Eric Anthony Roberts: filmography, biography and personal life (photo)

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Today the hero of our story will be a popular Hollywood actor Eric Roberts. During his career, he starred in more than 250 films. It is also interesting that his younger sister is the world-famous Julia Roberts, with whom, however, Eric does not communicate at the moment. So, we offer a closer look at the career and personal life of the actor.

Eric Roberts: biography

The future Hollywood celebrity was born on April 18, 1956 in the city of Biloxi, located in the US state of Mississippi. His father, W alter, was a director and ran a creative lab. Mother was not a professional actress, but she was always passionate about the theater. Little Eric suffered from stuttering, but as soon as he learned a text by heart, this ailment disappeared without a trace. The attentive father quickly noticed this feature of his son and created a television drama specially for him called "Little Pioneers". In this project, Eric for the first timedebuted on screen as a crippled boy.

Eric Roberts in his youth

The future famous actor's real interest in cinema awakened at the age of 11 after watching the movie Goodbye, Mr. Chips. The magnificent game of Robert Donat impressed Eric so much that the choice of his future profession was predetermined. Since the work of Roberts Sr. was associated with moving, the whole family often traveled from state to state. During this time, Eric managed to take part in several productions on the amateur stage. Relations between Roberts' parents gradually deteriorated, they quarreled heavily. Trying to take his mind off the family drama, Eric became friends with older guys who got him addicted to drugs.

When Roberts Jr was 14 years old, his mother left his father for another man. Eric could never forgive her for this act. The divorce of the parents became a great stress for the boy. Embittered by the whole world, he began to get involved in fights, in connection with which he ended up in the police more than once. Eric's only outlet was the theatre. The father clearly saw in his son excellent acting talents, and therefore decided to give him an appropriate education. So, at the age of sixteen, Eric went to England to study at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

The beginning of a film career

After graduating from the academy, Roberts returned to his homeland, where almost immediately he was offered a role in the television series Another World. This was in 1976. Althoughthe series was not particularly popular, the work of the young actor was quickly noticed by both critics and viewers. And after a couple of years he was offered to play in the sensational film "King of the Gypsies".

Accident

However, after successful work, films with Eric Roberts did not appear on the screens for several years. The fact is that in 1981 the actor got into a car accident, as a result of which he received a severe head injury and severely injured his face. For several days, his life literally hung in the balance. After the danger had passed, doctors predicted Roberts partial or even complete paralysis for the rest of his life. However, the actor began to move within a month, and after several operations, he got back on his feet and regained almost his former appearance.

Return to screens and continuation of film career

Actor Eric Roberts, after a disaster, first appeared on the big screen in 1983. It was a movie called Star-80 in which he played a psychopath named Paul Snyder. Roberts was so convincing in this role that the directors from now on began to invite him exclusively to the role of negative characters.

The next significant event in the actor's career can be called participation in the filming of the film by Russian director Andrei Konchalovsky called "Runaway Train". In this picture, Eric played brilliantly in the company of Jon Voight and Rebecca De Mornay.

By the end of the 80s, the actor was already a full-fledged Hollywood star. Films starring Eric Roberts at that time included suchthe most popular paintings, such as "Kokakolchik", "Slow Fire", "Sudden Awakening", "Red as Blood", "Best of the Best" and others.

90s

During this period, the actor was very popular. Films with his participation were constantly released on the big screen. Among them are such works as "The Lonely Hearts", "Best of the Best 2", "The Ultimate Analysis", "Specialist" and "Free Fall".

Roberts mostly got the roles of psychopathic villains, which could not but affect his sensitive nervous system. As a result, he became overly fond of drugs and women, which affected the career and business relations of the actor in the most unfavorable way. However, Eric pulled himself together in time: he went through a drug addiction treatment program. And in 1997 he appeared before the audience in a new role for himself as a “good guy”. It was the role of John Olansky in the popular TV series C-16: FBI.

At the peak of popularity: 2000s

With the advent of the new millennium, Roberts began to appear very often in television series, which, however, in no way hurt his career in big movies. The actor can be seen in the comedy sitcom Klava, Come On!, as well as in C. S. I.: Miami. As for films, the most memorable works of Roberts were the films "Intoxication" and "National Security". It should be noted that the actor took part with pleasure in films of various genres: action films, comedies, dramas, and thrillers. And allthe roles were equally good for him.

The Russian filmmakers also liked the actor with his talent and versatility. So, in 2003, he played one of the main roles in the Russian-American TV series called "Russians in the City of Angels." With the director of the project, Rodion Nakhapetov, Roberts began a long-term and fruitful collaboration. So, in 2004, he starred in his film "Border Blues", and in 2008 - in the thriller "Infection". While working on the paintings, Eric visited Russia several times, which, according to him, he fell in love with very much.

Actor's personal life

The death of Robert Sr. was a big blow for Eric. In search of solace, the 23-year-old began dating actress Sandy Davis. Erica's lover was almost twice his age. It is possible that subconsciously Roberts saw in her not only a companion, but also a kind of replacement for his mother, with whom he had a difficult relationship. Their relationship lasted until the mid-80s.

After dating Davis, Eric had several passing hobbies. This went on until he met actress Kelly Cunningham, who became his first wife. However, their relationship, initially very passionate, did not stand the test of time, and eventually ended in mutual hatred. According to Roberts, the affair with Kelly was the biggest mistake of his life. In marriage, they had a daughter, Emma. The actor left the family immediately after her birth.

Roberts got married for the second timein 1991 on an actress named Eliza Gerrett. Since then, harmony has come in Eric's personal life: the spouses are still happily married. Eliza, like her husband, starred in films a lot, and part-time is Roberts' personal manager.

As for Eric's daughter from his first marriage, Emma, she also followed in the footsteps of her parents and has already starred in several TV series and films.