ERIC STOLTZ

'Eric Stoltz' (born September 30, 1961) is a Golden Globe-nominated American actor. He has appeared in movies such as ''Fast Times at Ridgemont High'', ''Mask'', ''Some Kind of Wonderful'', ''Memphis Belle'', ''Rob Roy'', ''Little Women'', ''The Waterdance'', ''Pulp Fiction'', ''Kicking and Screaming'', ''The Rules of Attraction'', and ''The House of Mirth''.
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'').

Contents

Early Life

Career

Early career

Moderate Success

After the Ninties

Personal life

Filmography

External links

Early Life

Stoltz was born in Whittier, California, to Evelyn B. Stoltz (who died in 1994) and Jack Stoltz, both teachers. He has two older sisters, Catherine Stoltz (1954) and Susan R. Stoltz (1957).^[1] 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) where used in the film. ^[2]

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 Ninties

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. ^[3]
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

★ ''Dragster'' (2008)

★ ''Howl'' (2008)

★ ''The Lather Effect'' (2006)

★ ''The Honeymooners'' (2006)

★ ''The Triangle'' (2005)

★ ''The Butterfly Effect'' (2004)

★ ''When Zachary Beaver Came to Town'' (2003)

★ ''Happy Hour'' (2003)

★ ''The Rules of Attraction'' (2002)

★ ''Harvard Man'' (2001)

★ ''Things Behind the Sun'' (2001)

★ ''It's a Shame About Ray'' (2000)

★ ''Common Ground'' (2000)

★ ''Jesus & Hutch'' (2000)

★ ''The House of Mirth'' (2000)

★ ''The Simian Line'' (2000)

★ ''The Passion of Ayn Rand'' (1999)

★ ''Hi-Life'' (1998)

★ ''Highball'' (1997)

★ ''The Rocking Horse Winner'' (1997)

★ ''Mr. Jealousy'' (1997)

★ ''Anaconda'' (1997)

★ ''Keys to Tulsa'' (1997)

★ ''Jerry Maguire'' (1996)

★ ''2 Days in the Valley'' (1996)

★ ''Grace of My Heart'' (1996)

★ ''Don't Look Back'' (1996)

★ ''Kicking and Screaming'' (1995)

★ ''The Prophecy'' (1995)

★ ''Fluke'' (1995)

★ ''Rob Roy'' (1995)

★ ''Little Women'' (1994 version)

★ ''Pulp Fiction'' (1994)

★ ''Sleep with Me'' (1994)

★ ''Killing Zoe'' (1994)

★ ''Naked in New York'' (1993)

★ ''Bodies, Rest & Motion'' (1993)

★ ''Singles'' (1992)

★ ''The Waterdance'' (1992)

★ ''Money'' (1991)

★ ''Memphis Belle'' (1990)

★ ''Say Anything'' (1989)

★ ''The Fly II'' (1989)

★ ''Haunted Summer'' (1988)

★ ''Manifesto'' (1988)

★ ''Lionheart'' (1987)

★ ''Sister, Sister'' (1987)

★ ''Some Kind of Wonderful'' (1987)

★ '' (1985)

★ ''The New Kids'' (1985)

★ ''Mask'' (1985)

★ ''Running Hot'' (1984)

★ ''Surf II'' (1984)

★ ''The Wild Life'' (1984)

★ ''Fast Times at Ridgemont High'' (1982)

External links

★

★

★ Eric Stoltz interview at www.sci-fi-online.com

★ Eric Stoltz interview

★ Fan Site with a complete list of his works