Gordon Edward Pinsent was born on July 12, 1930, in Grand Falls, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, to Florence (Cooper) and Stephen Arthur Pinsent, and was affectionately known as "Porky" during his childhood.
He began his dream of performing at an early age and served with the Royal Canadian Regiment from 1948 to 1951. Gordon received several honorary doctorates from notable universities, including the University of Prince Edward Island in 1975, Queen's University in 1988, Memorial University of Newfoundland, and the University of Prince Edward Island.
At the age of 17, Gordon left Newfoundland to pursue his career onstage, initially working in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where he was involved in the first live radio drama out of the city. He later moved east, working in Toronto and Stratford, Ontario, and has since become one of Canada's most well-respected artists, with numerous credits and awards to his name.
In addition to his acting career, Gordon is also a skilled director, producer, and writer. He has penned several novels, screenplays, and plays, including the stage play "Corner Green" for the Newfoundland amateur drama festival, which was staged in St. John's, Newfoundland, in April 1997. The play was based on his hometown of Grand Falls, Newfoundland.
Gordon is a member of the Honorary Advisory Board for the Newfoundland Symphony Youth Orchestra and is actively involved in various charitable causes. His humorous and poignant autobiography, "By the Way", was published.
In his personal life, Gordon was married to actress Charmion King until her passing and has a daughter, actress Leah Pinsent, from that union, as well as a son and daughter from an earlier marriage to Barry and Beverly Kennedy. He has two brothers, Harry and Haig, and three sisters: Nita, Hazel, and Lil, who passed away in 1998.
