Today, the hero of our story will be the 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 currently communicate. 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 Walter was a director and led a creative laboratory. 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 any text by heart, this ailment disappeared without a trace. An attentive father quickly noticed this feature of his son and created a television drama specially for him called Little Pioneers. In this project, Eric made his first debut on the screen, playing the role of a crippled boy.
Eric Roberts in his youth
The real interest in cinema from the future famous actor aroused at the age of 11 after watching the film "Goodbye, Mr. Chips." The magnificent game of Robert Donat so impressed Eric that the choice of his future profession was predetermined. Since Roberts Sr.'s work was related to relocation, 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 worsened, they quarreled strongly. Trying to distract from the family drama, Eric began to be friends with guys older than himself, who addicted him to drugs.
When Roberts Jr. was 14 years old, his mother left her father for another man. Eric could never forgive her this act. Parental divorce was a big stress for the boy. Embittered by the whole world, he began to get involved in fights, and therefore more than once ended up in the police. The only outlet left for Eric was the theater. The father clearly saw in his son magnificent acting inclinations, and therefore decided to give him the appropriate education. So, at the age of sixteen, Eric went to England to study at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
Start a movie 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". That was in 1976. Despite the fact that the 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 acclaimed film “The 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 was in a car accident, as a result of which he received a serious head injury and severely injured his face. For several days, his life literally hung in the balance. After the danger had passed, the doctors predicted Roberts partial or even complete paralysis for the rest of his life. However, the actor began to move a month later, and after several operations he got on his feet and gained almost the same appearance.
Return to the screens and continued film career
Actor Eric Roberts after the disaster experienced 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 convinced of this role that the directors now began to invite him exclusively to the role of negative characters.
The next significant event in the actor’s career is the participation in the filming of a film by the Russian director Andrei Konchalovsky called “Runaway Train”. In this picture, Eric brilliantly played in the company of John Voight and Rebecca De Morne.
By the end of the 80s, the actor was already a full-fledged Hollywood star. Films with Eric Roberts at that time included such popular films as “Cocker”, “Slow Fire”, “Sudden Awakening”, “Red as Blood”, “Best of the Best” and others.
90s
During this period, the actor was very popular. Movies with his participation constantly appeared on the big screen. Among them are such works as “Lonely Hearts”, “Best of the Best 2”, “Final Analysis”, “Specialist” and “Free Fall”.
For the most part, Roberts was given the role of villainous psychopaths, which could not but affect his sensitive nervous system. As a result, he was overly carried away by drugs and women, which affected the actor's career and business relations in the most unfavorable way. However, Eric pulled himself together in time: he went through a drug dependence 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 S-16: FBI.
At the peak of popularity: 2000
With the advent of the new millennium, Roberts began to appear very often in television series, which, however, did not in any way damage his career in the big movie. The actor can be seen in the comedy sitcom “Klava, come on!”, As well as in “CSI: Miami”. As for the films, the most memorable works of Roberts were the films “Intoxication” and “National Security”. It should be noted that the actor was pleased to take part in films of various genres: action films, comedies, dramas, and thrillers. And all the roles were equally good for him.
The actor and Russian filmmakers really liked his talent and versatility. So, in 2003, he played one of the main roles in the series of Russian-American production called “Russians in the City of Angels”. Roberts began a long-term and fruitful cooperation with the project director Rodion Nakhapetov. So, in 2004 he starred in his film “Border Blues”, and in 2008 - in the thriller “Infection”. In the course of work on the paintings, Eric came to Russia several times, which, he said, was very fond of.
The personal life of the actor
The death of Robert Sr. was a big blow for Eric. In search of consolation, the 23-year-old boy began dating actress Sandy Davis. Beloved Erica was almost two times older than him. It is possible that, unconsciously, 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 connection lasted until the mid-80s.
After the affair with Davis, Eric had a few fleeting hobbies. This lasted until he met actress Kelly Cunningham, who became his first wife. However, their relationship, at first very passionate, did not stand the test of time, and eventually ended in mutual hatred. According to Roberts, an affair with Kelly was the biggest mistake in his life. In marriage, they had a daughter, Emma. The actor left the family immediately after her birth.
The second time, Roberts married in 1991 an actress named Eliza Gerrett. Since then, in Eric's personal life, harmony has come: the couple are still happy in marriage. Eliza, like her husband, has acted in films a lot, and is also Roberts's personal manager.
As for Eric's daughter from her first marriage, Emma, ​​she also followed in the footsteps of her parents and has already starred in several TV shows and films.