The Story of Eric Roberts, the “Hardest-Working Man in Hollywood” Who’s Starred in 400+ Movies and Shows

Eric Roberts entered the world of cinema in 1978 when he starred in his first big movie, King of the Gypsies, and since then he has taken part in more than 400 movies and TV shows. Vanity Fair magazine called Roberts “the hardest-working man in Hollywood” and it looks like he’s really doing his best to stay on top and keep his fans happy with his unforgettable roles and brilliant acting chops.

Here at Bright Side, we’ve looked at the story of Eric Roberts and his success, and here are the milestones of his 4-decade-long Hollywood journey.

Early life in his family of actors and his first big roles on screen

Eric Roberts was born on April 18, 1956, in Biloxi, Mississippi, to parents Betty Lou Bredemus and Walter Grady Roberts, former actors and playwrights. Roberts’ parents ran an acting school for children in Georgia, and in 1963, they co-founded the Atlanta Actors and Writers Workshop there. Eric Roberts has 2 younger sisters, Julia Roberts and Lisa Roberts Gillan, who are also actors. In 1972, Roberts’ parents got divorced, and he stayed with his father in Atlanta, apart from his sisters.

Roberts’ first big role in a movie was in King of the Gypsies in 1978, for which he received a Golden Globe Award nomination. Other significant early roles of Roberts’ include those in Paul’s Case (1980), Raggedy Man (1981), Star 80 (1983), The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984), Runaway Train (1985), Nobody’s Fool (1986), and Best of the Best (1989). At the beginning of his career, Roberts also starred in TV shows like Another World (1977), Miss Lonelyhearts (1983), Slow Burn (1986), and more.

A brilliant acting career with more than 400 roles in movies and shows

As time went by, Roberts landed role after role, which eventually turned into hundreds of appearances both on the big screen and on TV. No matter what your movie preferences are, you’re likely to find something Roberts has been in, simply because there are so many of them, and because they’re so diverse. We saw the actor on the big screen in hits like Final Analysis (1992), The Specialist (1994), The Dark Knight (2008), Deadline (2012), Starcrossed (2014), Papa (2018), Night Walk (2019), and many others. Are there any roles this guy can’t play?

The list of TV shows that Eric Roberts has starred in is quite extensive as well. In 1996, he appeared in Doctor Who, and from the year 2002 to 2005 we enjoyed Roberts’ role in Less Than Perfect. Then, from 2010 to 2011, we watched him play Vance Abrams in The Young and Restless. He also appeared in many other shows, even if it was just in a few episodes. The Odyssey, CSI: Miami, Entourage, Suits, Scorpion, and Grey’s Anatomy are just a few TV shows where you could see Eric Roberts — and we hope you didn’t miss any of them.

The list of Roberts’ works seem endless, and all his movies and shows together make up for more than 400 roles. But it’s not just movies and TV shows that make Eric Roberts one of the busiest celebrities. He’s also been the star of many music videos, like Mr. Brightside by The Killers, Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart by Chris Cornell, and hits It’s Like That and We Belong Together by Mariah Carey — just to name a few.

Eliza Roberts, wife and supporter

The actor and Eliza got married in 1992 and since then, she’s not only served as his wife, but as his friend and his manager as well. Eric Roberts was always happy to work devotedly, and Eliza made sure he took part in every project he could. Eliza recollects that once he even starred in a house commercial, pretending to live there with his “fake” family. It looks like doing so much work made the actor happy. “And so suddenly, it’s like 250 movies, and I realize, I went from being a joke that’ll do anything to being ‘Is there anything he can’t do?’” the actor said.

Eric Roberts today

After 4 decades of acting, Roberts is still one of the busiest actors in Hollywood who’s starring in multiple projects and is still enthusiastic about his profession. In one of his recent interviews, Roberts credited his wife, Eliza, for his rich acting career, saying that she “runs the show” getting him so many amazing roles. It’s interesting that the couple mentioned their working together as one of the secrets to their long and happy marriage.

We look forward to seeing Eric Roberts in new movies and shows and we hope he keeps pleasing our eyes and ears with his marvelous acting for many more years to come.

Which movies and shows with Eric Roberts have you watched? Which of his roles are your favorite and why?