Eric Roberts

1.1. Childhood and Education

Eric Anthony Roberts was born in Biloxi, Mississippi, on April 18, 1956. He was the son of Betty Lou Bredemus and Walter Grady Roberts, who were both one-time actors and playwrights. His parents first met while performing in a production of George Washington Slept Here for the armed forces. In 1963, they co-founded the Atlanta Actors and Writers Workshop in Atlanta, Georgia, located off Juniper Street in Midtown. They also managed a children's acting school in Decatur, Georgia. His mother later worked as a church secretary and real estate agent, while his father became a vacuum cleaner salesman.

Roberts' parents divorced in 1971, with the divorce finalized in early 1972. Eric stayed with his father in Atlanta, who passed away from cancer in March 1977. Following the divorce, his younger sisters, Julia and Lisa, moved with their mother to Smyrna, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. In 1972, his mother married Michael Motes. In 1976, they had a daughter named Nancy Motes, Eric's half-sister, who tragically died on February 9, 2014, at the age of 37, due to an apparent drug overdose. Michael Motes was known to be abusive and frequently unemployed. His mother divorced Motes in 1983, citing "cruelty," and later stated that marrying him was the biggest mistake of her life.

Roberts began his acting education at an early age, participating in his parents' acting school from the age of five. At 17, he traveled to London to study for two years at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Upon returning to New York, he continued his studies at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

1.2. Family Relationships

Roberts has maintained complex relationships with his birth family throughout his life, including periods of estrangement and reconciliation.

2.1. Debut and Early Success

Roberts made his acting debut in 1974 on the soap opera How to Survive a Marriage. He also originated the role of Ted Bancroft on the NBC daytime soap opera Another World from February to June 1977.

He quickly gained critical attention for his early starring roles. He received his first Golden Globe Award nomination for his leading role in King of the Gypsies (1978). He earned a second Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal of Paul Snider in Bob Fosse's Star 80 (1983). Roberts' performance as the prison escapee Buck McGeehy in Runaway Train (1985) brought him his third Golden Globe nomination and an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. In 1987, he made his Broadway debut in Burn This, for which he received the Theatre World Award.

2.2. Prolific Work and Diverse Roles

Roberts is recognized as one of the most prolific English-speaking screen actors in history, having amassed over 700 credits across films, television series, voice acting, and even music videos. His notable film appearances include Raggedy Man (1981), The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984), By the Sword (1991), 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), and Babylon (2022). A black belt in Taekwondo, Roberts showcased his martial arts skills in the films Best of the Best (1989) and its sequel Best of the Best II (1993).

On television, his performances have also been recognized, with Satellite Award nominations for the drama miniseries In Cold Blood (1997) and the sitcom Less than Perfect (2002-2005), winning Best Supporting Actor for the latter. His varied television work includes being the only non-UK actor to portray the Master in the 1996 Doctor Who television film, as well as recurring roles on the NBC drama Heroes (2007-2010), the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless (2010-2011), the legal drama Suits (2014-2019), and the HBO series The Righteous Gemstones (2022).

2.3. Career Fluctuations and Comeback

Despite his early critical success, Roberts faced significant challenges in his career. In the late 1980s and 1990s, his public image and mainstream popularity declined due to personal struggles, including issues with substance abuse. This period saw him primarily working in independent and low-budget productions, often referred to as B-movies. Roberts himself reflected on this time in a 2018 interview, stating, "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."

His career began to experience a noticeable resurgence in the late 2000s, marked by his roles in more prominent and critically acclaimed projects. This comeback demonstrated his enduring talent and versatility, allowing him to once again appear in major studio productions.

2.4. 2000-2008

In 2000, Roberts portrayed a serial killer in The Flying Dutchman. He expanded his work into music videos, appearing in Ja Rule's "Down Ass Bitch" and its sequel "Down 4 U" in 2002, playing an FBI detective. In 2003, he featured in The Killers' music video for "Mr. Brightside", a role he reprised in their 2012 single "Miss Atomic Bomb". He also appeared in Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together" and "It's Like That" in 2005, and in Akon's "Smack That", featuring Eminem, in 2006.

His film roles during this period included National Security (2003), the drama A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2006), which grossed 2.03 M USD and held a 75% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and the romantic comedy Phat Girlz (2006), which earned 7.40 M USD worldwide. He had a major role in the British-German-American martial arts action film DOA: Dead or Alive (2007), based on the popular video game, which grossed 7.50 M USD against a budget of 30.00 M USD.

On television, Roberts co-starred in the ABC situation comedy Less than Perfect (2002-2005) and appeared in episodes of CSI: Miami and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in 2005. He was a guest star on The L Word as Gabriel McCutcheon in 2006. In early 2007, he starred as the mayor of Los Angeles in the two-part miniseries Pandemic. He also appeared as a panelist on the game show Hollywood Squares. From 2007 to 2010, he had a recurring role as Thompson, an associate of Mr. Bennet, in the first, third, and fourth seasons of Heroes. He voiced the Superman villain Mongul in the animated series Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, and Dark Danny in Nickelodeon's Danny Phantom.

A significant role came on July 18, 2008, when he appeared in The Dark Knight as Sal Maroni, a Gotham City Mafia boss who hires The Joker.

2.5. 2009-2011

In February 2009, Mickey Rourke, Roberts' co-star from The Pope of Greenwich Village, expressed hope that Roberts would receive a role that would revive his career, similar to Rourke's own resurgence in The Wrestler. Roberts went on to portray Seth Blanchard on the second season of the Starz series Crash (2009). In 2009, he appeared as himself in "Tree Trippers", an episode of Entourage, depicted as a mushroom and drug enthusiast.

During this period, Roberts continued his prolific work in independent cinema, starring in films such as The Chaos Experiment (2009), which had a limited theatrical release, and Rock Slyde (2009), co-starring Patrick Warburton and Andy Dick. He took on the main role in the action movie The Butcher (2009) and appeared in the psychological thriller Royal Kill (2009) and the Canadian-American thriller Bloodwork (2009).

In June 2010, it was announced that Roberts would join the cast of the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless, starting July 12, where he had a recurring role as Vance Abrams until 2011. The following month saw the release of the action film The Expendables (2010), in which Roberts played James Munroe, an ex-CIA officer and the lead villain, opposing Sylvester Stallone's mercenary team. He later appeared with his Expendables co-stars Steve Austin and Gary Daniels in the 2010 action film Hunt to Kill. In October 2010, he played the major role of the US President in the family movie First Dog. In December 2010, Roberts was featured on the fourth season of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, which documented his struggle with dependency on medical marijuana. His wife Eliza and stepson Keaton Simons appeared in an episode to discuss the effects of his addiction on their lives.

In 2011, he guest-starred in the USA Network's Burn Notice season 5 finale, "Fail Safe," as an "off the books" spy recruiter. He also acted in the drama and family film Shannon's Rainbow (2011), based on true experiences, and the horror comedy anthology film Chillerama (2011), which gained a cult following.

2.6. 2012-2015

Roberts continued his busy acting schedule into the mid-2010s. In 2012, he starred in the mystery thriller Deadline as politically incorrect reporter Ronnie Bullock and appeared in the horror film Snow White: A Deadly Summer. He was featured as Uncle Shadrack, the head of a Romani family, in the FOX TV series The Finder. The same year, he starred in the catastrophe movie The Mark and appeared in the Christmas comedy film Christmas in Compton, which received positive reviews.

In 2013, he featured in the independent children's film A Talking Cat!?!. He had a small but notable role in Lovelace, a biopic about adult film actress Linda Lovelace, which premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. He also starred in the movie Pop Star (2013) and the drama film Before I Sleep (2013), which premiered at the Heartland Film Festival. On November 1, 2013, he played a major role in the thriller drama Assumed Killer, and on November 24, 2013, he lent his voice to the short animated movie Dante's Hell Animated.

In 2014, Roberts appeared in the neo-noir period comedy-drama film Inherent Vice. The drama film Starcrossed, co-starring Mischa Barton, premiered at the San Diego International Film Festival in September 2014. He also had a role in the indie film The Opposite Sex, which received favorable reviews. Between 2014 and 2015, Roberts played the recurring character Charles Forstman in the TV legal drama Suits. In 2015, he appeared in season 5 of Lost Girl, a Canadian TV show, as the main character's father. He also featured in the music videos for Rihanna's "Bitch Better Have My Money" and Chris Cornell's "Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart".

2.7. 2016-2019

Roberts' international presence grew with his role in the Nigerian comedy-drama A Trip to Jamaica. The film premiered worldwide on September 25, 2016, in Lagos State, and broke several box office records in Nigeria, becoming the highest-grossing film there and the highest per screen average film in the UK during its limited run. It won the Africa Entertainment Legends Award for Best Cinema Film of 2016 and received four nominations at the 2017 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards. The same year, Roberts was featured in season 4 of the American TV show Brooklyn Nine-Nine, portraying the character of Jimmy Figgis, and also played Robert Avery in Grey's Anatomy.

In 2017, he had a major role in the horror thriller film The Institute, alongside James Franco and Pamela Anderson. In 2018, he appeared in the third series of the UK Channel 4 reality show Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls, successfully completing the four-week challenge. He also featured as a bartender in the music video for Enrique Iglesias' "El Baño". He had roles in the drama films Papa and Head Full of Honey. Roberts was also an executive producer for the film Beverly Hills Bandits, in which he also acted.

In 2019, he starred in the crime thriller drama Night Walk, alongside Mickey Rourke, and the action movie The Reliant, with Kevin Sorbo. He also appeared in the sci-fi movie The Immortal Wars: Resurgence and the crime/thriller 90 Feet From Home, which featured Dean Cain. He played a supporting role in the family movie A Karate Christmas Miracle. In a significant return to a past role, Roberts reprised his version of the Master for Big Finish Productions' Doctor Who audio dramas, making his debut in series 5 of the spinoff The Diary of River Song and later appearing in the finale of the Eighth Doctor story line, Ravenous.

2.8. Since 2020

Since 2020, Eric Roberts has maintained his remarkable pace of work, appearing in numerous films and television projects. In 2020 alone, he starred in several movies, including Reboot Camp, Angels Fallen, The Unbreakable Sword, Deported, Collision Earth, Hayalet : 3 Yasam, and Top Gunner. He also appeared in the DC Comics short film Pamela & Ivy and the fan-made movie Gambit: Playing for Keeps.

He continued to reprise the role of the Master in Doctor Who audio dramas produced by Big Finish Productions, appearing in Masterful in January 2021, a special audio drama celebrating the 50th anniversary of the character, and his own spinoff series, Master!, in March 2021. His film work in 2021 included the horror movie Escape to the Cove, the short drama The Sleepless, the comedy Peach Cobbler, and the TV movie Mommy's Deadly Con Artist. He was also involved in the drama After Masks, the horror film 616 Wilford Lane, and the comedy Mr. Birthday. In 2022, he co-starred with Lana Wood in Dog Boy and featured as a recurring character in the second season of the HBO series The Righteous Gemstones. In 2023, he was a guest star in Season 2 of South Wind: On the Edge, alongside Miloš Biković and William Baldwin. Additional recent film credits include Sweetwater (2023), Assault on Hill 400 (2023), DC Down (2023), Megalodon: The Frenzy (2023), Top Gunner: Battle of the Atlantic (2023), and Hitmen (2023).

In September 2024, Roberts was announced as one of the celebrities competing on season 33 of Dancing with the Stars, partnered with Britt Stewart.

His memoir, Runaway Train: or, The Story of My Life So Far, co-written with Vanity Fair contributor Sam Kashner, was published on September 17, 2024.

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Roberts publicly announced his support for Ukraine. He stated that he had previously been "one of the biggest stars" in Russia but was "canceled right away and couldn't work there" after his stance. He expressed disappointment in Vladimir Putin, adding that he would not want to work there anyway, despite Russia having accounted for "half his income."

3.1. Relationships and Marriages

In the early 1980s, Roberts had a live-in relationship with actress Sandy Dennis, residing together for five years in Connecticut. This relationship began some months after Dennis's 1974 separation from Gerry Mulligan. In 1981, Roberts was involved in a debilitating car accident near their home in Wilton, Connecticut, which resulted in a three-day coma. He was trying to prevent his girlfriend's German Shepherd from leaning out too far during a Jeep ride, lost control of the steering wheel, and hit a tree. Dennis, a devoted animal lover, was reportedly relieved that her dog was unharmed. Their relationship ended a few years later. Author James Spada claimed the split was due to Roberts' affair with actress Ellen Barkin, while Roberts stated it was Dennis's refusal to establish an animal shelter for approximately 100 stray cats living in their shared home. He also broke off engagements with Dennis and actress Dana Wheeler-Nicholson.

Roberts has a daughter, Emma Roberts, born on February 10, 1991, from his live-in relationship with Kelly Cunningham. In 1992, he married Eliza Garrett, who is the daughter of screenwriters David Rayfiel and Lila Garrett. Through this marriage, Roberts also has a stepson, Keaton Simons, a singer-songwriter, and a stepdaughter, Morgan Simons, a chef. In December 2020, Roberts became a grandfather for the first time when Emma gave birth to her son.

3.2. Legal Issues

Roberts has faced several legal challenges throughout his life, which have had an impact on his public image and career. In December 1987, he was arrested in Manhattan's Upper West Side after police found him banging on a woman's apartment door. He was charged with criminal trespass, possession of cocaine and marijuana, and second-degree assault for allegedly punching a police officer. In February 1988, he pleaded guilty to harassment and was sentenced to six months on probation, with the possession and assault charges being dropped.

In February 1995, Roberts was arrested again in Los Angeles for allegedly shoving his wife, Eliza, into a wall. Following these incidents and public scrutiny, Roberts publicly addressed his struggles with substance abuse, including medical marijuana dependency, and and participated in rehabilitation programs.