Eric Roberts

Eric Roberts is an Academy Award nominee for his role in "Runaway Train" and a three-time Golden Globe nominee for "Runaway Train," "Star 80," and "King of the Gypsies."

Roberts received acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival for his role in "A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints," in which he played the older version of then–newcomer Channing Tatum, and for "It’s My Party." He also starred in "La Cucaracha," which won Best Film at the Austin Film Festival, and earned him Best Actor at the New York Independent Film Festival that same year. "In Cold Blood," directed by Jonathan Kaplan and co-starring Roberts, Anthony Edwards, and Ryan Reynolds, received an Emmy nomination.

Other notable projects include Season Two of "The Righteous Gemstones" with Danny McBride, and Damien Chazelle’s "Babylon" with Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, and Flea. Roberts has also been celebrated for his performances in "The Dark Knight," "Final Analysis," "The Pope of Greenwich Village," "Star 80," and Paul Thomas Anderson’s "Inherent Vice."

On television, Roberts’ memorable recurring roles include USA’s "Suits"; "Grey’s Anatomy"; "CSI" and "Code Black" for CBS; NBC’s "Heroes"; "Crash" for Starz; Fox’s "Brooklyn Nine-Nine"; CBS’s "Hawaii Five-0"; HBO’s "Entourage"; and ABC’s "Less Than Perfect"—plus numerous fun, campy projects for Lifetime and Hallmark. Many of these films and series feature the music of Roberts’ stepson, Keaton Simons, whose songs also appear in many other productions unrelated to Roberts’ work.

A new generation also knows Roberts from his appearances in music videos—too many to count—including those by Akon, Eminem, Ja Rule, Mariah Carey, Rihanna, and The Killers, to name only a few. He has worked internationally as well, appearing in Til Schweiger’s "Head Full of Honey", a Warner Bros. Germany production, and as DEA boss Erick Sheldon in "La Reina del Sur" for Telemundo Global Studios and Netflix.

Roberts grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, and began his career in the New York theater scene, where he won the Theatre World Award for his Broadway performance in "Burn This." He now resides in Los Angeles with his wife since 1992, Eliza Roberts (of "Animal House" fame). Their lives are filled with what Roberts cherishes most—family: Emma Roberts, Keaton Simons, Morgan Simons, grandchildren, and a house full of rescued animals who are, as he says, “shown love and overfed every day.”

In 2024, Roberts joined Season 33 of "Dancing with the Stars," partnered with Britt Stewart. That same year, he released his memoir, "Runaway Train: Or, The Story of My Life So Far," published by St. Martin’s Press and co-written with "Vanity Fair" contributor Sam Kashner.