role of Irene in the 1967 broadcast of John Galsworthy's "Forsyte Saga," Nyree Dawn Porter established herself as a prominent actress for television drama. She was born on the north island of New Zealand and was first a stage actress in New Zealand before setting out for a career on the stage in England. She is also remembered for her role in the 1970s "The Protectors," which she played opposite Robert Vaughn of "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." fame. It was a role as the Contessa Caroline di Contini and often drew comparisons to Diana Rigg's Emma Peel of "The "Avengers." She was married twice, widowed and divorced, and had a daughter named Tassy.

Her father was a butcher by trade. Her first husband, Byron O'Leary, died from an accidental drug overdose in 1970. She was made an OBE the following year. From 1972 she lived with actor Robin Halstead. She had a few miscarriages and then had a daughter when she was 38. She married Halstead seven months after the birth, but divorced in 1987. As a child she had a nervous stammer and was shy and quiet. He first appeareance on stage was at the age of three playing a ladybird in an amateur production of Noah's Ark. She campaigned for greater understanding of Anorexia

Daughter, Tayla, born. [10 January 1975]

Turned down the lead female role in The Avengers. Decided to take the role of Contessa Caroline di Contini in the less popular series The Protectors opposite Robert Vaughn and Tony Anholt.

Won an acting scholarship to a London acting school at the age of 20.

First acting job was in the title role of "Madame Bovary" for BBC2.

Father worked as a butcher.

First name 'Nyree' is a phonetic spelling of her birth name 'Ngaire', a Maori word for a shrub with star-shaped flowers.

At the time of her death, she was slated to appear in a Newcastle production of "Charley's Aunt."

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