Charles F. Porter, Actor and ‘Finding Faith’ Producer, Dies at 47
The former Duke football standout also made films for BET+, championed inspirational, independent cinema, wrote poetry and mentored kids.
He was not on the list.
Charles Porter, who produced Finding Faith, a 2025 film that starred Paula Patton, Loretta Devine and Keith David, and served as an advocate for inspirational independent filmmaking, has died. He was 47.
Porter died Monday at his home in Calabasas after a 17½-year battle with Hodgkin lymphoma, his family told The Hollywood Reporter.
As an actor, Porter appeared on TV series including The
Parkers, House, Without a Trace and Bones and starred as the pioneering Black
NASCAR driver Wendell Scott in the 2011 ESPN film Wendell Scott: A Race Story.
As founder of Black Bench Productions, Porter developed, packaged, produced and financed indie films, championing stories of faith, family, resilience and redemption while creating opportunities for Black artists and filmmakers.
He was the guiding force behind Finding Faith, written and
directed by LazRael Lison. The film, produced in collaboration with Summer
House Pictures and Third Eye Productions, was released in theaters through
Fathom Entertainment before running on Lifetime.
For BET+, Porter produced A Miracle Before Christmas (2022), starring David, LeToya Luckett and Romeo Miller, and Christmas Angel (2023), starring Miller, DaniLeigh, Skyh Black, Elise Neal and Tamar Braxton. Those were produced in collaboration with Summer House as well.
His other producing credits included the thrillers Nailed (2006), Battered (2014) — he also starred in those two — and Grace Point (2023).
Charles Frederick Porter II was born on March 13, 1979, in
Oxford, England (his father was in the Air Force, and his mother is British).
He came to the U.S. at age 3 and attended Rumsey Hall, a prep school in
Washington Depot, Connecticut, and The Lawrenceville School in New Jersey.
He went on to Duke University, where he earned a degree in Cultural Anthropology and, at 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds, was a four-year football letterman as one of the ACC’s top defensive tackles. (A back injury ultimately ended his goal of playing pro ball.)
Porter moved to Los Angeles in 2002 and appeared on the ESPN
game/reality show Beg, Borrow & Deal. In addition to his TV acting gigs, he
also appeared in films including Holla (2006), Johnny Was (2006) and Peppermint
(2018).
Porter was an executive producer and early investor on Last Meals, an upcoming feature from Sentient Entertainment and HanWay Films that stars Mads Mikkelsen, Boyd Holbrook, Tessa Thompson and Michael Shannon. He was developing a slate of faith-based films at the time of his death.
Porter also was a successful model, appearing in Italian Vogue, starring in an international Adidas campaign and walking the runway for the Ebony Fashion Fair. And as an author, he published three poetry books — Get to Know, Choose Your Path and Enjoying the Journey — and was working on B+, inspired by his changed blood type following one of his three bone marrow transplants.
He and his wife of 18 years, Candice Tab Porter, expressed their gratitude to the City of Hope and Dr. Stephen J. Forman “for their dedication and compassionate care.”
Away from Hollywood, Porter was a beloved youth football coach, personal trainer and mentor in Malibu, Calabasas and Westlake Village and the founder of Brainwashed for Greatness, dedicated to positivity and personal growth.
In addition to his wife, an entertainment marketing
executive and former Hollywood publicist, survivors include daughters Layla
Rose Porter, 9, and Juliette Jasmine Porter, 6; mother Dorothy Fourmeax;
brother Sydney Sparks-Fourmeax; sister Natalie Zore; mother-in-law Jeeny
Miller; sister-in-law and producing partner Renée Tab; brothers-in-law Amir Tab
and Chris Tuffin; and nephews Alexander and Tristan Tuffin and Kayla, Phillip
and Austin Zore.
His wife, sister-in-law and best friend and former Duke
teammate, William L. Hill, were with him when he died. His guiding philosophy,
his family said, remained constant: “Never Quit.”
Actor
Alphas
Crewman Che
Post-production
2027
Keith David, Loretta Devine, Stephen Bishop, Nadine
Velazquez, Paula Patton, and Demetrius A. Grosse in Finding Faith (2025)
Finding Faith
6.8
Bartender Craig
2025
Romeo Miller, Skyh Black, and DaniLeigh in Christmas Angel
(2023)
Christmas Angel
7.3
Chris
2023
Paula Jai Parker, Keith David, LeToya Luckett, Romeo Miller,
Porscha Coleman, LazRael Lison, and Demetrius Shipp Jr. in A Miracle Before
Christmas (2022)
A Miracle Before Christmas
5.6
Kennie
2022
Reversal (2019)
Reversal
Short
Officer Williamson
2019
Jennifer Garner in Peppermint (2018)
Peppermint
6.5
Excited Street Guy
2018
Jc (2017)
Jc
Short
Brutus
2017
Battered (2014)
Battered
2.8
Brian Blake
2014
Movie Star Idol
TV Series
Dr. Ben Kline
2013
2 episodes
Sabrina Páez, Amaris Davidson, Sade E. Moore, and Kimberly
Vandiver in M.A.S.H. (2012)
M.A.S.H.
3.6
TV Series
Laz Cassidy
2012
2 episodes
Beau Bridges, Mischa Barton, and Ryan Kwanten in Don't Fade
Away (2011)
Don't Fade Away
4.8
Deuce
2011
Wendell Scott: A Race Story (2011)
Wendell Scott: A Race Story
8.5
TV Movie
Wendell Scott
2011
Jawbone (2008)
Jawbone
Short
Agent Neely
2008
David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel in Bones (2005)
Bones
7.8
TV Series
Deputy
2007
1 episode
Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Anthony LaPaglia, Josh Hopkins,
Enrique Murciano, Eric Close, Poppy Montgomery, and Roselyn Sanchez in Without
a Trace (2002)
Without a Trace
7.0
TV Series
Conan Edwards (as Charles F. Porter)
2007
1 episode
Hugh Laurie in House (2004)
House
8.7
TV Series
Operator (as Charles F. Porter)
2007
1 episode
Holla Final Key Art
Holla
3.3
Dwayne
2006
Nailed (2006)
Nailed
4.2
Keller
2006
The Hitman Chronicles
6.4
Tyrell
2006
Patrick Bergin, Roger Daltrey, Vinnie Jones, Eriq La Salle,
Lennox Lewis, and Samantha Mumba in Johnny Was (2006)
Johnny Was
5.5
Digs
2006
Kimberly Elise and Jennifer Finnigan in Close to Home (2005)
Close to Home
6.7
TV Series
Officer (as Charles F. Porter)
2005
1 episode
My Crazy Life
7.0
TV Series
Actor
2005
1 episode
Jenna von Oÿ, Ken Lawson, Mo'Nique, Countess Vaughn, Dorien
Wilson, and Yvette Wilson in The Parkers (1999)
The Parkers
7.0
TV Series
Eric (as Charles F. Porter)
2003
1 episode
Best Short Film, Beverly Hills Film Festival 2004; Best
Cinematography, Boston 2004; Hypefest
Award Winner (Hollywood) 2004
Headache
Short
Security Guard
2003
Producer
Untitled Bankers Association Documentary
producer
Filming
Last Meals
executive producer
Pre-production
Keith David, Loretta Devine, Stephen Bishop, Nadine
Velazquez, Paula Patton, and Demetrius A. Grosse in Finding Faith (2025)
Finding Faith
6.8
producer
2025
Romeo Miller, Skyh Black, and DaniLeigh in Christmas Angel
(2023)
Christmas Angel
7.3
producer
2023
Grace Point (2023)
Grace Point
4.9
associate producer
2023
Paula Jai Parker, Keith David, LeToya Luckett, Romeo Miller,
Porscha Coleman, LazRael Lison, and Demetrius Shipp Jr. in A Miracle Before
Christmas (2022)
A Miracle Before Christmas
5.6
producer (p.g.a.)
2022
Jc (2017)
Jc
Short
producer
2017
Battered (2014)
Battered
2.8
executive producerproducer
2014
Private Number (2014)
Private Number
4.6
associate producer
2014
Movie Star Idol
TV Series
consulting producerassociate producer
2013
3 episodes
Tatiana Chekhova, Ray Stoney, Evalee Gertz, and LazRael
Lison in Kontrast (2009)
Kontrast
8.2
producer
2009
Nailed (2006)
Nailed
4.2
producer
2006
Casting Department
Battered (2014)
Battered
2.8
casting associate
2014
Self
Untitled Bankers Association Documentary
Self
Filming
The 40th NAACP Image Awards (2009)
The 40th NAACP Image Awards
4.8
TV Special
Self
2009
Bail
Video
Self
2007
YourLA
6.6
TV Series
Self - Host
2007
1 episode
Beg, Borrow & Deal
7.5
TV Series
Self
2002–2003
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