Trivia

She was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1970 Queen's Birthday Honours List for her services to drama.

First name 'Nyree' is a phonetic spelling of her birth name 'Ngaire', a Maori word for a shrub with star-shaped flowers.

Turned down the lead female role in The Avengers. Decided to take the role of Contessa Caroline di Contini in the less popular series The Protectors opposite Robert Vaughn and Tony Anholt.

Nyree Dawn Porter was born in New Zealand. She left New Zealand in the late 50s to seek her fortune. She is the star of The Forsyte Saga.

Won an acting scholarship to a London acting school at the age of 20.

At the time of her death, she was slated to appear in a Newcastle production of "Charley's Aunt."

First acting job was in the title role of "Madame Bovary" for BBC2.

Born in New Zealand she won a trip to London as a prize a talent contest in 1958 and just before she left she married actor Bryon O'Leary. who followed her.

Her first name is a phonetic spelling of the Maori word for Little white star shaped flower.

Daughter, Tayla, born. (January 10, 1975)

Father worked as a butcher.

She was awarded an OBE in 1973 for services to television.

She came to England in 1958 and was soon in a West End show called Look Who's Talking and within 6 years she was an established leading actress in television plays.

She could read palms having learnt the art from her mother who pushed her into acting school when she was 3 and later she joined the New Zealand Players Trust where she met Byron O'Leary who she married.

Her first husband, Byron O'Leary died of an accidental drug overdose.