Eli Roth facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Eli Roth
Roth in 2009
Born	Eli Raphael Roth (1972-04-18) April 18, 1972 (age 53) Newton, Massachusetts, U.S.
Alma mater	New York University
Occupation	Film director screenwriter producer actor
Years active	1996–present
Spouse(s)	Lorenza Izzo ​ ​ (m. 2014; div. 2019)​
Children	1

Eli Raphael Roth (born April 18, 1972) is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, and actor. He is well-known for directing horror films. Some of his famous horror movies include Cabin Fever (2002) and Hostel (2005).

Eli Roth has also directed other types of movies. These include the action film Death Wish (2018) and the fantasy movie The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018). As an actor, Roth played Donny "The Bear Jew" Donowitz in Quentin Tarantino's war film Inglourious Basterds (2009). For this role, he won a Critic's Choice Movie Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award with the other actors in the film.

Early Life and First Films

Eli Roth was born in Newton, Massachusetts. He was the middle of three sons. His father was a psychiatrist, and his mother was a painter. His family came from different parts of Europe, including Austria and Poland. Besides English, Eli can speak French, Italian, and some Russian.

Roth started making films when he was eight years old. He was inspired after watching the movie Alien (1979). He and his brothers made over 100 short films together. After high school, he went to film school at New York University.

While in college, Roth wrote and directed a student film called Restaurant Dogs. This film was nominated for a Student Academy Award in 1995. He also worked as an assistant for Howard Stern's film Private Parts. He would work on his own scripts at night.

When he moved to Los Angeles, actress Camryn Manheim helped him get one of his first jobs. He was an extra on the TV show The Practice. He would work on his scripts in her dressing room while she filmed.

Building a Film Career

In 1999, Eli Roth moved to Los Angeles. He created a series of animated shorts called Chowdaheads. These were meant to be shown during wrestling matches, but they were never broadcast. He also worked on stop-motion shorts called The Rotten Fruit.

Roth co-wrote his first major film, Cabin Fever, with his college roommate Randy Pearlstein. The idea came from Roth's own experience with a skin infection he got in Iceland in 1991. The movie was made for $1.5 million. It was sold for $3.5 million at the 2002 Toronto International Film Festival. When it was released in 2003, Cabin Fever earned $35 million worldwide. This made Roth a well-known name in the horror film world.

Directing Hostel and Thanksgiving

In 2005, Roth directed his second big movie, Hostel. It cost just over $4 million to make. The film was a big success, earning $80 million worldwide at the box office. It also made over $180 million from DVD sales. Empire Magazine readers voted Hostel the Best Horror Film of 2007.

In 2007, Roth directed a fake movie trailer called Thanksgiving. This trailer was part of the film Grindhouse. He also appeared as an actor in Death Proof, which was Quentin Tarantino's part of Grindhouse. Roth and his co-writer won an award for their work on Grindhouse. In 2023, Roth released a full-length movie based on his Thanksgiving trailer.

He also directed Hostel: Part II, which came out in 2007. This movie earned $35 million in theaters worldwide. It was nominated for six Spike TV Scream Awards.

Other Projects and Acting Roles

Eli Roth has produced many other horror films. These include The Last Exorcism (2010) and Clown (2014). He also directed Knock Knock (2015), starring Keanu Reeves.

In 2018, Roth directed The House with a Clock in Its Walls. This was his first movie rated PG, meaning it was suitable for younger audiences. It became his highest-earning film in the U.S. In 2024, he wrote and directed a movie based on the Borderlands video games.

Roth has also appeared in many films as an actor. His most famous role is Donny "The Bear Jew" Donowitz in Inglourious Basterds (2009). He also had small roles in films like Piranha 3D (2010) and Rock of Ages (2012).

He has hosted and produced TV shows like Shark After Dark on Discovery Channel. He also helped create the TV show Fright Krewe for DreamWorks.

Personal Life

Eli Roth married Chilean actress and model Lorenza Izzo in November 2014. They got married on a beach in Zapallar, Chile. They announced their separation in July 2018, and their divorce was finalized in August 2019. In 2023, he shared that he had remarried.

Filmography

Film

Television

Acting roles

Images for kids

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  Eli Roth at the Spike TV Scream Awards in 2007.

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  Eli Roth with Ruggero Deodato in Rome (2006).

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  Eli Roth at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival in 2010.

See also

In Spanish: Eli Roth para niños