Eric Stoltz facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Eric Stoltz
Eric Stoltz in April 2009
Born	Eric Cameron Stoltz (1961-09-30) September 30, 1961 (age 63) Whittier, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor director producer
Years active	1978–present

Eric Stoltz (born September 30, 1961) is an American actor, director, and producer. He is known for playing interesting characters in many movies and TV shows.

One of his most famous roles was Rocky Dennis in the movie Mask (1985). For this role, he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.

Eric Stoltz has appeared in many different types of films. These include popular movies like Some Kind of Wonderful and independent films such as Pulp Fiction. He was also nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male for his work in Pulp Fiction. More recently, he played Daniel Graystone in the science fiction TV series Caprica (2010). He also became a regular director for the popular TV show Glee.

Eric Stoltz's Early Life

Eric Stoltz was born in Whittier, California. His mother, Evelyn, was a violinist and a schoolteacher. His father, Jack Stoltz, was an elementary school teacher. Eric has two sisters.

He grew up in both American Samoa and Santa Barbara, California. Eric went to the University of Southern California but left before finishing his degree. In 1981, he moved to New York to study acting with famous teachers like Stella Adler.

His Journey in Acting

In the 1970s, Eric Stoltz joined a theater group. They performed ten plays at the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland. He came back to the United States in 1979. He started studying drama at USC but soon left to focus on acting in movies and TV.

Early Roles and Friendships

In 1978, Eric got a part in a TV movie called The Grass Is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank. He became friends with director Cameron Crowe after appearing in Crowe's first movie, Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982). Eric had a small role in that film. Cameron Crowe even promised Eric parts in all his future movies!

Eric Stoltz appeared in four more of Cameron Crowe's films. These included The Wild Life (1984), Say Anything... (1989), Singles (1992), and Jerry Maguire (1996).

Big Movie Moments

In 1985, Eric Stoltz earned a Golden Globe nomination for his main role as Rocky Dennis in Mask. In the 1980s, he also appeared in the 1987 film Some Kind of Wonderful, which was written and produced by John Hughes.

Did you know Eric Stoltz was first chosen to play Marty McFly in Back to the Future? He started filming, but his ideas for the character were different from the director's, Robert Zemeckis. The movie was meant to be a funny sci-fi adventure. However, Eric saw it as more serious. After five weeks of filming, Michael J. Fox took over the role.

In 1989, Eric Stoltz starred as the main character in the movie The Fly II. This film was a success, earning about $38.9 million around the world.

Working on Stage and Screen

Throughout the 1990s, Eric Stoltz worked in theater, movies, and television. He appeared in big studio films and independent movies. Some of these include The Waterdance (1992), Pulp Fiction (1994), and Anaconda (1997).

He also produced films like Bodies, Rest & Motion (1993) and Mr. Jealousy (1997).

Eric continued to perform on stage in New York. He acted in plays on Broadway, like Our Town. He was even nominated for a Tony Award for his role as George Gibbs in Our Town in 1989. This performance was shown on TV and received an Emmy nomination.

On television, he had a recurring role as Helen Hunt's character's ex-boyfriend on Mad About You. He also spent a year on the show Chicago Hope. In 1998, he received the Indie Supporter Award at the Los Angeles Film Festival.

Recent Work in Film and TV

In the early 2000s, Eric Stoltz starred with Gillian Anderson in The House of Mirth (2000). From 2001 to 2002, he played an English teacher named August Dimitri in the TV show Once and Again. He even directed an episode of that show in 2002.

In 2004, he appeared in The Butterfly Effect. The next year, he was a guest star on the TV show Will & Grace. He was nominated for a Daytime Emmy for directing the TV movie My Horrible Year! (2001). He also directed a short film and a popular episode of Law & Order in 2005.

Starting in 2007, Eric Stoltz began directing episodes of the show Quarterlife. He also acted in three episodes of Grey's Anatomy and directed two episodes of that show.

Eric Stoltz starred as Daniel Graystone in the science fiction TV series Caprica. This show was a prequel to the Battlestar Galactica series. He also became a regular director for the TV series Glee. He directed 12 episodes, including "Nationals," where the Glee club finally won the championship.

In 2011, Eric Stoltz was in the movie Fort McCoy. He received praise for his role as a barber of German heritage.

From 2014, Eric Stoltz became a producing director for the CBS political drama Madam Secretary. The next year, he became one of its executive producers. He directed more than 10 episodes and also acted in several episodes as the main character's brother, Will Adams.

Personal Life

Eric Stoltz dated Bridget Fonda for eight years, starting in 1990. The relationship ended after that time.

Eric Stoltz is a vegetarian.

Selected Filmography

Movies He Acted In

TV Shows He Acted In

TV Shows He Directed

He has also directed many shows on The Learning Channel (TLC).

Movies He Produced

TV Shows He Produced