Aaron Eckhart
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Aaron Edward Eckhart (born March 12, 1968) is an American actor. Born in Cupertino, California, Eckhart moved to the United Kingdom at an early age. He began his acting career by performing in school plays, before moving to Australia for his high school senior year. He left high school without graduating, but earned a diploma through a professional education course, and then graduated from Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah, in 1994 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in film.
As an undergraduate at BYU, Eckhart met director and writer Neil LaBute, who cast Eckhart in several of LaBute's original plays. Five years later Eckhart made a debut as an unctuous, sociopathic womanizer in LaBute's black comedy film In the Company of Men (1997), followed by appearances in three more of the director's films.
Eckhart gained wide recognition as George in Erin Brockovich (2000), and, in 2006, he received a Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal of Nick Naylor in Thank You for Smoking. In 2008 he played a major role in Christopher Nolan's blockbuster Batman film The Dark Knight as District Attorney Harvey Dent / Two-Face.
He went on to appear in Love Happens, Rabbit Hole, Battle: Los Angeles, The Rum Diary, Olympus Has Fallen and its sequel, I, Frankenstein, Sully, and Midway.
Early lifeEdit
Eckhart was born on March 12, 1968<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> in Cupertino, California, the son of Mary Martha Lawrence, a writer, artist, and poet, and James Conrad Eckhart, a computer executive.<ref name="age">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="guard"/> He is the youngest of three brothers.<ref name="guard">Template:Cite news</ref> His father is of German-Russian descent, while his mother has English, German, Scots-Irish, and Scottish ancestry.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He was raised as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and served a two-year mission in France and Switzerland.<ref name="ref1">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Eckhart's family relocated to the United Kingdom in 1981,<ref name="age"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref> following his father's job in information technology.<ref name="electric"/> During their time in the United Kingdom, the family moved around Surrey, England, living in towns such as Cobham,<ref name="electric" /> Ripley, and Walton-on-Thames.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Eckhart attended American Community School,<ref name="electric">Template:Cite news</ref> where he was first introduced to acting, starring in a school production as Charlie Brown.<ref name="crazy career">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="js">Template:Cite journal</ref>
In 1985, Eckhart moved to Australia and settled in Sydney, where he attended American International School of Sydney for his high school senior year; he further developed his acting skills in productions like Waiting for Godot, where he admits that he gave a "terrible" performance.<ref name="menu">Template:Cite news</ref> In the autumn of his senior year,<ref name="guard"/> Eckhart left school to take a job at the Warringah Mall movie theater.<ref name="ls"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He eventually earned his diploma through a professional education course.<ref name="SFG">Template:Cite news</ref> This also allowed Eckhart time to enjoy a year of surfing in Hawaii and France, as well as skiing in the Alps.<ref name="age"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 1988, Eckhart returned to the United States and enrolled as a film major at Brigham Young University–Hawaii,<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> but later transferred to Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah.<ref name="age"/> He graduated in 1994 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.<ref name="ls">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="tribute">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He also studied acting at the William Esper Studio.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
CareerEdit
Early workEdit
While at Brigham Young University,<ref name="wall"/> Eckhart appeared in the Mormon-themed film Godly Sorrow, and the role marked his professional debut. At this time he met director/writer Neil LaBute,<ref name="wall"/> who cast Eckhart in several of LaBute's original plays.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After graduating from BYU, Eckhart moved to New York City, acquired an agent, and took various occasional jobs, including bartending, bus driving, and construction work.<ref name="js"/> His first television roles were in commercials. In 1994, he appeared as an extra on the television drama series Beverly Hills, 90210.<ref name="js"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Eckhart followed this small part with roles in documentary re-enactments (Ancient Secrets of the Bible: Samson), made-for-television movies, and short-lived programs like Aliens in the Family.<ref name="SFG"/>
In 1997, Eckhart was approached by Neil LaBute to star in a film adaptation of LaBute's stage play In the Company of Men.<ref name="thank you">Template:Cite news</ref> He played a frustrated white-collar worker who planned to woo a deaf office worker, gain her affections, then suddenly dump her.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The film, his first feature to reach theaters, was critically well received,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> with Desson Howe of The Washington Post reporting that Eckhart is the "movie's most malignant presence" and that he "is in chilling command as a sort of satanic prince in shirtsleeves".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In the Company of Men was a critical success, winning Best First Film for LaBute at the 63rd annual New York Film Critics Circle Awards.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> His performance won him the Independent Spirit Award in the category of Best Debut Performance.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The film was ranked as one of "The 25 Most Dangerous Movies" by Premiere magazine.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The following year Eckhart starred in another LaBute feature, Your Friends & Neighbors (1998),<ref name="tribute"/><ref name="wall">Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref> as Barry, a sexually frustrated husband in a dysfunctional marriage. For the role Eckhart was required to gain weight.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1999, he starred opposite Elisabeth Shue in Molly, a romantic comedy-drama in which he played the self-absorbed brother of an autistic woman who was cured by surgery.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Eckhart also starred that year as a football coach, an offensive coordinator in Oliver Stone's Any Given Sunday.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Critical successEdit
Eckhart first gained wide exposure in 2000 as George, a ponytailed, goateed biker, in Steven Soderbergh's drama Erin Brockovich.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The film was met with good reviews,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and was a box office success, earning $256 million worldwide.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> His performance was well received by critics; Entertainment Weekly's Owen Gleiberman wrote that Eckhart "may be playing a bit of an ideal [...] but he makes goodness as palpable as he did yuppie evil in 'In the Company of Men'."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In an August 2004 interview, Eckhart claimed that he had not worked for nearly a year before he was cast in the movie. "I felt like I sort of was getting away from what I wanted to do as an actor. [...] I had nine months off, but it wasn't a vacation. Sure, I didn't earn any money for nine months, but every day I was reading scripts, I was producing my own material, I was taking meetings, I was working on my craft."<ref name="looks"/>
Following the release of Erin Brockovich, Eckhart co-starred with Renée Zellweger in LaBute's Nurse Betty (2000).<ref name="tribute"/> He next appeared in Sean Penn's mystery feature The Pledge (2001), in which he played a young detective partnered with a veteran detective, played by Jack Nicholson.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The movie received generally favorable reviews,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> but it did not fare particularly well at the box office.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The following year, he collaborated with LaBute in a film adaptation of the Man Booker Prize-winning novel Possession (2002).<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 2003, Eckhart co-starred with Hilary Swank in The Core, a film about a geophysicist who tries to detonate a nuclear device in order to save the world from destruction.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The film was critically and financially unsuccessful.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Also in 2003, he appeared in The Missing, in which he played Cate Blanchett's lover,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and in the action-thriller Paycheck opposite Ben Affleck.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Paycheck, based on a short story by science fiction writer Philip K. Dick, garnered generally negative reception.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Film critic Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film two stars (out of four), saying that he "enjoyed the movie" but felt that it "exploits [Dick's story] for its action and plot potential, but never really develops it."<ref name="paycheck">Template:Cite news</ref>
The following year, away from film, Eckhart guest starred in two episodes of NBC's comedy sitcom Frasier, where he played a boyfriend of Charlotte, Dr. Frasier Crane's love interest.<ref>Template:Cite episode</ref><ref>Template:Cite episode</ref> His next film role was in E. Elias Merhige's thriller Suspect Zero, a movie about an FBI agent who tracks down a killer who murders serial killers.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Upon release, the movie received broadly negative reviews.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Despite the reception, Eckhart's performance was favored by critics; Newsday wrote that Eckhart was a "classically handsome leading man ... but Merhige demands of him complexity and anguish."<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead link</ref> Suspect Zero was a box office disappointment, earning $11 million worldwide.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Also in 2004, Eckhart starred on the London stage, opposite Julia Stiles, in David Mamet's Oleanna at the Garrick Theatre. The drama ran until mid-2004.<ref name="people"/> For this performance, Eckhart received favorable critical reviews.<ref name="looks">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2005, returning to film, Eckhart appeared in Neverwas as a therapist who takes a job at a rundown mental hospital that once treated his father (Nick Nolte). The feature was never given a full theatrical release, eventually being released straight to DVD in 2007.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Worldwide recognitionEdit
Eckhart's next project was Thank You for Smoking, in which he played Nick Naylor, a tobacco lobbyist whose firm researched the link between smoking cigarettes and lung cancer. Eckhart said that he felt challenged playing the role: "You have to say these words that are crazy, and yet do it with a smile on your face and have the audience like you. At one point, I'm doing a talk show with a kid who's dying of cancer, and he's going through chemotherapy and the whole thing, and I spin it so the anti-smoking people are the bad guys and I'm the good guy, and I'm this guy's best friend. I mean, it's whacked out."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The film was screened at a special presentation at the 30th annual Toronto International Film Festival in 2005.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> It had a limited release in March 2006 and was released worldwide the following month.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> For his performance, Eckhart received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> A contributor of USA Today wrote that he gave a "standout, whip-smart performance" citing that as Nick Naylor he kept him "likable even in his cynicism."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In the Seattle Post-Intelligencer review of the film, it was reported that "Under his chummy but compassionless smile" Eckhart radiated charm and "Naylor's true joys: manipulating arguments, steering debate, cooking words."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In this same year, he starred with Helena Bonham Carter in Conversations with Other Women (2006).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> While promoting this film, Eckhart revealed that he wishes not to be typecast or repeat himself, saying he does not want to play any more villains.<ref name="guard"/> He appeared in the 2006 film noir The Black Dahlia—based on a real 1947 crime—as Sergeant Leland "Lee" Blanchard, a detective investigating the murder of Elizabeth Short, later dubbed the "Black Dahlia".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The film premiered at the 63rd Venice International Film Festival.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Reception for the movie was mixed,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> but many critics enjoyed Eckhart's performance; Time Out magazine praised Eckhart and co-star Hilary Swank for their performances, writing "...both [are] great in their secondary roles."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Internationally viewed as a sex symbol, he was named one of People magazine's 100 Most Beautiful People in 2006.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The following year, Eckhart was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He starred in No Reservations (2007), a remake of the 2001 German romantic comedy Mostly Martha. He starred opposite Catherine Zeta-Jones as an up-and-coming hotshot chef.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The film was met with mixed reviews and was unfavorably compared to the original film.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Eckhart starred in the 2008 comedy Meet Bill, in which he played the eponymous character, a sad executive working at his father-in-law's bank.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> He gained 30 pounds and donned a fat suit for the role.<ref name="thank you" /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Also in 2008, Eckhart portrayed the comic book character Harvey Dent in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight, the sequel to the 2005 film Batman Begins.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Nolan's decision to cast Eckhart was based on his portrayal of corrupt characters in the films In the Company of Men, The Black Dahlia, and Thank You For Smoking.<ref name="latimes">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="wizard">Template:Cite journal</ref> He noted in his depiction of the character that "[he] is still true to himself. He's a crime fighter, he's not killing good people. He's not a bad guy, not purely", while admitting "I'm interested in good guys gone wrong."<ref name="latimes"/><ref name="wizard"/> The Dark Knight was a big financial and critical success, setting a new opening weekend box office record for North America. With revenue of $1 billion worldwide,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> it became the fourth highest-grossing film of all time,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and the highest-grossing film of Eckhart's career. Roger Ebert opined that Eckhart did an "especially good job" as his character in the feature,<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> while Premiere magazine also enjoyed his performance, noting that he "makes you believe in his ill-fated ambition ... of morphing into the conniving Two-Face."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Following the success of The Dark Knight, Eckhart next appeared in Alan Ball's Towelhead (2008), an adaption of the Alicia Erian novel of the same name, in which he played a Gulf War Army reservist who sexually abuses his 13-year-old Arab-American neighbor.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The film was screened under the name Nothing is Private at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> When asked about the sex scenes, Eckhart said: "Those were difficult times .... The way I did it was to really trust Alan. It was in the words. I really trusted Summer [Bishil], and I tried to get her to trust me, to build a relationship when we were doing physical scenes. We'd really rehearse them mechanically, and I'd say, 'OK, I'm going to put my hand here, I'm going to do this.' ... I think I found it more difficult."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Towelhead was critically and financially unsuccessful.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
He next co-starred with Jennifer Aniston in the romantic drama Love Happens, released in September 2009, as a motivational speaker coming to terms with his own grief.<ref name="fox news">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The movie received ambivalent reviews,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> with a contributor of the Orlando Sentinel reporting that Eckhart plays "broken" for the whole movie.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The following year he starred alongside Nicole Kidman in Rabbit Hole (2010), an adaption of David Lindsay-Abaire's 2005 drama of the same name.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The feature premiered at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2011, Eckhart starred in Jonathan Liebesman's science fiction film Battle: Los Angeles, in which he portrayed a combat veteran Marine platoon sergeant. The film was set in modern-day Los Angeles during a global alien invasion, and followed a platoon of U.S. Marines who are joined by an Air Force special operations sergeant and some Army infantry soldiers in combat operations against the alien enemy.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He appeared alongside Johnny Depp, Richard Jenkins, and Amber Heard in Hunter S. Thompson's novel adaptation The Rum Diary, directed by Bruce Robinson.<ref name="drinking"/><ref name="rum"/> In the film, Eckhart played Sanderson, a wealthy landowner, who believes everything has a price and introduces Paul Kemp (Depp) to a different standard of living.<ref name="drinking">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="rum">Template:Cite news</ref> He starred as a U.S. President who is taken hostage, in the 2013 action thriller Olympus Has Fallen, opposite Gerard Butler,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and reprised the role in its 2016 sequel London Has Fallen.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In 2019, he starred in Roland Emmerich’s blockbuster movie Midway, which also starred Ed Skrein, Patrick Wilson, Dennis Quaid and Woody Harrelson.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Personal lifeEdit
Eckhart met actress Emily Cline during the filming of In the Company of Men and they became engaged, but they separated in 1998.<ref name="tribute"/><ref name="people">Template:Cite news</ref> He has always been reluctant to speak about his relationships in interviews.<ref name="guard"/> Eckhart dated songwriter and member of SHeDAISY Kristyn Osborn from 2006 to 2007.<ref name="tribute"/><ref name="people" /> He appeared in the group's video for their song "I'm Taking the Wheel".<ref name="people" />
Eckhart has noted that hypnosis helped him to quit drinking, smoking, and partying,<ref name="guard"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and that he undertakes amateur photography in his spare time.<ref name="photography">Template:Cite news</ref>
FilmographyEdit
FilmEdit
TelevisionEdit
| Year | Title | Role | Note(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Double Jeopardy | Dwayne | Television film | |
| 1993 | History's Greatest Miracles | Samson | Television special | |
| 1994 | Beverly Hills, 90210 | Extra | Uncredited | |
| 1996 | Aliens in the Family | Townsend | Episode: "Meet the Brodys" | |
| 2004 | Frasier | Frank | 2 episodes | |
| 2018 | The Romanoffs | Gregory | Episode: "The Violet Hour" | |
| 2022 | The First Lady | President Gerald Ford | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
| Pantheon | Cary Duval | Voice role |
Awards and nominationsEdit
- Independent Spirit Award for Best Debut Performance
- Satellite Award for Outstanding New Talent
- Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
- Nominated – Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead
- Nominated – St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
- Nominated – Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead
- Nominated – San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
- Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Best Acting Ensemble
- People's Choice Award for Favorite Cast
- Nominated – Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast
- Nominated – Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor
- Nominated – Scream Award for Best Villain
ReferencesEdit
SourcesEdit
- Mitchell, Peter. "Dundee a talisman for Eckhart." The Age. May 1, 2003. Accessed December 15, 2008.
- Head, Steve. "IGN interviews Aaron Eckhart." IGN. August 24, 2004. Accessed December 30, 2008.
- Roberts, Farin. "BBC Movies – Aaron Eckhart interview." BBC Films. June 16, 2006. Accessed December 30, 2008. (Farin Roberts interviews Aaron Eckhart in discussion of Thank You for Smoking.) [Includes video clip].
- Fischer, Paul. "Aaron Eckhart No Reservations Interview." Femail. Accessed December 30, 2008.
- Berkshire, Geoff. "'Dark Knight' Q&A: Aaron Eckhart." Chicago Metromix. July 14, 2008. Accessed December 15, 2008.
- Blades, Nicole. "Aaron Eckhart Interview." Women's Health. July 16, 2008. Accessed October 24, 2008.
- Mottram, James. "Aaron Eckhart interview Template:Webarchive." Marie Claire. July 28, 2008. Accessed December 30, 2008.
- Fischer, Paul. "Aaron Eckhart The Dark Knight Interview." Femail. Accessed December 30, 2008.
- Berk, Phillip. "Man of the Hour." Filmink. September 16, 2008. Accessed October 3, 2008.
External linksEdit
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