Adopted first name Portia because friends called her by that name, after the main character in the radio soap opera "Portia Faces Life".
Not only had a major career on the Broadway Stage but was a top attraction in the best Nightclubs across the country.
Portia Nelson is the author of the book "There's A Hole In My Sidewalk: The Romance of Self Discovery." Originally published in the 1970s, it was reissued in 1994. The title work appears on a poster in Dr. Maguire's office (Robin Williams) in the film Good Will Hunting (1997).
Youngest of nine children.