Charles F. Porter, 'Finding Faith' Producer and Former Duke Standout, Dies at 47
Charles F. Porter, a former Duke University defensive tackle who built a multifaceted career as an actor, independent producer, and youth mentor, has passed away at age 47. His family confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that he died at his Calabasas residence following a 17-and-a-half-year battle with Hodgkin lymphoma. Porter was widely recognized for championing uplifting Black stories through his company, Black Bench Productions.
Charles Frederick Porter II, an independent film producer, actor, author, and former college football standout, died Monday at his home in Calabasas, California, his family shared with The Hollywood Reporter. Porter was 47 years old and had lived with Hodgkin lymphoma for 17 and a half years, undergoing three bone marrow transplants over the course of his treatment.
His wife, Candice Tab Porter, along with his sister-in-law and producing partner Renée Tab and his close friend and former Duke football teammate William L. Hill, were present with him when he died, according to the family's statement to The Hollywood Reporter.
Before entering the film and television industry, Porter made a name for himself in collegiate athletics. Born in Oxford, England, on March 13, 1979, to an American Air Force father and a British mother, he arrived in the United States at age 3. He attended Rumsey Hall in Connecticut and The Lawrenceville School in New Jersey before earning a football scholarship to Duke University. Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 250 pounds, Porter earned four letters on the defensive line and developed into one of the top defensive tackles in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
While a severe back injury halted his aspirations to play professional football, he completed his studies at Duke, graduating with a degree in Cultural Anthropology.
Porter transitioned to the entertainment industry after relocating to Los Angeles in 2002. Viewers first saw him on television in the ESPN unscripted competition series Beg, Borrow & Deal, followed by appearances on popular episodic series such as The Parkers, House, Without a Trace, and Bones. Film audiences saw him in titles like Holla, Johnny Was, and Peppermint. One of his most significant acting roles came in 2011, when he portrayed pioneering Black NASCAR driver Wendell Scott in the ESPN biographical production Wendell Scott: A Race Story.
Behind the camera, Porter dedicated his career to expanding opportunities for Black creatives by founding Black Bench Productions. He focused the company on packaging, financing, and producing independent projects centered on family, faith, and perseverance. Porter served as the guiding producer for Finding Faith, a 2025 release directed by LazRael Lison that starred Loretta Devine, Paula Patton, and Keith David. The project, mounted alongside Summer House Pictures and Third Eye Productions, screened via Fathom Entertainment before broadcasting on Lifetime.
Porter also partnered with BET+ and Summer House Pictures on seasonal releases, including A Miracle Before Christmas in 2022 and Christmas Angel in 2023, collaborating with performers such as LeToya Luckett, Romeo Miller, Tamar Braxton, and Elise Neal. In addition to these projects, Porter had backed the upcoming Sentient Entertainment and HanWay Films feature Last Meals as an executive producer and early investor.
Beyond screen credits, Porter walked the runway for the Ebony Fashion Fair, modeled in Italian Vogue, and authored three published poetry books: Get to Know, Choose Your Path, and Enjoying the Journey. At the time of his passing, he was preparing a fourth collection titled B+, named in tribute to the change in his blood type following a bone marrow transplant. Outside the studio, he founded the empowerment initiative Brainwashed for Greatness and spent years coaching youth football and working as a trainer across Malibu, Calabasas, and Westlake Village.