Eric Roberts | |
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 Roberts in 2012 | |
| Born | Eric Anthony Roberts (1956-04-18)April 18, 1956 (age 69) Biloxi, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1974–present |
| Works | Full list |
| Spouse | |
| Partners |
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| Children | Emma Roberts |
| Relatives |
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Eric Anthony Roberts (born April 18, 1956) is an American actor.[1][2] He has amassed more than 700 credits and is one of the most prolific English-speaking screen actors,[3][4][5] acting in 74 films in 2017 alone.[5]
Roberts's career began with a leading role inKing of the Gypsies (1978) for which he received his firstGolden Globe Award nomination. He also received a Golden Globe nomination for his role asPaul Snider inBob Fosse'sStar 80 (1983). Roberts's performance inRunaway Train (1985), as prison escapee Buck McGeehy, earned him a third Golden Globe nod and a nomination for theAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Notable films Roberts has appeared in includeRaggedy Man (1981),The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984),The Coca-Cola Kid (1985),Best of the Best (1989),The Ambulance (1990),Final Analysis (1992),The Specialist (1994),The Cable Guy (1996),It's My Party (1996),Cecil B. Demented (2000),National Security (2003),A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2006),The Dark Knight (2008),The Expendables (2010),Lovelace (2013),Inherent Vice (2014),The Human Centipede 3 (2015), andBabylon (2022).
On television, his performances in the drama miniseriesIn Cold Blood (1997) and the sitcomLess than Perfect (2002–2005) have earned himSatellite Award nominations, winningBest Supporting Actor for the latter. His other varied television work includes being the only non-British actor to playthe Master in the 1996Doctor Whotelevision film, a role he reprised for theBig Finish audio range, as well asrecurring roles on theNBC dramaHeroes (2007–2010), theCBS soap operaThe Young and the Restless (2010–2011), the legal dramaSuits (2014–2019), and the HBO seriesThe Righteous Gemstones (2022).
Eric Anthony Roberts was born inBiloxi, Mississippi, on April 18, 1956,[6] to Betty Lou Bredemus and Walter Grady Roberts, one-time actors and playwrights, who met while touring with a production ofGeorge Washington Slept Here for the armed forces.[7] In 1963, they co-founded the Atlanta Actors and Writers Workshop inAtlanta off Juniper Street in Midtown. They ran a children's acting school inDecatur, Georgia. Roberts's mother became a church secretary and real estate agent, and his father was a vacuum cleaner salesman.[8] Roberts's younger siblings,Julia Roberts (from whom he was estranged until 2004) and Lisa Roberts Gillan, are also actors.
In 1971, Roberts's parents filed for divorce, which was finalized in early 1972.[9] He stayed with his father, who died of cancer in March 1977,[7][10] in Atlanta.[7] After the divorce, his sisters moved with their mother toSmyrna, a suburb of Atlanta.[7] In 1972, their mother married Michael Motes. In 1976, they had a daughter,[7] Nancy Motes, who died February 9, 2014, at age 37, of an apparent drug overdose.[11] Michael Motes was abusive and often unemployed. In 1983, she divorced Motes, citing "cruelty"; she later said that marrying him was the biggest mistake of her life.[12]
He made his acting debut in 1974, appearing on the soap operaHow to Survive a Marriage.[3] He also appeared on the NBC daytime soap operaAnother World originating the role of Ted Bancroft from February 14 to June 17, 1977.
Roberts receivedGolden Globe Award nominations for his early starring roles inKing of the Gypsies (1978) andStar 80 (1983). He was nominated for theAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1985 for his role as the escaped convict Buck in the filmRunaway Train; the award went toDon Ameche forCocoon. In 1987, he won theTheatre World Award for hisBroadway debut performance inBurn This.
Roberts's other starring roles includedPaul's Case (1980),Raggedy Man (1981),The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984),The Coca-Cola Kid (1985),Nobody's Fool (1986),Best of the Best (1989),By the Sword (1991),Final Analysis (1992),Best of the Best 2 (1993),The Specialist (1994),The Immortals (1995),It's My Party (1996),La Cucaracha (1998), andPurgatory (1999).
He appeared in the1996Doctor Who television film as a paramedic, Bruce, whose body is possessed by the recurring villainthe Master. Bruce's wife, who is killed by the Master, was played by Roberts' wifeEliza Garrett.[13][14] He also co-starred in the 1996 television miniseries version ofIn Cold Blood, in the role ofPerry Smith; he was nominated for aSatellite Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film.[citation needed] He starred inC-16 for its entire 1997 to 1998 run.[15] He starred oppositeJohn Ritter in the movieTripfall in 1998. He played theArchangel Michael inThe Prophecy II (1997).
Roberts co-starred on theABC situation comedyLess than Perfect. He appeared in an episode ofCSI: Miami as Ken Kramer, a murderer ondeath row convicted of killing a young couple. Another notable TV appearance was the episode "Victims" ofLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit where he played Sam Winfield, a former cop turned vigilante. In the same year, he was also guest-starred onThe L Word as Gabriel McCutcheon, the father ofShane McCutcheon.
Roberts voiced theSuperman villainMongul in the animated seriesJustice League, and reprised his role inJustice League Unlimited in the episode "For the Man Who Has Everything".[16][17] He performed the voice ofDark Danny inNickelodeon'sDanny Phantom.[18] He appeared in the first season ofHeroes asThompson, an associate ofMr. Bennet.[19] He then reprised the role in the third-season episode "Villains" and in the fourth-season "The Wall".[20]
In 2000, Roberts played a serial killer inThe Flying Dutchman.[21] In 2002, he portrayed an FBI detective inJa Rule's music video for his song "Down Ass Bitch", as well as its sequel "Down 4 U".[22]
In 2003, Roberts also appeared inThe Killers' music video for their song "Mr. Brightside", later reprising the role in the music video for their 2012 single "Miss Atomic Bomb".[23]
In 2005, he appeared in the music videos forMariah Carey's "We Belong Together" and "It's Like That".[24]
In 2006, he starred in the drama movieA Guide to Recognizing Your Saints.[25] The movie was a success and earned $2,035,468 at the box-office and holds a 75% rating onRotten Tomatoes.[26] He appeared in the video forAkon's "Smack That", featuringEminem.[27] The same year, he had a role in the romantic comedy filmPhat Girlz, starringMo'Nique, which receive good reviews and generate $7,401,890 in theaters worldwide.[28] He had a major role in the British-German-American martial arts action filmDOA: Dead or Alive, based on the famous videogame of the same name, which grossed $7.5 million on a budget of $30 million.[29]
In early January 2007, Roberts starred in the two-part miniseriesPandemic as the mayor of Los Angeles.[30] In 2007, he appeared in the video forGodhead's "Hey You". He appeared as a panelist on the television game showHollywood Squares.
On July 18, 2008, he appeared inThe Dark Knight asSal Maroni, aGotham CityMafia boss who hiresThe Joker to kill Batman and a renegade mob accountant.[31]
In February 2009,Oscar nomineeMickey Rourke, who starred with Roberts inThe Pope of Greenwich Village, said he hoped that Roberts would soon be offered a role which would resurrect his career in the way thatThe Wrestler rejuvenated Rourke's.[32] He portrayed Seth Blanchard on the second season of theStarz seriesCrash, from 2009. In 2009, Roberts appeared as himself in "Tree Trippers", a season five episode ofEntourage. He is portrayed as a mushroom and drug fanatic as he gives the boys mushrooms and joins them inJoshua Tree National Park to trip as they contemplate Vince's next movie decision.The same year, he appeared in the independent movieThe Chaos Experiment, starringVal Kilmer which had a limited theatrical release, playing to small audiences on two screens for one week in Grand Rapids, and for one week in nearbyLansing.[33] He also appeared in the independent movieRock Slyde, starringPatrick Warburton,Andy Dick,Rena Sofer, andElaine Hendrix.[34][35] He had the main role in the action movieThe Butcher.[36] He was acted in the psychological thriller filmRoyal Kill.[37] He also appeared in the Canadian-American thrillerBloodwork.[38][39]
It was announced in June 2010 that he would be joining the cast of theCBS soap operaThe Young and the Restless starting July 12.[40] The following month saw the release of the action filmThe Expendables in which Roberts plays a lead villain. It was directed by and starredSylvester Stallone, withJason Statham,Jet Li,Steve Austin,Gary Daniels,Dolph Lundgren,Randy Couture,Terry Crews,David Zayas, andMickey Rourke. The film is about a group of elite mercenaries called The Expendables (Stallone, Statham, Li, Lundgren, Couture, and Crews) who are on a mission to overthrow dictator General Garza (Zayas) in Vilena, an island in theGulf of Mexico. It is revealed that an ex-CIA officer James Munroe (Roberts) is keeping Garza in power as afigurehead for his own profiteering operations. With his two deadly bodyguards Dan Paine (Austin) and The Brit (Daniels), they become a major obstacle in the way of The Expendables.[41] Later that year, he appeared withSteve Austin andGary Daniels, his co-stars fromThe Expendables, in the 2010 action filmHunt to Kill. In October 2010, he played the major role in the American family movieFirst Dog, which received positive reviews.[42] December 2010 saw the premiere of thefourth season ofCelebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, which documented Roberts's struggle with dependency onmedical marijuana.[43] His wifeEliza and his stepsonKeaton Simons appeared in episode 6 to discuss the effects of his addiction on their lives.[44]
In 2011, he guest-starred inUSA Network'sBurn Notice season 5 finale ("Fail Safe") as an "off the books" spy recruiter. In the same year, he acted in the drama and family filmShannon's Rainbow, based on Mowod's own experiences seeing his brother rehabilitate an injured horse and win a championship horse race.[45][46][47][48] Later that year he acted in the horror comedy anthology filmChillerama, consisting of four stories, with each segment being an homage to a different genre and style.[49] The movie was acclaimed by critics and has gained a cult following.[50][51]
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Roberts starred in the 2012 mystery thrillerDeadline, playing the role of politically incorrect reporter Ronnie Bullock.[52] He appeared in the horror filmSnow White: A Deadly Summer, directed byDavid DeCoteau.[53] He is featured as Uncle Shadrack, head of a Romani family, in 2012'sThe Finder on FOX. He had a recurring role in the TV seriesThe Finder as a gypsy who had the title of king among a gypsy community in southern Florida. The same year, he was starred in the catastrophe movieThe Mark.[54] He also appeared in the Christmas comedy filmChristmas in Compton, starringKeith David andOmar Gooding, which received positive reviews.[55]
On February 18, 2013, he was featured in independent children's filmA Talking Cat!?!, directed byDavid DeCoteau.[56] In 2013, he had a small role in the filmLovelace, a biopic film about adult film actressLinda Lovelace. The film had itsworld premiere on January 22, 2013, at the2013 Sundance Film Festival and opened in a U.S.limited release on August 9, 2013.[57] The same year, he was starred in the moviePop Star, including the actorsChristian Serratos,Robert Adamson,Ross Thomas andRachele Brooke Smith.[58] He had also in the drama filmBefore I Sleep, which received good critics and premiered in competition at theHeartland Film Festival on October 19, 2013.[59][60] On November 1, 2013, he had a major role in the thriller drama filmAssumed Killer, starring and produced byCasper Van Dien.[citation needed] The movie received good review and had the film two stars out of five.[61] On November 24, 2013, he had voiced in the short animated movieDante's Hell Animated.[62]
In 2014, he appeared in the neo-noir period comedy-drama filmInherent Vice.[63] The drama filmStarcrossed, co-starringMischa Barton, premiered at the San Diego International Film Festival on September 28, 2014. This was followed by a limitedtheatrical release in Los Angeles in May 2016.[64] He had also a role in the small-budget indie filmThe Opposite Sex, starringKristin Chenoweth,Mena Suvari,Jennifer Finnigan, andGeoff Stults, which received favorable reviews.[65][66]
Between 2014 and 2015, Roberts played the recurring character Charles Forstman in the TV legal dramaSuits.[67]
In 2015, he appeared in season 5 ofLost Girl, a Canadian TV show onShowcase, as the main character, Bo's, father. In 2015 he appeared in theRihanna video "Bitch Better Have My Money" and inChris Cornell's video for "Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart".
The Nigerian comedy drama movieA Trip to Jamaica, starring Eric Roberts,Ayo Makun,Funke Akindele,Nse Ikpe Etim, andDan Davies, had its worldwide premiere on September 25, 2016, inLagos State.[68] In November 2016, the film was reported to have grossed 168 millionnaira, breaking the previous record set by30 Days in Atlanta. It also broke records for the first film to hit 35 million in first weekend, the first film to hit 62 million in its first week, the fastest film to gross 100 million (17 days) and the fastest film to gross 150 million (six weeks).[69] It opened at the Odeon Cinemas in London in December 2016 and became the highest-grossing film that weekend in London while also becoming the highest per screen average film in the UK during its limited run.[70][71] It won the Africa Entertainment Legends Award (AELA) for Best Cinema Film of 2016 and received four nominations at the 2017Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards, including categories for best actress in a comedy, best writer, best movie (West Africa) and best actor in a comedy. The award show was held in March 2017 inLagos State.[72][73] The same year, Roberts was featured in season 4 of the hit American TV showBrooklyn Nine-Nine; he portrayed the character of Jimmy Figgis.[74] He played Robert Avery inGrey's Anatomy.
In 2017, he had a major role in the horror thriller filmThe Institute, alongsideJames Franco andPamela Anderson.[75]
In 2018, he appeared in the third series of UK Channel4 reality showCelebrity Island with Bear Grylls where he completed the 4 weeks on the island. The same year, he also featured in the video of Enrique Iglesias's latest track "El Baño" as a bartender.[76] He had a role in the drama filmPapa, alongsideRobert Scott Wilson,Paul Sorvino,Daryl Hannah,Mischa Barton,Frankie Avalon,Ann-Margret, andMichael Madsen which received favorables reviews.[77][78] In 2018, he acted in the movieHead Full of Honey which starsMatt Dillon.[79][80]
In a 2018Vanity Fair interview, Roberts traced his prolific filmography to when he stopped getting consistent offers from major film studios and started doingB movies. "I start making a bunch of B movies—bam bam bam bam bam bam—one after the other, and then suddenly two, three years have passed, and I made like 30 films in two, three years," Roberts recalled.[81] He was executive producer for the filmBeverly Hills Bandits, which he also acted in withRon Jeremy andNatasha Alam.[82]
In 2019, he starred in the crime thriller dramaNight Walk, starringMickey Rourke.[83] He had a major role in the action movieThe Reliant, alongsideKevin Sorbo. He also appears on the sci-fi movieThe Immortal Wars: Resurgence. He acted in the crime/thriller90 Feet from Home, includingDean Cain. He also played a supporting role in the family movieA Karate Christmas Miracle.[84] Also in 2019, 23 years after initially playing the role, Roberts reprised his version of the Master in licensed audio dramas produced byBig Finish Productions. He made his debut in series 5 of the spinoff series,The Diary of River Song. Later that year, he appeared in the finale ofRavenous, once more working oppositePaul McGann'sEighth Doctor.[85][86]
In 2020, he starred in several movies includingReboot Camp,Angels Fallen,The Unbreakable Sword,Deported,Collision Earth,Hayalet : 3 Yasam andTop Gunner.[87] Furthermore, he starred in the DC Comics short moviePamela & Ivy[88] and appeared in the fan-made movieGambit: Playing for Keeps.[89]
In January 2021, Roberts played the Master inMasterful, an audio drama celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Master's debut. In March 2021, he appeared in his own spin-off series,Master! as well. The same year, he took part in the horror movieEscape to the Cove, appeared in the acclaimed short dramaThe Sleepless, guest starred again in season 17, episode 14 on the TV showGrey's Anatomy, acted in the comedyPeach Cobbler, starred in the TV movieMommy's Deadly Con Artist. He was also involved in the drama movieAfter Masks, the horror film616 Wilford Lane and the comedyMr. Birthday. In 2022, he co-starred withLana Wood inDog Boy, and as a recurring character in the second season of the HBO seriesThe Righteous Gemstones In 2023, he was a guest star at Season 2South Wind: On the Edge (created byMiloš Avramović) together withMiloš Biković andWilliam Baldwin.
In 2022, following theRussian invasion of Ukraine, Roberts announced his support for Ukraine. He says he was "one of the biggest stars" in Russia, however, he said, "I was canceled right away and couldn't work there. But we're so disappointed in Putin, I wouldn't want to go there anyway. But that was half my income, from working in Russia. So I go to other places now."[4]
In September 2024, Roberts was announced as one of the celebrities competing onseason 33 ofDancing with the Stars. He was partnered withBritt Stewart.[90] Roberts's memoir,Runaway Train: or, The Story of My Life So Far, was published throughSt. Martin's Press on September 17, 2024. It was co-written withVanity Fair contributor Sam Kashner.[91]
On a 2023 episode ofFinding Your Roots featuring his sister Julia, it was revealed that their biological paternal great-great-grandfather's surname was actually Mitchell, not Roberts.[92] Eric Roberts is a distant cousin of fellow actorEdward Norton.[93]
A 1989 profile of actressSandy Dennis inPeople says she had a live-in relationship with Roberts for five years in a seven-bedroom house she rented in Connecticut.[94] The relationship began several years after her 1974 parting from boyfriendGerry Mulligan, a jazz musician who had lived with Dennis in the same house (whose Connecticut location was identified asWestport orWilton in differentPeople magazine articles).[94]
In 1981, some months after Roberts began living with Dennis, he was in a debilitating car accident near their home.[95] His ordeal was described byPeople magazine years later as "a month-long hospital stay after a bad car accident in 1981." Leaving the Wilton house he lived in with Dennis, Roberts went for a Jeep ride with his girlfriend'sGerman Shepherd. When the dog seemed to lean out too far, Roberts tried to get hold of him. He let go of the steering wheel, and the car ended up hitting a tree. He was in a coma for three days.[95] Dennis, an animal lover who cared for many dogs and cats, was relieved to learn her German Shepherd was not injured in the accident.[96] Roberts recovered and his live-in relationship with Dennis lasted a few more years. Author James Spada claimed that it came to an end because of his affair with actressEllen Barkin,[9] while Roberts cited Dennis's refusal to start an animal shelter for some 100 stray cats living in the couple's shared home as the reason for their split.[81] In his 2024 autobiographyRunaway Train, Roberts wrote that he had impregnated Dennis, but she got an abortion.[97]
Roberts broke off engagements with Dennis[98] and actressDana Wheeler-Nicholson.[95] He has a daughter,Emma, from a live-in relationship with Kelly Cunningham;[99] Emma was born on February 10, 1991.[99] She eventually became an actress as well, making her major-film debut at age 10 in the 2001 dramaBlow.[99] After Roberts's relationship with Cunningham, he marriedEliza Garrett (daughter of screenwritersDavid Rayfiel andLila Garrett) in 1992.[100][101] His stepson,Keaton Simons, is a singer-songwriter, and his stepdaughter, Morgan Simons, is a chef. Roberts became a grandfather for the first time in December 2020 when Emma gave birth to her first child, a son named Rhodes, with actorGarrett Hedlund.[102]
On January 12, 2001, Roberts visitedThe Howard Stern Radio Show with Garrett, during a segment called "The Gossip Game" withMike Walker of theNational Enquirer. He confirmed that he and his sister,Julia, had been estranged for several years. The source of the estrangement had been his past drug abuse and her siding with his ex-girlfriend over the custody of his daughter. In 2004, he toldPeople magazine that he and his sister reconciled when he visited her in the hospital after she gave birth to twins.[103]
In December 1987, Roberts was arrested after police found him banging on a woman's apartment door in Manhattan'sUpper West Side. He was charged with criminal trespass, possession ofcocaine andmarijuana, and second-degree assault after he punched a police officer.[104] In February 1988, he pleaded guilty to harassment and was sentenced to six months on probation. His possession and assault charges were dropped.[105]
In February 1995, Roberts was arrested in Los Angeles for shoving his wifeEliza into a wall.[106]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)Sandy is Sandy Dennis, the well-known 47-year-old actress to whom Roberts has been unofficially engaged for several years.
