Erich Anderson, star of classic series Felicity, dies aged 67
The actor appeared as the main character’s father, Dr Edward Porter, in Felicity.
Actor Erich Anderson, who is best known for starring in Felicity and Thirtysomething, has died at the age of 67, it has been confirmed.
The star passed away in his Los Angeles home on Saturday 1st June after being diagnosed with cancer, his wife and actor Saxon Trainor announced on social media.
In her post, Trainor shared a photo of Anderson alongside a statement from her brother-in-law Michael O’Malley, who described his cancer diagnosis as a "brutal struggle".
"My brother-in-law Erich Anderson passed this morning after a brutal struggle with cancer," he wrote.
"He had a long successful career as an actor — he was on that old show Thirtysomething; 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."
O'Malley continued: "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."
Anderson’s breakout acting role came in Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter in the 1980s. He went on to star in several TV shows and movies, appearing on Star Trek: The Next Generation, NCIS, 7th Heaven, ER and The X-Files.
He also appeared in Bay City Blues as Bobby Stang, Thirtysomething as Billy Sidel, NYPD Blue as Don Kirkendall and Felicity as the main character’s father, Dr Edward Porter.
Alongside his acting career, Anderson was also an author and penned three novels, beginning with 2012's Hallowed Be Thy Name and followed by 2014's Thy Kingdom Come and 2022's Rabbit: A Golf Fable.
Tributes have been flooding in for the late actor following the tragic news of his passing.
Anderson’s former Felicity co-star Eva Gordon wrote on Instagram: "My beautiful friend, Erich Anderson, has said goodbye."
She continued: "He was a magnificent part of the world. I loved him. I wish you’d known him, there was no one like him. So funny, so open to whatever the day brought him, so wickedly cynical and joyous at once.
"After JJ and Matt on Felicity made us get divorced, I saw him less on set, but was always happy when we found each other in LA, we’d hang out and talk for hours. He was so smart," she added.
Authors
Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
