Eugene Gordon Lee

Vocation

American child actor, most notable for appearing in the "Our Gang" (Little Rascals) comedies as Porky from 1935 to 1939. During his tenure in "Our Gang," Porky originated the catchphrase "O-tay!", though it is commonly attributed to Buckwheat. Lee got his break in motion pictures in 1935, after producer Hal Roach noted how much the eighteen-month-old toddler looked like "Our Gang" star Spanky McFarland, also from Texas. The Lee family traveled from Texas to Culver City, California, and Eugene Lee, nicknamed "Porky" by the studio, joined the cast as Spanky's little brother. Porky appeared in forty-two "Our Gang" comedies over four years. Lee, McFarland, and "Our Gang" co-stars Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas, and Darla Hood constituted what is today the most familiar incarnation of "Our Gang." This group moved from Hal Roach Studios to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1938 after Roach sold the series. When Lee grew several inches in height during early 1939 (to the point that the five-year-old was the same height as ten-year-old McFarland), MGM replaced him with Mickey Gubitosi, later better known by the stage name of Robert Blake. He died on 16 October 2005 after battling lung cancer and brain cancer, aged 71. Link to Wikipedia biography