Jonathan Welsh (April 3, 1947 – January 27, 2005) was a Canadian actor of stage, television and film, best known for his principal roles in Canadian television series, notably the 1986–1989 adventure comedy ''

Adderly ''Adderly'' is a Canadian television adventure-drama series which aired from 1986 to 1988. It was broadcast on both Canadian TV and on CBS in the United States. It starred Vancouver-born Winston Rekert as "charming and witty V.H. Adderly," an ope ...

'' and the 1989–1994 journalism drama ''

E.N.G. ''E.N.G.'' is a Canadian television drama, following the staff of a fictional Toronto television news station. The show aired on CTV from 1989 to 1994. The series ran for 96 episodes, produced by the Alliance Entertainment Corporation. Plot ...

''.

Career

On ''

'', Welsh portrayed Eric "Mac" MacFarlane, one of the first openly gay characters in North American series television, a source of considerable pride for the actor. He also appeared in the 1979 movie '' City on Fire'' which was Canada's attempt to enter the disaster movie era. The movie was a critical and box office failure. His other film credits included roles in ''

Agency Agency may refer to: Organizations * Institution, governmental or others ** Advertising agency or marketing agency, a service business dedicated to creating, planning and handling advertising for its clients ** Employment agency, a business that ...

'' (1980), '' Nothing Personal'' (1980), ''

All in Good Taste ''All in Good Taste'' (originally known as ''It's All in Good Taste'') is a Canadian comedy film, which was produced in 1981 but not shown in theaters until 1983. The film was produced, directed and cowritten by Anthony Kramreither, who was inspi ...

'' (1983) and '' The Surrogate'' (1984). His acting career began in theatre in the 1960s, with roles at the

Shaw Shaw may refer to: Places Australia *Shaw, Queensland Canada *Shaw Street, a street in Toronto England *Shaw, Berkshire, a village *Shaw, Greater Manchester, a location in the parish of Shaw and Crompton *Shaw, Swindon, a List of United Kingdom ...

and Stratford festivals and in the 1969 Canadian debut of ''

Hair Hair is a protein filament that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Hair is one of the defining characteristics of mammals. The human body, apart from areas of glabrous skin, is covered in follicles which produce thick terminal and f ...

'' at the Royal Alexandra Theatre. In 1990, Welsh founded

Performers for Literacy The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which are the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. Perfo ...

, an acclaimed national charity that encourages children to read with interactive shows and readings, and with Second Story Reading Centres in Toronto and Edmonton.

Personal life

Toward the end of his life, he moved from Toronto to Belleville, Ontario, where he died in his sleep after a short illness. He was survived by his wife Heather and three children, Hilary, Owen and Julia.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

*
Performers for Literacy
1947 births 2005 deaths Canadian male stage actors Canadian male television actors Canadian male film actors Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Canadian Screen Award winners {{Canada-screen-actor-stub