Christian Slater facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Christian Slater
Slater in 2024
Born	Christian Michael Leonard Slater (1969-08-18) August 18, 1969 (age 55) New York City, U.S.
Occupation	Actor producer
Years active	1977–present
Spouse(s)	Ryan Haddon ​ ​ (m. 2000; div. 2007)​ Brittany Lopez ​ ​ (m. 2013)​
Children	4
Parent(s)	Michael Hawkins Mary Jo Slater

Christian Michael Leonard Slater (born August 18, 1969) is an American actor. He made his film debut with a leading role in The Legend of Billie Jean (1985) and gained wider recognition for his breakout role as Jason "J.D." Dean, a sociopathic high school student, in the satire Heathers (1988). He received critical acclaim for playing the title role in the USA Network television series Mr. Robot (2015–2019): it earned him the 2016 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film, and additional nominations for that award in 2017 and 2018. For his role as Mulgarath in fantasy series The Spiderwick Chronicles (2024-present), Slater received a nomination for the Children's and Family Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Performer.

In the 1990s, Slater starred in a number of big-budget films, including Young Guns II (1990), Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), Interview with the Vampire (1994), Broken Arrow (1996), and Hard Rain (1998) as well as cult films like Gleaming the Cube (1989), Pump Up the Volume (1990) and True Romance (1993). He has had roles in other notable films, including The Name of the Rose (1986), Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988), Windtalkers (2002), Alone in the Dark (2005), Bobby (2006), He Was a Quiet Man (2007), The Wife (2017), We Can Be Heroes (2020), and Blink Twice (2024).

In addition to his live-action roles, Slater has had an extensive voice-acting career, with roles including Pips in FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992), Slater in Archer (2014–2023), Ushari in The Lion Guard (2016–2019), Rand Ridley in Inside Job (2021–2022), and Floyd Lawton / Deadshot in the DC Animated Movie Universe.

Early life and education

Slater was born on August 18, 1969, in New York City, the son of Michael Hawkins (born Thomas Knight Slater), an actor also known as Michael Gainsborough; and Mary Jo Slater (née Lawton), an actors’ agent turned casting executive and producer. He has a maternal half-brother, Ryan Slater, who also became an actor. His great-uncle was radio personality Bill Slater.

He attended the Dalton School, the Professional Children's School and the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts.

Career

1977–1990: Early success

Slater started acting from an early age. His first television role was at the age of eight on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live. Following a run on Ryan's Hope, he made his Broadway debut as the lisping Winthrop Paroo opposite Dick Van Dyke in the 1980 revival of The Music Man. Additional Broadway credits include Copperfield, Merlin, Macbeth, Side Man, and The Glass Menagerie. In addition he has performed in London's West End in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Swimming with Sharks.

Slater made his big screen debut in 1985's The Legend of Billie Jean, playing Billie Jean's brother Binx. Though expected to be a big hit, the film fell short at the box office. It has gained a cult following. His career improved with his role in The Name of the Rose (1986) alongside Sean Connery. Slater followed this by playing Junior Tucker in Francis Ford Coppola's Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988).

At the age of 18, Slater played the dark character J.D. in the 1988 film Heathers alongside Winona Ryder. Heathers was billed as the teen film of 1989 (the year it was released in the United States). (It was later adapted as a musical in 2014, and was highly successful.) Slater beat out many other actors such as Brad Pitt for the part, and his performance drew comparison with a young Jack Nicholson. Slater also starred in Gleaming the Cube and appeared in Beyond the Stars (both 1989). After Heathers, Slater had offers to play more troubled youths, including as a rebellious teen in Pump Up the Volume (1990) and a wild gunman in Young Guns II (1990), in which Slater acted alongside Emilio Estevez and Kiefer Sutherland.

1991–1999: Box office success

In 1991, Slater was cast as Will Scarlett in the Hollywood big budget production of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves alongside Kevin Costner, Morgan Freeman and Alan Rickman. The film was a commercial success, taking US$390 million worldwide, and Slater became one of the major A-list stars of the 1990s. With Slater being a big Star Trek fan (in addition to his mother, Mary Jo Slater, serving as the casting director for the film), he accepted a cameo role in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, shortly after playing Charlie Luciano in the crime drama Mobsters. The following year he expanded his film genre and starred in the comedy Kuffs opposite Milla Jovovich. In 1993, Slater again stretched his acting skills, playing opposite Marisa Tomei in Untamed Heart and playing Clarence Worley in True Romance, written by Quentin Tarantino, which received many rave reviews. In his review of True Romance, Roger Ebert awarded the movie 3 stars out of 4 and said, "the energy and style of the movie are exhilarating. Christian Slater has the kind of cocky recklessness the movie needs."

He gained the role of the interviewer Daniel Molloy in Interview with the Vampire (1994) after the death of his friend River Phoenix, who was originally cast. Slater subsequently donated his earnings from the film to Phoenix's favorite charities. He played the character of Lewis in the romance film Bed of Roses in 1996 opposite Mary Stuart Masterson then that of Riley Hale in the big-budget John Woo film Broken Arrow (1996), which also starred John Travolta. In 1998 Slater appeared in crime movie Hard Rain alongside Morgan Freeman. The same year he also starred in the dark comedy Very Bad Things opposite Cameron Diaz.

2000–present: Television roles, Mr. Robot

Slater in 2004

Since 2000 Slater has mixed TV work with leading roles in mainly lower budget films, along with supporting roles in a few mainstream productions. He appeared in the successful The West Wing and Alias TV series. He was also part of Hollywood films, including Bobby and 3000 Miles to Graceland. He has also worked as a voice-over artist in productions, including the character of 'Pips' in the successful Australian animated film FernGully: The Last Rainforest, The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, and TV documentaries, including Prehistoric Planet and Dinosaur Planet. Slater also voiced the character John Watson a.k.a. "Wonko the Sane" in BBC Radio 4's production of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Slater starred in the television series My Own Worst Enemy in 2008 and The Forgotten in 2009. In 2011 he co-starred in the action film The River Murders, with Ray Liotta and Ving Rhames. Also in 2011, he starred in the television series, Breaking In, which ran for two seasons. Slater co-starred with Ving Rhames in the film Soldiers of Fortune (2012), and in the Sylvester Stallone action thriller Bullet to the Head (2013), directed by Walter Hill. He co-starred in the 2014 television series, Mind Games, which was cancelled after five episodes were aired.

In October 2014, Slater signed on for his title role in the television series on USA Network Mr. Robot. Slater plays a computer hacker, "Mr. Robot," who recruits Rami Malek's character, Elliot, into Slater's band of hackers called fsociety. The series premiered on June 24, 2015, and concluded in 2019 with its fourth season. For his performance, he earned the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film in 2016, with additional nominations in 2017 and 2018.

Prior to beginning his role in Mr. Robot, Slater announced in 2013 that he was developing and making a film based on Will Viharo's 1993 neo-noir novel Love Stories Are Too Violent for Me, the first of three works to feature Vic Valentine. However, the success of Mr. Robot and contracts for additional seasons has delayed his being able to develop his adaptation.

Slater voices the character "Slater" on the FX original series Archer. He also provided the voice of Ushari the Egyptian Cobra in The Lion Guard. He also made a short film for HP called The Wolf, which shows how easily malware can spread on unprotected printers and computers. In 2018, Christian Slater appeared in The Public, the latest film by Emilio Estevez. At the world premiere of the film at the Toronto Film Festival, Slater discussed his role, Josh Davis, with Ikon London Magazine:

"He (Josh Davis) is definitely the character in the movie who represents that side of politics where he is not as open-hearted as you'd like him to be. He is definitely the guy who feels this is all a mess. And he is a law and order politician in this movie. So hopefully, he is the kind of guy you love to hate".

From 2021 to 2022, he voiced the character Rand Ridley on the adult sci-fi animated sitcom Inside Job. The show's creator announced the cancellation of the show in January 2023.

Personal life

In 2000, Slater married Ryan Haddon, the daughter of model Dayle Haddon. They have two children, a son, Jaden Christopher, born in 1999, and a daughter, Eliana Sophia, born in 2001. They announced their separation over Christmas in 2004. Slater was living in London at the time, performing in a stage version of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. The couple officially separated in 2005 and divorced in 2007.

On December 2, 2013, Slater married Brittany Lopez in Florida after three years of dating. They have a daughter together, born in August 2019, and a son, born in July 2024.

Slater practices Kempo Karate and divides his time between Coconut Grove in Miami, Florida and Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan.

Philanthropy

Slater has been a supporter of several charities, including 21st Century Leaders, Global Green, and Whatever It Takes. Slater appeared in an educational video on behalf of Nelson Mandela’s 46664 charity for AIDS awareness. He has also worked to promote humanitarian work in South Africa. In early May 2009, Slater visited wounded and recovering soldiers of Walter Reed Army Medical Center for the USO. On December 10, 2009, Slater visited Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where he contributed work for the television show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The episode aired on March 21, 2010.

Selected filmography

Slater speaking at the Mr. Robot panel during the 2015 PaleyFest

Film

Key

Denotes films that have not yet been released

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1981	Standing Room Only	Billy	Episode: "Sherlock Holmes"
1982	Pardon Me for Living	Virgil Meade	Television film
1983	ABC Weekend Special	Billy	Episode: "The Haunted Mansion Mystery"
	Living Proof: The Hank Williams Jr. Story	Walt Willey	Television film
1984	Tales from the Darkside	Jody Tolliver	Episode: "A Case of the Stubborns"
1984, 1986	All My Children	Scotty, Caleb Thompson
1985	Ryan's Hope	D. J. LaSalle	6 episodes
1986	Crime Story	Teen Boy	Episode: "Old Friends, Dead Ends"
	The Equalizer	Michael Winslow	Episode: "Joy Ride"
1988	L.A. Law	Andy Prescott	Episode: "Fetus Completus"
1991, 1993	Saturday Night Live	Himself (host)	2 episodes
1992	Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories	Himself (narrator)	Episode: There's a Nightmare in My Closet/There's an Alligator Under My Bed/There's Something in My Attic
1993	1993 MTV Video Music Awards	Himself (host)	Television special
2002	Alias	Neil Caplan	2 episodes
	The West Wing	Lt. Cmdr. Jack Reese	3 episodes
	Great Books	Narrator	Episode: "Inferno"
2002–2003	Prehistoric Planet	Narrator	Season 2
2003	Dinosaur Planet	Narrator	4 episodes
2003–2005	Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius, TheThe Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius	Jet Fusion (voice)	2 episodes
2004	Top Gear	Himself	1 episode
2005–2012	Robot Chicken	Various voices	6 episodes
2006	Odd Job Jack	Agent Brody	Episode: "29.5"
	My Name Is Earl	Woody	1 episode
2008	My Own Worst Enemy	Edward Albright / Henry Spivey	9 episodes
2009	The Forgotten	Alex Donovan	17 episodes
	Curb Your Enthusiasm	Christian Slater	Episode: "The Hot Towel"
2010	The Office	Christian Slater	Episode: "Sabre"
2011	Entourage	Christian Slater	Episode: "Out with a Bang"
2011–2012	Breaking In	Oz	20 episodes; also producer
2012	Phineas and Ferb	Paul the Delivery Guy (voice)	Episode: "Delivery of Destiny"
2013	Out There	Johnny Slade (voice)	Episode: "Springoween"
2014	Mind Games	Ross Edwards	10 episodes
	Stan Lee's Mighty 7: Beginnings	Lazer Lord (voice)	TV film
2014–2016, 2022-2023	Archer	Slater (voice)	13 episodes
2015	Two and a Half Men	Christian Slater	Episode: "Of Course He's Dead"
	Jake and the Never Land Pirates	The Grim Buccaneer (voice)	2 episodes
2015–2019	Mr. Robot	Mr. Robot	45 episodes; also producer
2016–2017	Dawn of the Croods	Gurg (voice)	3 Episodes "
	Live with Kelly	Himself (guest host)	13 episodes
2016–2019	The Lion Guard	Ushari (voice)	13 episodes
	Milo Murphy's Law	Elliot Decker (voice)	14 episodes
2017	Jeff & Some Aliens	Zergrees	2 episodes
	Justice League Action	Deadshot (voice)	3 episodes
	Rick and Morty	Vance Maximus (voice)	Episode: "Vindicators 3: The Return of Worldender"
2018	Explained	Narrator (voice)	Episode: "Cryptocurrency"
2020	Dirty John	Dan Broderick	8 episodes
	Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?	Christian Slater (voice)	Episode: "The High School Wolfman's Musical Lament!"
2021	Dr. Death	Dr. Randall Kirby	8 episodes
	Lego Star Wars: Terrifying Tales	Ren (voice)	Television short
2021–2022	Inside Job	Rand Ridley (voice)	18 episodes
2022	The Boys Presents: Diabolical	The Narrator: Paul (voice)	1 episode
	Willow	Allagash	Episode: "Prisoners of Skellin"
	Fleishman Is in Trouble	Archer Sylvan	3 episodes
2024–present	The Spiderwick Chronicles	Mulgarath
2024	Dexter: Original Sin	Harry Morgan	Main Role
TBA	Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas	Torrance (voice)	Post-production

Key

Denotes television series that have not yet been released

Stage

Selected awards and nominations

Slater at the 64th Berlin International Film Festival in 2014

See also

In Spanish: Christian Slater para niños