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Revision as of 15:52, 14 December 2007
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Eric H. Stoltz (born September 30, 1961) is a Golden Globe-nominated American actor. He is known for playing either sensitive misfits (Mask, Kicking and Screaming, The Waterdance) or sociopathic criminals with a cowardly or nice side (Pulp Fiction, Killing Zoe). Stoltz has also appeared in the movies Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Some Kind of Wonderful, Memphis Belle, Rob Roy, Little Women, The Rules of Attraction, and The House of Mirth.
Early life
Stoltz was born in Whittier, California, the son of Evelyn B. (née Vawter), a violinist and schoolteacher who died in 1994, and Jack Stoltz, an elementary school teacher. He has two older sisters, Catherine Stoltz (1954) and Susan R. Stoltz (1957). Eric was raised in both American Samoa and Santa Barbara, California, where, by the age of 14, he was earning money by playing piano for the local musical theater productions. He attended the University of Southern California, where he dropped out in his Junior year.
Career
Early career
In the 1970s, Stoltz joined a repertory company that did 10 plays at the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland, UK. He returned to the states in 1981 where he studied with Stella Adler and Peggy Feury in New York, and soon appeared in his first film, Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982). Originally cast as Marty McFly in Back to the Future (1985), he was replaced after eight weeks of filming, when Michael J. Fox (the director's first choice for the role) agreed to divide time between the movie and his television sitcom, Family Ties. The director, Robert Zemeckis, has said that while Stoltz provided an admirable performance, it lacked the humorous feel that Zemeckis was looking for. Some of the original footage (shots where Stoltz doesn't appear, but was on set) was used in the film.
Moderate success
In the 1980s, he garnered attention (and a Golden Globe nomination) starring as Rocky Dennis in Mask (1985), and in John Hughes's Some Kind of Wonderful (1987).
During the 1990s, he went back and forth from stage to film to TV, building up an eclectic résumé that includes both studio films like Pulp Fiction (1994) and independent films like Sundance Festival Winner, The Waterdance (1992). He was also a production assistant on Say Anything and Singles, and has produced the films Bodies, Rest & Motion in 1993, Sleep with Me in 1994, and Mr. Jealousy in 1997. He also continued to appear on the New York stage both on Broadway (Three Sisters, Two Shakespearean Actors, Arms and the Man) and off-Broadway (The Importance of Being Ernest, The Glass Menagerie, Sly Fox and Our Town. He was nominated for a Tony Award for the latter performance.).
On television, he had a recurring role as Helen Hunt's ex-boyfriend on Mad About You (5 episodes, 1994-1998), he also spent a year on Chicago Hope (1994) and did some TV and cable movies, such as Inside (1996) (TV) (directed by Arthur Penn) and The Passion of Ayn Rand (1999) (with Helen Mirren).
Stoltz received the Indie Support Award at the 1998 Los Angeles Film Festival.
After the 1990s
During the first part of the 2000s, he starred with Gillian Anderson, The House of Mirth (2000); based on the novel by Edith Wharton. From 2001 to 2002, he had a recurring role as the English teacher-poet, August Dimitri, in ABC's Once and Again, where Julia Whelan 's character (a teenager) fell in love with him. He directed an episode of the show in 2002.
In 2003, he got his first leading role in the TV show, Out of Order, which was cancelled after five episodes. In 2004, he starred as a pedophile father in The Butterfly Effect with Ashton Kutcher; the following year, he guest-starred in the NBC sitcom, Will & Grace, as Debra Messing's love interest.
He was nominated for a daytime Emmy for his direction of the cable movie My Horrible Year (2001). He has also directed a short film entitled The Bulls, as well as the highest rated episode of Law & Order in 2005, entitled "Tombstone". (This was the episode where Det. Green (Jesse L. Martin) was shot and hospitalized.)
He has contributed essays to the books City Secrets—New York as well as Life Interrupted by Spalding Gray, and appears on the children's CD, Philadelphia Chickens.
Personal life
Stoltz is a vegetarian and member of the Actors Studio. He lived with actress Ally Sheedy (whom he met in college) sometime before 1983, then with actress Jennifer Jason Leigh from 1985-1989 and with Bridget Fonda from 1990-1998. He currently lives in New Mexico.
Director Cameron Crowe promised Stoltz a role, however small, in every film he makes. For example, in Singles (1992) he appears for no longer than a minute as a mime. Almost Famous is Crowe's only film where Stoltz doesn't do a cameo, however the actor's name does appear briefly on a billboard.
Filmography
References
- Yahoo!Moves - Eric Stoltz Retrieved on November 23-2007.
- Film Reference - Eric Stoltz] Retrieved on November 23-2007.
- http://vawterfamily.org/Archives/Summer85.pdf
- E!Online - Eric Sotltz profile Retrieved on November 23-2007.
- BACK TO THE FUTURE™ -- FOR REAL! Retrieved on November 23-2007.
External links
- Eric Stoltz at IMDb
- Template:Tvtome person
- Eric Stoltz interview at www.sci-fi-online.com
- Eric Stoltz interview
- Fan Site with a complete list of his works