Last Updated on March 10, 2023
Eric Anthony Roberts is an American actor with a career spanning close to five decades. Roberts rose to the limelight through the 1978 film ‘King of the Gypsies.’ He gained further recognition by accepting leading roles in several movies throughout the 80’s, including Star 80 (1983) and Runaway Train (1985).
Roberts’ career dipped for a few years after his initial success in the ‘70s and ‘80s. However, he bounced back in the ‘90s and went on to appear in hundreds of movies and television shows. As at the time of writing (November 2, 2022), the legendary actor has over 700 credits to his name. These include Hollywood blockbusters, independent films, short films, student films, animated films, television series, and animated TV series.
Eric Roberts Quick Facts
| Full Name: | Eric Anthony Roberts |
| Popular Name: | Eric Roberts |
| Nicknames: | N/A |
| Birth Date: | April 18, 1956 |
| Age: | 66 years |
| Parents: | Walter Grady Roberts and Betty Lou Bredemus |
| Siblings: | 3 sisters – Julia Roberts, Lisa Roberts Gillan, and Nancy Motes |
| Birth Place: | Biloxi, Mississippi, United States |
| Nationality: | American |
| Ethnicity: | Mixed (English, Scottish, Irish, Welsh, German, and Swedish) |
| Religion: | Judaism |
| Education: | Midtown High School, Henry W. Grady High School, and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts |
| Marital Status: | Married to Eliza Garrett (since 1992); was previously in a live-in relationship with actress Sandy Dennis (from 1980 – 1985) and Kelly Cunningham (from 1988 to 1991) |
| Sexual Orientation: | Straight |
| Children: | Emma Roberts (from his relationship with Kelly Cunningham) and step-son Keaton Simons and step-daughter Morgan Simons (both from his marriage to Eliza Garrett) |
| Net Worth: | USD 10 million (as at November 1, 2022) |
| Source of Wealth: | Acting and Other Ventures |
| Height: | 5′ 11″ (1.80 m) |
| Weight: | In kilograms: 75 kg; In pounds: 165 lbs. |
Early Life and Career Information
Early Life
Eric Anthony Roberts was born on April 18, 1956, in Biloxi, Mississippi, United States, to Walter Grady Roberts and Betty Lou Bredemus. Roberts’ parents were one-time actors and playwrights. His father later became a vacuum cleaner salesman, whereas his mother became a church secretary and real estate agent.
Eric Roberts received his high school education from Midtown High School and Henry W. Grady High School. He later attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
Career Information
Eric Roberts launched his acting career by portraying Ted Bancroft on the now-defunct NBC daytime soap opera, ‘Another World.’ He gained early recognition for his starring role in the 1978 film ‘King of the Gypsies.’
Roberts’ star continued to shine throughout the 80’s. He had leading roles in the movies Raggedy Man (1981), Star 80 (1983), The Coca-Cola Kid (1985), and Runaway Train (1985), as well as the Broadway performance Burn This (1987). His other major film roles during the same period include Paul’s Case (1980), The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984), Nobody’s Fool (1986), and Best of the Best (1989).
In 1991, Eric Roberts appeared in the film ‘By the Sword.’ He also had a starring role in the movie ‘Final Analysis’ the following year, before following up with ‘Best of the Best 2’ in 1993. His other notable film appearances during the ‘90s include The Specialist (1994), The Immortals (1995), The Prophesy 11 (1997), La Cucaracha (1998), Tripfall (1998), and Purgatory (1999).
In 1996, Eric Roberts appeared in the television film ‘Doctor Who’ and co-starred in the television miniseries version of ‘In Cold Blood.’ Roberts further starred in C – 16: FBI from 1997 to 1998. His next major television role was as a co-star on the ABC situation comedy ‘Less than Perfect.’ He also appeared on episodes of ‘CSI: Miami,’ ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,’ and ‘The L Word’ around the same period.
Roberts’ ushered in the new millennium by playing a serial killer in the movie ‘The Flying Dutchman.’ He then appeared in the 2006 movies ‘A Guide to Recognizing Your Saint,’ ‘Phat Girlz,’ and ‘DOA: Dead or Alive.’
The following are other noteworthy films and television shows that Eric Roberts has featured in;
Films
• The Dark Knight (2008)
• The Chaos Experience (2009)
• The Butcher (2009)
• The Expendables (2010)
• Hunt to Kill (2010)
• Deadline (2012)
• The Mark (2012)
• Assumed Killer (2013)
• Inherent Vice (2014)
• A Trip to Jamaica (2016)
• The Institute (2017)
• Night Walk (2019)
• Reboot Camp (2020)
• Angels Fallen (2020)
• The Unbreakable Sword (2020)
• Deported (2020)
• Collision Earth (2020)
• Hayalet : 3 Yasam (2020)
• Top Gunner (2020)
TV Shows
• Pandemic (2007)
• Hollywood Squares (2007)
• Entourage (2009)
• Suits (2014 – 2015)
• Lost Girl (2014)
• Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2017)
• Grey’s Anatomy (2017)
• The Diary of River Song (2019)
Eric Roberts’ illustrious acting career also includes voice acting. Some of the works that the accomplished actor has lent his voice to include the series ‘Justice League,’ ‘Justice League Unlimited,’ and ‘Danny Phantom.’
Eric Roberts’ Net Worth
As at November 1, 2022, Eric Roberts had a net worth of $10 million. Suffice it to say that the actor isn’t broke by any standard of measure.
However, it’s apparent that Roberts’ net worth isn’t commensurate with his long acting career, and there are logical explanations for that.
First, Eric’s career took a dip for a considerable duration after his initial success. There’s no credible information indicating that the actor was engaged in other income-generating activities during this period. So, it’s only understandable that his fortunes dwindled in the meantime.
Also, while Roberts has over 700 credits to his name, a significant number of his works ended in epic failure. That’s mostly evidenced by the fact that the legendary Hollywood superstar hasn’t bagged any major awards during his acting career.
Lessons from Eric Roberts
1. Consistency is key
This is arguably the biggest takeaway from Eric Roberts’ long acting career. The Hollywood superstar has consistently appeared in movies and television shows for nearly five decades.
2. Failure is an inseparable part of success
Roberts has over 700 credits to his name. But while many of his film and television works registered impressive performance, some ended in devastating failure.
3. Do whatever you can to grow your brand
Eric Roberts attributes much of his success to his numerous cinematic projects. But besides acting, the actor has also endeavored to grow his brand by appearing in the music videos of various artists, including Rihanna, Akon, Ja Rule, and Mariah Carey.
Famous Quotes by Eric Roberts
• As I’ve gotten older I look like a man, finally.
• But the thing about bad guys is that they have the biggest bosomed blond, they have great clothes and cars, and get great death scenes.
• My wife and I have so much fun when we travel and find anything… like stray cats and squirrels.
• Sometimes movie-making happens like clockwork; other times, like a car accident.
• The earth is a great big orphanage for most animals.
Wrap Up
Eric Roberts has enjoyed an illustrious acting career spanning nearly five decades. Although he’s poorer than many of his peers, Roberts’ $10 million net worth isn’t something to be scoffed at.
