He was one of Hollywood’s most alluring leading men for decades thanks to his smoldering eyes and domineering on-screen persona. Known for his parts in classic films like “Runaway Train” and “Star 80,” one Hollywood celebrity became well-known in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
The actor has had a lot of success in his career, but he has also had personal struggles, especially with his sister and daughter, both of whom are well-known in the entertainment business.
A Star Is Born
The actor was born in Biloxi, Mississippi, on April 18, 1956. He started his acting career away from the glamour of Hollywood, perfecting his talent in a theater in New York City, where he won a Theatre World Award and received critical acclaim for his Broadway performance in “Burn This.”
His rise in the movie business was quick and remarkable from there. He was already drawing attention by the late 1970s because to his Golden Globe-nominated performance in “King of the Gypsies.”
He only became more of a cinematic presence in the 1980s and 1990s. His compelling performance in “Runaway Train” (1985) got him a nomination for an Academy Award, and he also received Golden Globe nominations for that performance and “Star 80” (1983).
From mainstream hits like “The Specialist” (1994) and “Final Analysis” (1992) to independent classics like “La Cucaracha,” which won him Best Actor at the New York Independent Film Festival, his versatility was evident in a broad range of productions.
In the decades that followed, this actor didn’t slow down. In addition to appearing in popular movies like “The Dark Knight” (2008), “The Expendables” (2010), and Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Inherent Vice” (2014), he was honored at Sundance for his performances in “It’s My Party” (1996) and “A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints” (2006).
“Lovelace” (2013) is another addition to his already varied collection of credits. He established a strong presence on television in addition to the big screen.
With guest appearances on “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Will & Grace,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” “Hawaii Five-O,” and “Entourage,” in addition to recurring roles on popular shows like “Heroes,” “Suits,” “CSI,” “Code Black,” and “Crash,” his versatility as a performer was still on display.
He is still working and taking on parts in independent and major productions. Recent roles include “Head Full of Honey,” in which he costarred with Matt Dillon as a doctor, and “Hard Luck Love Song,” in which he played a sage, weathered doorman.
In addition, he played a DEA boss in “La Reina del Sur”—a position that was appropriate for a career that has never shied away from nuance or charm.
A Father’s Shattering Regret: ‘I Had Abandoned Kelly When Emma Was Just Seven Months Old’
However, underneath the regular cadence of movie sets and red carpets, the actor has long harbored a more subdued pain in his personal life, one that revolves around his actress daughter.
In the past, he has spoken candidly about his regrets as a father. Reflecting on one of the most painful chapters of his life, he revealed, “I had abandoned Kelly when Emma was just seven months old.”
The admission, which acknowledged decisions that would define the gap between him and his daughter for decades, was both stark and profoundly personal. The actress rarely talks about it in public because of the impact the split from her father had on her.
In a 2022 interview with Tatler, the “American Horror Story” star reflected on her upbringing, which saw her parents separate when she was still a baby. Speaking about her mother with warmth, the star shared, “She’s pretty much been with me non-stop since Rhodes was born,” referring to her own son.
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When asked directly about her father and if they are close, her tone shifted. “Um… how do I say this? No, we’re not,” she admitted, her words carrying the weight of years apart, having spent her childhood with mom Kelly Cunningham, while her dad battled with drug addiction.
The actress’s father has also acknowledged the emotional cost of their estrangement. During a 2024 appearance on the podcast “Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum,” he reflected on what he considers the most difficult period of his life. “Probably the loss of relationship [sic] with my daughter,” he confessed.
While he stopped short of delving into specifics, his tone revealed a lingering sorrow. “There’s not a pain,” he explained, “there’s a sadness for the most likely misunderstanding we’ll have forever, because we’re human.”
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The actor has periodically revealed hints of his continued love for his daughter despite the emotional isolation that has characterized their relationship.
He posted a sweet old picture of her standing in front of him, reading assembly instructions for a toy he was attempting to put together, on Instagram the night before her 2023 birthday.
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“Very happiest of birthday eves to my precious daughter,” he wrote in the caption, before reflecting on the candid moment. “As you can see, I am clueless as to how to go about the task, as I am about many tasks & other things. But the love on my face, even in profile, for her is undeniable.”
He ended the heartfelt caption with a note of pride and enduring affection, “I knew she’d grow up to be all that and more. One of the rare things I was right about. I love you, Emma. Happy Birthday February 10 [sic].”
The Other Strained Connection: The Actor’s Complex Relationship with His Famous Sister
His connection with his A-list sister has been complicated and characterized by remoteness, much like the father’s relationship with his daughter. The siblings were formerly close, but it seems that celebrity, time, and personal hardships have caused them to become emotionally distant from one another.
Still, the actor hasn’t shied away from expressing his love and pride for her and his other sister, Lisa Roberts Gillan. In a 2018 interview with Vanity Fair, he opened up about their sibling relationships. “I wouldn’t characterize it as a falling-out. I was crazy about my sisters. Loved them, adored them,” he divulged.
“We all felt very protective of each other, but the hardest person to protect yourself from is yourself […] I was exhausting to be around […] Everyone in my world needed a break sometimes, and that must have included Julia,” he continued, referring to how his longtime drug use alienated him from the actress.
Nevertheless, when the star’s sister gave birth to twins with her husband in 2004, the siblings were able to turn things around. To deliver gifts, the actor visited the hospital with his spouse, Eliza Roberts.
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“Instead I was ushered into their room and was immediately awash in brotherly and uncle-ly love [sic],” he noted. Since then, the pair have enjoyed family holidays like Thanksgiving together and have become, as he put it, “e-mail buddies.”
However, his tone shifted slightly once asked about his daughter, as he credited himself for helping launch both hers and his sister’s careers. “If it wasn’t for me, there would be no Julia Roberts and no Emma Roberts as celebrities, as actresses, and I’m very proud of that,” he declared.
He went on to recall introducing her to the influential talent agency William Morris, long before “Mystic Pizza” would make her a household name. “And I am so proud that everybody knows I was first, because I was first by a long shot,” the actor added.
Despite his pride, he now speaks about his well-known sister and daughter with caution, if not caution. In 2024, when he appeared on “Still Here Hollywood with Steve Kmetko,” he spoke in a way that was both tender and tactful.
“I love my sister, but I can’t talk about her. She don’t want to talk about it. Also, my daughter told me also not to talk about her, but I stumble and do [sic],” he disclosed.
Still, even with that boundary, his admiration remains clear. “I am in love with my daughter’s work these days, like I can’t believe how great she’s become. I’m so proud of her, I can’t see straight,” he admitted, his voice tinged with sincerity and awe.
‘It’s So Much Fun!’: A Father Swoons, Even from Afar
The acclaimed actor is none other than Eric Roberts — a man whose name, like his career, has never been far from the spotlight. Even with the distance between him and Emma Roberts, Eric continues to beam with admiration when speaking about his daughter’s rise in the industry. “It’s so much fun! It’s so much fun for me,” he said, expressing how he feels watching his daughter succeed.
“She’s never had any training […] and it’s been lovely for me to watch her become an actor […] I love her work,” Eric added. When asked if he’d ever want to share the screen with her, he didn’t hesitate, expressing, “Are you kidding, [sic] I would love that. I’d also love my sister to play my sister.”
A Remorseful Eric Roberts Apologizes to His Family
Although Eric used to talk proudly about assisting his sister Julia Roberts and daughter start their careers, time and introspection have given him a more sympathetic and regretful view.
In his memoir, “Runaway Train: Or, The Story of My Life So Far,” the actor took responsibility for that past comment, writing, “I hope Julia will accept this public apology. It was an asinine thing to have said.”
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He also acknowledged the darker periods of his life, when his struggles with addiction damaged the very relationships he cherished most. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they suffered from PTSD from when it was dangerous to be around me,” he admitted.
The consequences of those years, he confessed, extended beyond his siblings. “Of course, the biggest consequence of my drug use was losing Emma,” Eric wrote of the custody battle that separated him from his daughter.
He claims that when Julia backed Emma’s mother, Kelly, at the time, which he now acknowledges was the proper choice, their relationship further soured.
With a tone of reconciliation, Eric reflected, “I imagine I will remain as Julia’s brother and Emma Roberts’ dad for the rest of my life. I’d like to make good on that, to move aside proudly and with grace. That’s part of the reason for writing the book.”
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One Love That Never Faltered
Eric’s marriage to Eliza is the one bond that has endured despite all the upheaval in his personal life. Their journey started out of the blue on a flight to Los Angeles on the MGM Grand. Casting director Eliza had made a last-minute reservation adjustment. Eric boarded the same plane with his cat, Tender, on his lap after returning from a shoot in Rome.
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The two sat next to each other and began a chat that soon became a bond. Eric jokingly remarked, “It was a chick magnet,” in reference to the cat. Although they had previously come close to working together, this fortuitous meeting sealed their doom.
Later that evening, Eric called Eliza. Her babysitter, recognizing the voice, told her, “You’re taking this call or I’m going to die.” That babysitter? A then-unknown Jeffrey Dean Morgan.
Eric’s life has been anchored by their marriage, which began as a fortuitous encounter on an airplane. Eliza has been credited by him over the years as both a companion and a mentor during his most trying times.
“I got a wife who comes from royalty — Hollywood royalty,” he boasted during a 2020 appearance on “The Ed Mylett Show,” referring to Eliza’s Emmy-winning lineage and deep understanding of the industry. “She gets every single bit of it.”
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But beyond their shared career paths, it was Eliza’s unwavering support that helped Eric face himself. “My wife sending me to therapy saved my life,” he admitted, revealing how that journey led him to confront the behavior and pain that once defined him — and ultimately, to rebuild.
‘Addicts Aren’t Bad Guys’: Eric Roberts Owns His Story, Scars and All
Eric has been more forthcoming in recent years about the demons he has faced and overcome. In a 2024 interview with “Today,” he discussed his protracted battle with addiction and said it was a universal and personal battle.
“The only way to be a good example is to get through being a casualty,” he said. “And it’s a bit of a trick, because we drug addicts are casualties, and we have to fight it every day.”
His journey, he admitted, cost him deeply — especially when it came to family. “For many years, I was a practicing drug addict. So, a lot of people were alienated, especially the family, and the family, I owe them a lot because I love them. I owe them a lot because they love me,” the actor stated.
Eric Roberts no longer tries to rewrite the past; instead, he owns it with clarity and compassion. “Addicts aren’t bad guys,” he noted. “They’re just making a mistake.”
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