Eric Stoltz Biography

Date of Birth: September 30, 1961

There's not a lot that Eric Stoltz wants you to know about his life. Born in Los Angeles and raised in American Samoa and Santa Barbara, he attended the University of Southern California and dropped out in his junior year. Moving to New York in 1981, he studied acting with Stella Adler and was nominated for a Tony for his Broadway debut in Our Town. He appeared in three TV films before his feature debut in the cult teen classic Fast Times at Ridgemount High, and garnered much attention for his role as the disfigured Rocky Dennis in Mask (1985), earning him a Golden Globe nomination. However, just as it looked like his career was taking off to unbelievable heights, it took a serious downswing when he was hired to play Marty McFly in Back to the Future (1985), then fired after several weeks of filming and replaced by Michael J. Fox.

In the 1990s Stoltz went back and forth from stage to film, building up an eclectic résumé that included studio films (Pulp Fiction (1994), independent films (The Waterdance(1992), and films that he himself produced (Mr. Jealousy (1997). He also continued to appear on the New York Stage both on Broadway (Three Sisters, Two Shakespearean Actors) and off-Broadway (The Importance of Being Ernest, The Glass Menagerie). He worked in television as well, doing a recurring role as Helen Hunt's ex on Mad About You (1992), a year on Chicago Hope (1994) and the Showtime min-series Out of Order (2003).

He continues to work in both independent films and major studio releases, including The House of Mirth (2000) opposite Gillian Anderson, The Rules of Attraction (2002), The Butterfly Effect (2004) and The Honeymooners (2005).

Stoltz, a vegetarian, lives in New Mexico.

Filmography :

The Honeymooners (2005)
Childstar (2004)
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)
The Simian Line (2000)
A Murder of Crows (1999)
The Passion of Ayn Rand (1999)
Hi-Life (1998)
Mr. Jealousy (1997)
Anaconda (1997)
2 Days in the Valley (1996)
Grace of My Heart (1996)
Inside (1996)
Keys To Tulsa (1996)
Kicking and Screaming (1995)
The Prophecy (1995)
Rob Roy (1995)
Fluke (1994)
Killing Zoe (1994)
Little Women (1994)
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Sleep with Me (1994)
Bodies, Rest & Motion (1993)
Naked in New York (1993)
Singles (1992)
Waterdance (1992)
Memphis Belle (1990)
Money (1990)
The Fly II (1989)
Manifesto (1989)
Haunted Summer (1988)
Lionheart (1987)
Sister, Sister (1987)
Some Kind of Wonderful (1987)
Code Name: Emerald (1985)
Mask (1985)
The New Kids (1985)
Running Hot (1984)
Surf II (1984)
The Wild Life (1984)
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)