On
E.N.G., Welsh portrayed Eric "Mac" MacFarlane, one of the first
openly gay characters in North American series television, a source of considerable pride for the actor. He also appeared in the 1979 movie
City on Fire which was Canada's attempt to enter the disaster movie era. The movie was a critical and box office failure. His other film credits included roles in
Agency (1980),
Nothing Personal (1980),
All in Good Taste (1983) and
The Surrogate (1984). His acting career began in
theatre in the 1960s, with roles at the
Shaw and
Stratford festivals and in the 1969 Canadian debut of
Hair at the
Royal Alexandra Theatre. In 1990, Welsh founded
Performers for Literacy, an acclaimed national charity that encourages children to read with interactive shows and readings, and with Second Story Reading Centres in Toronto and
Edmonton. == Personal life ==