Eric Roberts Biography

Eric Roberts was born on 18 April 1956, in Biloxi, Mississippi, USA, to Walter Grady Roberts and Betty Lou Bredemus. His parents co-founded the ‘Atlanta Actors and Writers Workshop’ and also ran a children’s acting school in Decatur, Georgia. Eric is of English, Scottish, Welsh, German, and Irish descent.

Roberts was raised with his sisters Julia Roberts and Lisa Roberts. His sisters grew up to become successful actresses. Because of their parents, Roberts and his sisters were exposed to the theatre scene early on. They grew up amidst actors, which had a great effect on them.

Eric started acting at an early age; he appeared in a local morning TV show named ‘The Little Pioneers.’ His parents divorced in 1972, leading to a lot of problems in his life, which eventually led to substance abuse.

Despite all the difficulties, he pursued his dream of becoming an actor. He studied at the ‘Royal Academy of Dramatic Art’ in London and later at the ‘American Academy of Dramatic Arts’ in New York.

Eric Roberts started appearing in the soap opera ‘Another World’ in 1977. Though the show was a success and earned him popularity, he did not enjoy the job.

Later, he was discovered by agent Bill Treusch, who helped him land his first film role in the movie ‘King of the Gypsies.’ The film, which was directed by Frank Pierson, turned out to be a hit, and earned Roberts his first award nomination.

He appeared in the lead role in ‘Raggedy Man,’ a 1981 American drama film. However, he met with a car accident soon after, which left him not just with broken bones, but also with injuries on his face which changed his looks to an extent.

The change in his looks also led to a change in the kind of roles he was offered. He started playing mostly villainous roles, one of which was his famous role in the 1983 film ‘Star 80.’ The film earned him the ‘Boston Society of Film Critics Award’ for ‘Best Actor’ as well as two other award nominations.

After its success, he appeared in several other films like ‘The Coca-Cola Kid’ (1985), ‘Nobody's Fool’ (1986), ‘Best of the Best’ (1989), ‘The Immortals’ (1995), ‘La Cucaracha’ (1998), and ‘Purgatory’ (1999).

Eric Roberts has also appeared in numerous television programs, such as ‘The Drew Carey Show,’ ‘The Hunger,’ ‘CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,’ ‘Less than Perfect,’ and ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine.’

He has also appeared in films like ‘The Expendables,’ a 2010 American action movie directed by Sylvester Stallone. The film, which was the first installment of ‘The Expendables’ film series, also starred popular actors, such as Jason Statham, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, and Steve Austin.

The film received mixed reviews. While the action scenes were appreciated, the lack of a good story was criticized. However, it turned out to be quite successful commercially, opening at number one at the US box office. Its sequels ‘The Expendables 2’ and ‘The Expendables 3’ were released in 2012 and 2014 respectively.

Eric Roberts appeared in the lead role in ‘Deadline,’ a 2012 American mystery drama film. The story focuses on the murder of an African American youth which goes unsolved for a very long time. It also starred actors, such as Steve Talley, Anna Felix, Lauren Jenkins, and J.D. Souther.

His supporting role in the American legal drama TV series ‘Suits’ is one of his most significant works in television. The show, which started airing in 2011, was quite successful, earning several award nominations. Roberts appeared as ‘Charles Forstman’ from 2014 to 2019.

From 2015 to 2019, he appeared in numerous films like ‘Sicilian Vampire,’ ‘Golden Shoes,’ ‘Six Gun Savior,’ ‘Star Trek: Captain Pike,’ ‘Unbridled,’ ‘Papa,’ ‘The Perception,’ ‘Monster Island,’ and ‘Night Walk,’ etc.

In 2019, he was seen in two TV films, namely ‘Stalked by My Doctor: A Sleepwalker's Nightmare’ and ‘The Wrong Mommy.’ He was also seen in a couple of TV series, such as ‘Those Who Can't’ and ‘La Reina del Sur.’

'Star 80,' an American film about the brutal murder of a model, was one of the most important films in Eric Roberts’ career. Filmed in Vancouver, Canada, and Los Angeles, USA, ‘Star 80’ was directed by Bob Fosse. It also starred actors, such as Mariel Hemingway, Cliff Robertson, and Carrol Baker. Roberts’ amazing performance won him the ‘Boston Society of Film Critics Award’ for ‘Best Actor.’

His role in the 1985 American thriller drama film ‘Runaway Train’ was one of his significant works. Directed by Andrei Konchalovsky, and starring actors, such as Jon Voight, Rebecca De Mornay, and John P. Ryan, the film narrated the story of two escaped convicts and a female railroad worker who get stuck on a runaway train. Roberts’ performance earned him a nomination for the ‘Academy Award.’

Eric Roberts has received several awards, such as the ‘Boston Society of Film Critics Award’ for ‘Best Actor’ for his role in the film ‘Star 80.’ He received the ‘Satellite Award’ for ‘Best Supporting Actor – Television Series’ for his role in the American TV show ‘Less Than Perfect.’

Eric Roberts was in a relationship with Kelly Cunningham in the early-1990s and had a daughter with her. The couple broke up later, which was followed by an ugly custody battle, in which Roberts lost. Their daughter Emma Roberts later became an actress.

He was arrested in 1987 for drug possession and resisting arrest. He was once again arrested in 1995 for physically abusing his wife Eliza Garrett. After this, he announced that he would give up drugs.