Aaron Eckhart
Aaron Eckhart | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Eckhart in 2016 | |
| Born | Aaron Edward Eckhart 12 Mairch 1968 Cupertino, Californie, U.S. |
| Eddication | Brigham Yung Varsity (BFA) |
| Thrift | Actor |
| Years active | 1992–present |
Aaron Edward Eckhart (born 12 Mairch 1968) is an American actor.
Born in Cupertino, Californie, Eckhart flittit tae the Unitit Kinrick at an early age. He begoud his actin career bi performin in schuil pleys, afore flittin tae Austrailie fur his heich schuil senior year. He left heich schuil wioot graduatin, but earned a diploma throu a professional eddication coorse, an then graduatit frae Brigham Yung Varsity (BYV) in Provo, Utah, in 1994 wi a Bachelor o Fine Airts degree in film.
As an unnergraduate at BYU, Eckhart met director an writer Neil LaBute, wha cast Eckhart in seevral o LaBute's oreeginal pleys. Five years later Eckhart makkit a debut in LaBute's bleck comedy film In the Company of Men (1997), follaed bi appearances in three mair o the director's films.
Eckhart gained wide recogneetion as George in Erin Brockovich (2000), an, in 2006, he received a Gowden Globe nomination fur his portrayal o Nick Naylor in Thank You for Smoking. In 2008, he pleyed a major role in Christopher Nolan's blockbuster Batman film The Dark Knight as Destrict Attorney Harvey Dent / Two-Face.
He wint on tae appear in Love Happens, Rabbit Hole, Battle: Los Angeles, The Rum Diary, Olympus Has Fallen, I, Frankenstein, Sully, an Midway.
Early life
[eedit | edit soorce]Eckhart wis born on 12 Mairch 1968 in Cupertino, Californie, the son o Mary Martha Lawrence, a writer, penter an poet, an James Conrad Eckhart, a computer executive. He is the yungest o three brither. His faither is o Volga German strynd, whiles his mither haes Inglis, German, Scots-Erse, an Scots ancestry. He wis brocht up as a memmer o the Kirk o Jesus Christ o Latter-day Saunts, an servit a twa-year mission in Fraunce an Swisserland. Eckhart's faimily relocatit tae the Unitit Kinrick in 1981, follaein his faither's job in information technologie. Durin thair time in the Unitit Kinrick, the faimily flittit aroond Surrey, Ingland, bidin in touns sic as Cobham, Ripley, an Walton-on-Thames. Eckhart attendit American Commonty Schuil, whaur he wis furst introduced tae actin, starnin in a schuil production as Charlie Brown.
In 1985, Eckhart flittit tae Austrailie an settled in Sydney, whaur he attendit American Internaitional Schuil o Sydney fur his heich schuil senior year; he further developit his actin skeels in productions lik Waiting for Godot, whaur he admits that he gae a "terrible" performance. In the hairst o his senior year, Eckhart left schuil tae tak a job at the Warringah Maw film theatre. He eventually earned his diploma throu a professional eddication coorse. This forby alloued Eckhart time tae enjoy a year o surfin in Hawaii an Fraunce, as weel as skiin in the Alps. In 1988, Eckhart returned tae the Unitit States an enrowed as a film major at Brigham Yung Varsity–Hawaii, but later transferred tae Brigham Yung Varsity (BYV) in Provo, Utah. He graduatit in 1994 wi a Bachelor o Fine Airts degree. He studied actin at the William Esper Studio an aa.
Career
[eedit | edit soorce]Early wirk
[eedit | edit soorce]Whiles at Brigham Yung Varsity, Eckhart kythed in the Mormon-themed film Godly Sorrow, an the role markit his professional debut. At this time he met director/writer Neil LaBute, wha cast Eckhart in seevral o LaBute's oreeginal pleys. Efter graduatin frae BYU, Eckhart flittit tae New York Ceety, acquired an agent, an teuk mony occasional jobs, includin bartendin, bus drivin, an construction wirk. His furst telly roles wur in commercials. In 1994, he kythed as an extra on the telly drama series Beverly Hills, 90210. Eckhart follaed this smaw pairt wi roles in documentary re-enactments (Ancient Secrets of the Bible: Samson), makkit-fur-telly films, an short-lived programmes lik Aliens in the Family.
In 1997, Eckhart wis approached bi Neil LaBute tae starn in a film adaptation o LaBute's stage pley In the Company of Men. He pleyed a frustratit white-collar wirker. The film, his furst featur tae reach theatres, wis creetically weel received, wi Desson Howe o The Washington Post reportin that Eckhart is the "film's maist malignant presence". In the Company of Men wis a creetical success, winnin Best Furst Film fur LaBute at the 63rd annual New York Film Creetics Raing Awairds. His performance wan him the Independent Spirit Awaird in the category o Best Debut Performance. The film wis rankit as ane o "The 25 Maist Dangerous Films" bi Premiere magazine.
The follaein year Eckhart starned in anither LaBute featur, Your Friends & Neighbors (1998), as Barry, a sexually frustratit hauf-marrae in a dysfunctional mairiage. Fur the role Eckhart wis required tae gain wecht. In 1999, he starned opposite Elisabeth Shue in Molly, a romantic comedy-drama in that he pleyed the sel-absorbit brither o an autistic wumman wha wis cured bi surgery. Eckhart forby starned that year as a fitbaw coach, an offensive coordinator in Oliver Stone's Any Given Sunday.
Creetical success
[eedit | edit soorce]Eckhart furst gained wide exposur in 2000 as George, in Steven Soderbergh's drama Erin Brockovich. The film wis met wi guid reviews, an wis a box office success, earnin $256 million warldwide. His performance wis weel received bi creetics; Entertainment Weekly's Owen Gleiberman wrate that Eckhart "mey be playin a bit o an ideal [...] but he maks guidness as palpable as he did yuppie evil in 'In the Company of Men'." In an August 2004 interview, Eckhart claimed that he haed nae wirkit fur nearly a year afore he wis cast in the film. "A felt lik a sort o wis gettin awey frae whit a wantit tae dae as an actor. [...] A haed nine month aff, but it wasnae a vacation. Shuir, a didna earn ony money fur nine month, but ivery day a wis readin scripts, a wis producin ma awn material, a wis takin meetins, a wis wirkin on ma craft."
Follaein the lowse o Erin Brockovich, Eckhart co-starned wi Renée Zellweger in LaBute's Nurse Betty (2000). He neist kythed in Sean Penn's meestery featur The Pledge (2001), in that he pleyed a yung detective pairtnered wi a veteran detective, pleyed bi Jack Nicholson. The film received generally favorable reviews, but it did nae fare pairticulairly weel at the box office. The follaein year, he collaboratit wi LaBute in a film adaptation o the Man Booker Prize-winnin novelle Possession (2002). In 2003, Eckhart co-starned wi Hilary Swank in The Core, a film aboot a geopheesicist wha tries tae detonate a nuclear device in order tae save the warld frae destruction. The film wis creetically an financially unsuccessfu. In 2003 an aa, he kythed in The Missing, in that he pleyed Cate Blanchett's luver, an in the action-thriller Paycheck opposite Ben Affleck. Paycheck, based on a short story bi science fiction writer Philip K. Dick, garnered generally negative reception. Film creetic Roger Ebert o the Chicago Sun-Times gae the film twa starns (oot o fower), sayin that he "enjoyed the film" but felt that it "exploits [Dick's story] fur its action an plot potential, but niver really develops it."
The follaein year, awey frae film, Eckhart guest starned in twa episode o NBC's comedy sitcom Frasier, whaur he pleyed a ladfreend o Charlotte, Dr. Frasier Crane's luve interest. His neist film role wis in E. Elias Merhige's thriller Suspect Zero, a film aboot an FBI agent wha tracks doun a killer wha murthers serial killers. Upon lowse, the film received braidly negative reviews. Maugre o the reception, Eckhart's performance wis favored bi creetics; Newsday wrate that Eckhart wis a "clessically haundsome leadin man ... but Merhige demands o him complexity an anguish." Suspect Zero wis a box office disappyntment, earnin $11 million warldwide. In 2004 an aa, Eckhart starned on the Lunnon stage, opposite Julia Stiles, in David Mamet's Oleanna at the Garrick Theatre. The drama ran till mid-2004. Fur this performance, Eckhart received favorable creetical reviews. In 2005, returnin tae film, Eckhart kythed in Neverwas as a therapist wha taks a job at a rindoun mental hospital that ance treatit his faither (Nick Nolte). The featur wis niver gien a fou theatrical lowse, eventually bein lowsed straicht tae DVD in 2007.
Warldwide recogneetion
[eedit | edit soorce]Eckhart's neist projeck wis Thank You for Smoking, in that he pleyed Nick Naylor. Eckhart said that he felt challenged pleyin the role: "Ye hae tae say thir wirds that are crazy, an yet dae it wi a smile on yer face an hae the audience lik ye. At ane pynt, a'm daein a tauk shaw wi a bairn wha's dyin o cancer, an he's gaein throu chemotherapy an the hale thing, an a spin it sae the anti-smokin fowk are the bad men an a'm the guid man, an a'm this man's best freend. A mean, it's whacked oot. The film wis screened at a special presentation at the 30t annual Toronto Internaitional Film Fest in 2005. It haed a limitit lowse in Mairch 2006 an wis lowsed warldwide the follaein month. Fur his performance, Eckhart received a Gowden Globe nomination fur Best Actor in a Motion Pictur Muisical or Comedy. A contreibutor o USA Today wrate that he gae a "staundoot, whip-smairt performance".
In this same year, he starned wi Helena Bonham Carter in Conversations with Other Women (2006). Whiles promotin this film, Eckhart revealed that he wishes nae tae be teepcast or repeat himsel, sayin he daes nae want tae pley ony mair veelains. He kythed in the 2006 film noir The Black Dahlia—based on a real 1947 crime—as Sergeant Leland "Lee" Blanchard, a detective investigatin the murther o Elizabeth Short, later dubbit the "Black Dahlia". The film premiered at the 63rd Venice Internaitional Film Fest. Reception fur the film wis mixed, but mony creetics enjoyed Eckhart's performance; Time Out magazine praised Eckhart an co-starn Hilary Swank fur thair performances, writin "...baith [are] muckle in thair secondary roles."
Internaitionally viewed as a sex seembol, he wis named ane o People magazine's 100 Maist Bonnie Fowk in 2006. The follaein year, Eckhart wis invitit tae jyn the Academy o Motion Pictur Airts an Sciences. He starned in No Reservations (2007), a remak o the 2001 German romantic comedy Mostly Martha. He starned opposite Catherine Zeta-Jones as an up-an-comin hotshot chef. The film wis met wi mixed reviews an wis unfavorably compared tae the oreeginal film. Eckhart starned in the 2008 comedy Meet Bill, in that he pleyed the eponymous chairacter, a sad executive wirkin at his faither-in-law's baunk. He gained 30 poond an donned a fat suit fur the role.
In 2008 an aa, Eckhart portrayed the comic beuk chairacter Harvey Dent in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight, the sequel tae the 2005 film Batman Begins. Nolan's decision tae cast Eckhart wis based on his portrayal o corrupt chairacters in the films In the Company of Men, The Black Dahlia, and Thank You For Smoking. He notit in his depiction of the chairacter that "[he] is aye true tae himsel. He's a crime fechter, he's nae killin guid fowk. He's nae a bad man, nae purely", whiles admittin "A'm interestit in guid men gane wrang." The Dark Knight wis a big financial an creetical success, settin a new appenin weekend box office record fur North Americae. Wi revenue o $1 billion warldwide, it becam the fowert heichest-grossin film o aw time, an the heichest-grossin film o Eckhart's career. Roger Ebert opined that Eckhart did an "inspecially guid job" as his chairacter in the featur, whiles Premiere magazine enjoyed his performance an aa, notin that he "maks ye believe in his ill-fatit ambeetion ... o morphin intae the conneevin Two-Face."
Follaein the success o The Dark Knight, Eckhart neist kythed in Alan Ball's Towelhead (2008), an adaptation o the Alicia Erian novelle o the same name, in that he pleyed a Gulf War Airmy reservist wha sexually abuises his 13-year-auld Arab-American neebor. The film wis screened unner the name Nothing is Private at the 2007 Toronto Internaitional Film Fest. Whan askit aboot the sex scenes, Eckhart said: "Thaim wis difficult times .... The wey a did it wis tae really trust Alan. It wis in the wirds. A really trustit Summer [Bishil], an a tried tae get her tae trust me, tae bigg a relationship whan we wur daein pheesical scenes. We'd really rehairse thaim mechanically, an a'd say, 'OK, a'm gaein tae pit ma haund here, a'm gaein tae dae this.' ... A think a foond it mair difficult." Towelhead wis creetically an financially unsuccessfu.
He neist co-starned wi Jennifer Aniston in the romantic drama Love Happens, lowsed in September 2009, as a motivational speaker comin tae terms wi his awn grief. The film received ambivalent reviews, wi a contreibutor o the Orlando Sentinel reportin that Eckhart pleys "broken" fur the hale film. The follaein year he starned alangside Nicole Kidman in Rabbit Hole (2010), an adaption o David Lindsay-Abaire's 2005 drama o the same name. The featur premiered at the 2010 Toronto Internaitional Film Fest. In 2011, Eckhart starned in Jonathan Liebesman's science fiction film Battle: Los Angeles, in that he portrayed a combat veteran Marine platoon sergeant. The film wis set in modren-day Los Angeles durin a global alien invasion, an follaed a platoon o U.S. Marines wha are jyned bi an Air Force special operations sergeant an some Airmy infantry sodgers in combat operations against the alien enemy. He kythed alangside Johnny Depp, Richard Jenkins, an Amber Heard in Hunter S. Thompson's novelle adaptation The Rum Diary, directit bi Bruce Robinson. In the film, Eckhart pleyed Sanderson, a wealthy laundawner, wha believes iverything haes a price an introduces Paul Kemp (Depp) tae a different staundard o livin. He starned as a U.S. Preses wha is taken hostage, in the 2013 action thriller Olympus Has Fallen, opposite Gerard Butler, an reprised the role in its 2016 sequel London Has Fallen.
In 2019, he starned in Roland Emmerich’s film Midway, that forby starned Ed Skrein, Patrick Wilson, Dennis Quaid an Woody Harrelson.
Personal life
[eedit | edit soorce]Eckhart met actress Emily Cline durin the filmin o In the Company of Men an thay becam engaged, but thay separatit in 1998. He haes aye been reluctant tae speak aboot his relationships in interviews. Eckhart dated sangwriter an memmer o SHeDAISY Kristyn Osborn frae 2006 tae 2007. He appeared in the group's video fur thair sang "I'm Taking the Wheel".
Eckhart haes notit that hypnosis helpit him tae quit drinkin, smokin, an partyin, an that he unnertaks amateur photografie in his spare time.
Filmography
[eedit | edit soorce]Film
[eedit | edit soorce]Televeesion
[eedit | edit soorce]| Year | Title | Role | Note(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Double Jeopardy | Dwayne | Telly film |
| 1993 | History's Greatest Miracles | Samson | Telly special |
| 1994 | Beverly Hills, 90210 | Extra | Uncreditit |
| 1996 | Aliens in the Family | Tounsend | Episode: "Meet the Brodys" |
| 2004 | Frasier | Frank | 2 episode |
| 2018 | The Romanoffs | Gregory | Episode: "The Violet Hour" |
| 2022 | The First Lady | Preses Gerald Ford | Main role |
| Pantheon | Cary Duval | Vyce role |
Awairds an nominations
[eedit | edit soorce]- Independent Spirit Awaird fur Best Debut Performance
- Satellite Awaird fur Ootstaundin New Talent
- Nominatit – Gowden Globe Awaird fur Best Actor – Motion Pictur Muisical or Comedy
- Nominatit – Independent Spirit Awaird fur Best Male Lead
- Nominatit – St. Louis Gatewey Film Creetics Association Awaird fur Best Actor
- Nominatit – Independent Spirit Awaird fur Best Male Lead
- Nominatit – San Diego Film Creetics Society Awaird fur Best Actor
- Central Ohio Film Creetics Association Awaird fur Best Actin Ensemble
- Fowk's Chyce Awaird fur Favorite Cast
- Nominatit – Braidcast Film Creetics Association Awaird fur Best Cast
- Nominatit – Saturn Awaird fur Best Supportin Actor
- Nominatit – Scream Awaird fur Best Veelain
Fremmit airtins
[eedit | edit soorce]- Aaron Eckhart on IMDb
- Aaron Eckhart at the TCM Movie Database
- Wikipaedia airticles wi fauty NLP identifiers
- Wikipaedia airticles wi fauty SBN identifiers
- 1968 births
- Livin fowk
- 20t-century American male actors
- 21st-century American male actors
- Film producers frae Californie
- Umwhile Latter Day Saunts
- American male film actors
- American fowk o German strynd
- American fowk o German-Roushie strynd
- American fowk o Scotch-Erse strynd
- Brigham Yung Varsity alumni
- Independent Spirit Awaird winners
- Male actors frae Santa Clara Coonty, Californie
- Fowk eddicatit at ACS Internaitional Schuils
- Fowk frae Cupertino, Californie
- William Esper Studio alumni
- American fowk o Inglis strynd