Salesman who inspired William H. Macy’s Door To Door character dies

The Oregon salesman who inspired William H. Macy’s character in hit TV movie Door To Door has died at the age of 81. Bill Porter passed away on Tuesday (03Dec13), hours after he was admitted to hospital with stomach pains.
He rose to local recognition in the mid-1990s after editors at The Oregonian newspaper picked up his story about his lifelong struggle with cerebral palsy and his determination to work and live independently, despite experiencing severe difficulties speaking and walking.
His efforts paid off as he walked door to door, selling home care products from J.R. Watkins, and he quickly became the U.S. firm’s top retail salesman in a four-state region.
Profiles in Reader’s Digest magazine and on U.S. news show 20/20 followed, before actor Macy brought his story to life on the small screen in 2002, a project which garnered a total of six Primetime Emmy Awards.