Eric Roberts Ditches Fame for Work! Why Hollywood Star Chose Labor Over Glamour!

It’s no secret that the entertainment world is grappling with significant challenges, including reduced content production and a shrinking job market. Eric Roberts, renowned for his electrifying film performances, was among the first to recognize this shift, even before television binge-watching was a badge of honor. His outlook is straightforward: “The days of lengthy rehearsals and lucrative contracts are over. You can’t just sit and wait for a hefty payday,” he explains.

In his newly-released memoir, “Runaway Train: Or, the Story of My Life So Far,” Roberts reveals how he pragmatically adapted to this new reality ahead of his peers, who were desperately vying for the few available roles. Roberts also feels the strain, which is why he adopts a ‘say yes to everything’ approach. “Financial instability is a common plight in this industry. I know individuals who were part of the ‘Titanic’ cast struggling to pay their rent,” he candidly shares in his memoir.

However, Roberts isn’t looking for fame; he just wants to keep working. In his memoir, co-authored with journalist and novelist Sam Kashner, he proudly states that he has 750 credits on his IMDb page. By the time of this interview in August, that number had risen to nearly 850. “I am an actor, first and foremost,” he declares. “Everything else is secondary.”

As one of the standout theatre actors from New York who transitioned into film in the 1970s, Roberts first captured public attention in Bob Fosse’s 1983 biopic “Star 80” as Paul Snider, the murderous spouse of Playboy model Dorothy Stratten (played by Mariel Hemingway). Roberts completely surrendered to his role, portraying a manipulative con man whose self-loathing evolves into a deadly fury.

His compelling performance led to other prominent roles, including the outlaw Buck McGeehy in Andrei Konchalovsky’s 1985 action thriller “Runaway Train.” This role earned him an Oscar nomination, catapulting him into the limelight. Roberts, thriving on his success, purchased a penthouse in Manhattan’s Upper East Side and a house in Greenwich, Conn. This period also marked the beginning of his cocaine abuse. Eventually, he lost both properties, but the drug habit persisted.

However, his memoir, “Runaway Train,” isn’t a tearful confession of past mistakes or an attempt to resuscitate his once thriving career. Roberts is well aware of his terrible decisions and their detrimental impact on his relationships, including with his sister, Julia Roberts. He notes that Hollywood is rife with stories of addicts who excelled despite their vices, and for a while, he trod that precarious path.

Roberts vividly recounts in his memoir how his downfall was gradual, and then suddenly swift. He sabotaged his own success, arguing himself out of roles with Quentin Tarantino and Oliver Stone, among others. “I was high during my audition with Ron Howard,” Roberts admits.

Roberts was undeniably erratic, but his understanding of the destructive path he was on was heavily influenced by his father, Walter. A screenwriter during radio drama’s golden age who later founded a theater in Atlanta, Walter was a harsh critic of his son’s acting, fueling a sense of confusion and anger in his son.

Roberts’ father was a minor con artist and once tried to convince him to rob a pharmacy for quick cash. At home, Roberts frequently endured physical abuse from his mother. His parents’ divorce brought some relief, with Roberts staying with his father, while his sisters Julia and Lisa lived with their mother. His father continued to belittle him. “My father taught me a lot about the process of being a professional actor, but he constantly undermined me,” Roberts recalls. “That was tough to handle as a kid.”

Even after Roberts managed to move to New York, his father kept up a relentless barrage of letters, alternately berating him for mediocrity, praising his talent, asking for money, and accusing him of desertion. “I’ve received thousands of letters,” Roberts shares. “I still have them. They were overwhelming, but it taught me that you have to accept people as they are, without letting them trample over you.”

Despite this psychological ‘manipulation,’ Roberts persevered, landing his first television role in 1977 on the soap opera “Another World.” His fiery intensity caught the eye of Joe Papp, a titan of New York theater, who cast Roberts in the Public Theater’s Civil War drama “Rebel Women.” Roberts secured his Actors’ Equity card and his first film role in 1978’s “King of the Gypsies.”

However, as Roberts was winning over audiences, he was also alienating directors with his method acting approach. His drug addiction only added to his troubles. “Cocaine was everywhere,” he recalls. “On a filming set, they would have a large bowl of it for everyone. It made it hard to focus on work.”

Roberts’ private and professional lives blurred, as though he were applying Stanislavski’s sense memory technique in reverse, using scenes from his films in his personal life. His erratic and often violent behavior led to his stepson, Keaton, whom Eric had helped raise, moving out, and his arrest in 1995 for pushing his wife, Eliza, against a wall.

Roberts didn’t voluntarily enter rehab; a court order placed him there for 18 months. On his release, Eliza was there to help him pick up the pieces and channel his addictive tendencies into work. As Roberts’ manager and advisor, Eliza has played a key role in his success. This year alone, Roberts has appeared in 73 productions, including a western mini-series, several low-budget sci-fi films, and a show titled “My Redneck Neighbor: Chapter 1 — The Rednecks Are Coming.” He’s also a contestant on the new season of “Dancing With the Stars.”

Keaton returned to Roberts’ life and has since collaborated with him. As for Emma, Roberts’ daughter with former partner Kelly Cunningham, Roberts describes their relationship as “cordial and supportive, but not close.”

Acknowledging his numerous attempts to derail his life and career, Roberts credits his survival to his wife. “I’m not sure how I managed to pull through, honestly,” he admits. “If it weren’t for my wife, I might not be alive today. I know that sounds dramatic, but it’s the truth.”

Eric Roberts will be signing copies of his memoir, “Runaway Train,” at 7 p.m. Sept. 25 at Barnes & Noble at the Grove in L.A.