Aaron Eckhart Biography and Profile

Aaron Eckhart Profile
Name: Aaron Eckhart
Birth Name: Aaron E. Eckhart
Height: 5' 11''
Sex: M
Nationality: American
Birth Date: March 12, 1968
Birth Place: Santa Clara County, California, USA
Profession: Actor
Education: Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah (graduated in 1994 with BFA in film)
Relationship: Emily Cline (actress; born on October 3, 1969; had announced engagement, but broke up in 1998)
Brother: Adam Eckhart
Claim to fame: His role as a sociopathic ladies' man in the independent Neil LaBute film In the Company of Men (1997)

Aaron Eckhart Biography

A longtime actor in playwright Neil LaBute’s stable, Aaron Eckhart first caught moviegoers' attention in his film debut as the unctuous businessman Chad in the wicked black comedy "In the Company of Men" (1997). Previously, Eckhart had been struggling to find his way on television – both in series and in commercials – as well as on the big screen. After collaborating again with LaBute on “Your Friends and Neighbors” (1998), Eckhart branched out on his own, first landing a small part in “Any Given Sunday” (1999), then gaining wider recognition in the award-winning hit, “Erin Brockovich” (2000). He continued to delve into richly varied characters under LaBute’s direction, playing an insensitive thug in “Nurse Betty” (2000) before calmly shifting gears for a romantic lead in “Possession” (2002). Meanwhile, he captured the attention of top Hollywood talent, being cast by the likes of Sean Penn in “The Pledge” (2001) and Ron Howard in “The Missing” (2003), though he struggled to find that one defining role to propel him into his own. His opportunity finally arrived with a deviously enjoyable performance as an unapologetic spokesman for Big Tobacco in “Thank You For Smoking” (2005), which earned the talented actor the strongest praise of his career thus far, perhaps leading to what may have been his biggest exposure to date, playing Batman’s nemesis, Two Face, in “The Dark Knight” (2008). Born Mar. 12, 1968 in Cupertino, CA, Eckhart was raised in a Mormon home without the benefit of being part of the larger Mormon community in Utah. His father, James, was a computer executive and his mother, Mary, was an accomplished children’s author and poet, giving Eckhart the foundation for his later creativity. When he was 13, his father’s work moved the family to London, where the fish-out-of-water struggled to fit in. After discovering acting by way of playing Charlie Brown in a school production, Eckhart moved to Sydney, Australia for his senior year of high school, where he furthered development of his acting with more serious productions like “Waiting for Godot” at a small dramatic school. Starved for cash, he left the school before he could finish in order to take a job working at a mall movie theater. He eventually obtained his high school diploma via a correspondence course, then spent a couple of years living in France, Switzerland and Hawaii. Eckhart then made his way to Brigham Young University, where he joined the film program and met budding writer Neil LaBute, who cast the actor in several of his original plays, many of which had to be performed incognito because of the Mormon school’s refusal to officially display the playwright’s controversial work. Once Eckhart left BYU with degree in hand, he moved to New York and began his acting career in earnest. Within days of landing his first agent, he was cast in a beer commercial. He then made his television debut as an extra on the original “Beverly Hills, 90210” (Fox, 1990-2000), which Eckhart quickly followed with a more substantial guest starring role on the short-lived adventure series, “Crossroads” (ABC, 1992-93). Following a turn as Samson in the documentary re-enactment series, “Ancient Secrets of the Bible, Part II” (CBS, 1993), Eckhart landed parts in the forgettable television movie “Slaughter of the Innocents” (HBO, 1993) and the short-lived sitcom “Aliens in the Family” (ABC, 1995-96). Though not exactly off to an auspicious start, he was at least working. Then five years after parting ways at BYU, Eckhart was approached by LaBute to star in a film adaptation of his stage play, “In the Company of Men” (1997). LaBute had raised $30,000 to make the film and immediately thought of Eckhart for the role of alpha-male Chad, a white-collar guy frustrated with women, who hatches a plan with his nebbish buddy, Howard (Matt Malloy), to woo a deaf office worker (Stacy Edwards), gain her affections, then unexpectedly dump her. But when she falls in love with Chad, both men amp up their psychological games with her, as well as with each other. Neither Eckhart nor LaBute ever thought the ultra-low budget film would ever see the light of day. But a rousing victory at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival propelled the film into art house success and made a name for both actor and director. The following year, Eckhart joined forces again with LaBute for “Your Friends and Neighbors” (1998), a searing dark comedy of manners centered around three men (Eckhart, Ben Stiller and Jason Patrick) doing battle with three women (Catherine Keener, Amy Brenneman and Nastassja Kinski) over their dysfunctional relationships. Eckhart was barely recognizable as Barry, an impotent, overweight man happier satisfying himself than his unhappy wife (Brenneman) – a role that prompted the actor to gain 45 pounds. Meanwhile, “Your Friends and Neighbors” became something of an art house hit, though the film earned scorn for its unflinching misogyny. After an appearance as an offensive coordinator in “Any Given Sunday” (1999), Oliver Stone’s indictment of the corporate takeover of professional football, Eckhart landed a more conventional role in the heartwarming drama, "Molly" (1999), playing the brother of an autistic woman (Elizabeth Shue) released into his care after 26 years in an institution. Eckhart gained his first wide exposure as the pony-tailed biker who eventually wins the heart of a rough-around-the-edges legal crusader (Julia Roberts) in "Erin Brockovich" (2000). In his first full-blown romantic role, Eckhart exhibited an affable, easygoing nature and magnetic screen charisma; an appealing contrast to Roberts’ gruff, foul-mouthed exterior. Reuniting with LaBute, he delivered an amusing performance as a sleazy used-car salesman who neglects his sweet-natured spouse (Renee Zellweger) in "Nurse Betty" (2000). Sean Penn then tapped Eckhart to play a young detective partnered with a grizzled veteran (Jack Nicholson) on the verge of retirement in "The Pledge" (2001), before the actor reunited a fourth time with LaBute for "Possession" (2002). In LaBute’s first book-to-screen adaptation, he played an academic researcher attempting to reconstruct the relationship between two Victorian-era authors with a London-based expert (Gwyneth Paltrow), sparking a romance despite their apprehensions. Eckhart then portrayed a geophysicist who – along with Hilary Swank and Bruce Greenwood – tries to detonate a nuclear device in order to jumpstart the Earth’s electromagnetic forces and save the world from destruction in the low-thrills sci-fi action flick, "The Core" (2003). Having tasted some success in big features, Eckhart sought the right role to elevate him to A-list status. He was underutilized as Cate Blanchett's ranch hand-cum-lover in Ron Howard's unsatisfying Western "The Missing" (2003), then as Ben Affleck's mysterious employer in the forgettable action thriller, "Paycheck" (2003). After a recurring stint on the final episodes of "Frasier" (NBC, 1993-2004), playing the oblivious boyfriend of Dr. Crane's matchmaker love interest (Laura Linney) who openly befriends his rival, Eckhart took center stage in the big-screen thriller "Suspect Zero" (2004) as a disgraced FBI agent tracking a serial killer who murders other serial killers. He next starred in the independently made “Conversations with Other Women” (2006), playing an unnamed man whose encounter with a seeming stranger (Helena Bonham Carter) leads to a sexually-charged battle of wits, revealing a deep-rooted passion and a two decades-old love affair. Eckhart was gleefully provocative in “Thank You for Smoking” (2006), playing a lobbyist for Big Tobacco who spins and schemes his way through a maze of overzealous health advocates and opportunistic politicians while defending the rights of smokers. Eckhart’s brash performance in Jason Reitman’s satire earned big laughs at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, generating enough buzz for a good showing in its limited theatrical release. After a cameo in LaBute’s forgettable stab at horror, “The Wicker Man” (2006), Eckhart starred in “The Black Dahlia” (2006), Brian De Palma’s take on James Ellroy’s complicated and richly-textured noir thriller about two hard-edged cops (Eckhart and Josh Hartnett) who descend into obsession, corruption and sexual degeneracy as they investigate the brutal murder of would-be actress Elizabeth Short (Mia Kirshner), who was found tortured and vivisected in a vacant lot in Los Angeles. Though Eckhart gave a strong performance as an ex-pugilist-turned-homicide detective nicknamed Mr. Fire, audiences were left cold by De Palma’s empty direction. After an easily dismissed turn as a freewheeling chef working for a no-nonsense master (Catherine Zeta-Jones) with whom he falls in love in “No Reservations” (2007), Eckhart was cast to star in Alan Ball’s untitled directorial debut, “Towelhead,” an adaptation of Alicia Erian’s novel about a 13-year-old girl fending off sexual obsession by a bigoted Army reservist under the oppressive eye of her Lebanese father during the 1991 Gulf War. Meanwhile, Eckhart finally landed the big-budget role that could have finally etched his name on the A-list, playing Harvey Dent/Two Face in Christopher Nolan’s second Batman effort, “The Dark Knight” (2008).

* Also Credited As:
Aaron E. Eckhart, Aaron Edward Eckhart
* Born:
Aaron Edward Eckhart on March 12, 1968 in Cupertino, California
* Job Titles:
Actor, Bartender, Bus driver, Construction worker, Waiter

Family
* Brother: Adam Eckhart. Born in 1966
* Brother: James L Eckhart. Born in 1963
* Father: James C Eckhart.
* Mother: Mary Eckhart. Author of children s books

Significant Others
* Companion: Ashley Wicks. Began dating in 2007
* Companion: Kristyn Osborn. Together from 2006-2007; Eckhart appeared in the country Group s video, I m Taking the Wheel
* Companion: Emily Cline. had announced engagement; broke up in 1998

Education
* Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, film, BFA, 1994

Milestones
* 1991 Met future collaborator Neil LaBute while attending Brigham Young University
* 1992 Appeared as an extra in an episode of Beverly Hills, 90210 (FOX)
* 1992 Early TV acting credit, appearing in an episode of the ABC series Crossroads
* 1992 TV-movie debut in Showtime s Double Jeopardy
* 1993 Portrayed Samson in the CBS special Ancient Secrets of the Bible, Part II
* 1996 Appeared in two episodes of the ABC sitcom Aliens in the Family

* 1997 Feature film debut, In the Company of Men ; first collaboration with director Neil LaBute

* 1998 Re-teamed with LaBute for Your Friends and Neighbors ; gained 45 pounds to play an unhappily married man
* 1999 Had small part of an assistant coach in Oliver Stone s Any Given Sunday
* 2000 Cast opposite Renée Zellweger in Nurse Betty ; third collaboration with director Neil LaBute
* 2000 Delivered a memorable turn as the biker who falls in love with the title character (Julia Roberts) in Erin Brockovich
* 2001 Teamed with Jack Nicholson in the Sean Penn directed The Pledge
* 2002 Co-starred with Gwyneth Paltrow in Possession directed by Neil LaBute
* 2003 Along with Hilary Swank, co-starred in science fiction thriller The Core
* 2003 Co-starred with Uma Thurman and Ben Affleck in the John Woo directed Paycheck
* 2004 Starred as FBI agent Thomas Mackelway in the thriller Suspect Zero
* 2006 Portrayed detective, Lee Blanchard in The Black Dahlia, Brian De Palma s adaptation of James Ellroy s classic noir novel
* 2006 Portrayed the chief spokesman for the tobacco lobby in Jason Reitman s satirical comedy Thank You for Smoking ; earned Golden Globe and Independent Spirit Award nominations for Best Actor
* 2007 Cast opposite Catherine Zeta-Jones in No Reservations, the American remake of the 2001 German feature Mostly Martha
* 2008 Landed a major role in the Batman film series, playing District Attorney Harvey Dent in The Dark Knight
* 2008 Portrayed a guy whose life isn t going according to plan in Meet Bill
* After college, moved to NYC
* As a teenager lived with family in England
* Dropped out of high school and moved to Sydney, Australia
* Raised in Cupertino, California