Eric House

Eric House (November 22, 1921 – March 21, 2004) was a Canadian actor born and raised in Toronto, Ontario. Following military service in World War II, he enrolled at the University of Toronto as a geography student and began his acting career with the Hart House Theatre. He joined the Canadian Repertory Theatre in 1951 and went on to work at the Stratford Festival and with Toronto's Crest Theatre. He was a founding member of the Canadian Actors' Equity Association.

House built a substantial stage career across Canada as both an actor and a director. He became particularly associated with the Stratford Festival, where he was known for his work in Gilbert and Sullivan musical comedies. Later in his career he returned to Stratford, appearing in productions of Hamlet and Troilus and Cressida.

His Broadway career spanned from 1956 to 1968 and included appearances in the melodrama Tamburlaine the Great, The Makropulos Affair, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Soldiers, and H.M.S. Pinafore. He also performed in London's West End in a production of Mrs. Gibbons' Boys, and in 1962 appeared in the musical revue Clap Hands at London's Hammersmith Theatre alongside Corinne Conley, Dave Broadfoot, Jack Creley, and Eric Christmas.

House maintained an active screen career alongside his stage work. His film appearances included Anne of Green Gables (1956) and Oedipus Rex (1957). On television, he appeared frequently in the CBC drama anthology series Playdate, Folio, and Festival, as well as in A Gift to Last and the short-lived comedy series Delilah. He portrayed Dean Drone in Sunshine Sketches, recognized as the first Canadian television drama series. In 1969, he received a Canadian Film Award nomination for Best Actor for his performance in the episode "The Night Nothing Happened" from the drama series Quentin Durgens, M.P. His final television appearance was a small role as a judge in two episodes of Street Legal.

House died of emphysema on March 21, 2004.