Christian Slater Biography

Christian Michael Leonard Slater (born August 18, 1969) is an American actor. He made his film debut with a small role in The Postman Always Rings Twice before playing a leading role in the 1985 film The Legend of Billie Jean. He then played a monk's apprentice alongside Sean Connery in The Name of the Rose before gaining wider recognition for his breakthrough role in the cult film Heathers.

In the 1990s, Slater starred in many big budget films, including Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles, Broken Arrow, and Hard Rain. He was also featured in the cult film True Romance. Since 2000, Slater has combined work in the film business with television, including appearances in The West Wing and Alias and starring in Breaking In and Mind Games. Slater was married to Ryan Haddon between 2000 and 2005, and they had two children together. Slater has had widely publicized brushes with the law, including being sentenced to three months in jail for assault in 1997.

Early life

Slater was born in New York City. He is the son of Mary Jo Slater (née Lawton), an acting agent turned casting executive and producer, and Michael Hawkins (né Thomas Knight Slater), an actor who is also known as Michael Gainsborough. Slater has a maternal half-brother, Ryan Slater, who is also an actor. Slater attended the Dalton School, the Professional Children's School and the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts.

Career

Early career

Following a run on the ABC soap opera Ryan's Hope, Slater made his Broadway debut as the lisping Winthrop Paroo opposite Dick Van Dyke in the 1980 revival of The Music Man. Additional Broadway credits include Copperfield, Merlin, Macbeth, Side Man, and The Glass Menagerie. In addition he has performed in London's West End in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Swimming With Sharks.

Slater made his big screen debut in 1985's The Legend of Billie Jean playing Billie Jean's brother Binx. Though expected to be a big hit, the film fell short at the box office, despite gaining a cult following. His career improved with his role in The Name of the Rose in 1986 alongside Sean Connery. Slater played Connery's apprentice monk while they investigated a series of murders at a Benedictine abbey. Slater followed this by playing Junior Tucker in Francis Ford Coppola's Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988), Gleaming the Cube (1989) and Beyond the Stars (1989).

Slater's career rose to new heights when he played the dark character J.D. in the 1989 film Heathers alongside Winona Ryder. Heathers was billed as the teen film of the late '80s. Slater beat out many other actors such as Brad Pitt for the part and his performance drew comparison with a young Jack Nicholson. After Heathers, Slater became a major heartthrob and had offers to play more troubled youths, including as a rebellious teen in Pump Up the Volume (1990) and a wild gunman in Young Guns II (1990), in which Slater acted alongside Emilio Estevez and Kiefer Sutherland.

Box office success

In 1991 Slater was cast as Will Scarlett in the Hollywood big budget production of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves alongside Kevin Costner, Morgan Freeman and Alan Rickman. The film was a spectacular commercial success, taking US$390 million worldwide, and Slater became one of the major A-list stars of the 1990s. With Slater being a big Star Trek fan, he accepted a minor role in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, shortly after playing Charlie Luciano in the crime drama Mobsters. The following year he starred in the action comedy Kuffs, another successful film which garnered him many positive reviews.

In 1993, Slater tried to expand his film genre, playing opposite Marisa Tomei in Untamed Heart and playing Clarence Worley in the Quentin Tarantino penned cult classic True Romance, which received many rave reviews. In his review of True Romance Roger Ebert awarded the movie 3 stars out of 4 and commented, 'the energy and style of the movie are exhilarating. Christian Slater has the kind of cocky recklessness the movie needs.'

The part as the interviewer in Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994) came about after his friend River Phoenix, who originally had the role, died. Slater subsequently donated his earnings from the film to Phoenix's favorite charities. Slater played Riley Hale in the big budget John Woo film Broken Arrow (1996), which also starred John Travolta, before appearing in 1998 in Hard Rain alongside Morgan Freeman. The same year he also starred in the popular comedy opus Very Bad Things opposite Cameron Diaz.

Since 2000

After his highly publicised brushes with the law, Slater's standing as a major movie star began to fade. Since 2000 Slater has mixed TV work with leading roles in mainly lower budget films along with supporting roles in a few mainstream productions, appearing in the successful The West Wing and Alias TV productions, but also being part of Hollywood films, including Bobby and 3000 Miles to Graceland. He has also worked as a voice-over artist in productions, including the character of 'Pip' in the successful Australian animated film FernGully: The Last Rainforest, The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius and TV documentaries, including Prehistoric Planet and Dinosaur Planet. Slater also voiced the character John Watson a.k.a. "Wonko the Sane" in BBC Radio 4's production of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Slater starred in the television series My Own Worst Enemy in 2008 and The Forgotten in 2009

In 2011 he co-starred in the action film The River Murders, with Ray Liotta and Ving Rhames. Also in 2011, he starred in the television series, Breaking In, which lasted two seasons. Slater co-starred in another film with Ving Rhames, Soldiers of Fortune (2012), and in the Sylvester Stallone action thriller Bullet to the Head (2013), directed by Walter Hill. In 2013 he co-starred in the television series, Mind Games.

Personal life

In 2000, Slater married Ryan Haddon, the daughter of '70s model Dayle Haddon. The couple have two children, Jaden Christopher (born 1999) and Eliana Sophia (born 2001). In 2003, Haddon was arrested for assaulting Slater at a Hard Rock Cafe while on a trip to Las Vegas. Haddon allegedly threw a glass bottle and gashed Slater's neck open. Haddon was charged with domestic battery, booked at Las Vegas' Clark County Detention Center, and freed after posting a bond. Afterwards, Slater had to get 20 stitches on his neck. They announced a separation over Christmas 2004 while Slater was performing in a stage version of the film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest in London's West End. They officially separated in 2005 and divorced in 2007.

In 2007, Slater made news for stating that he is still in love with Heathers co-star Winona Ryder. He was once quoted as saying "Work is my hobby, staying sober is my job."

Arrests and convictions

In 1989, Slater was arrested for drunk driving and assault. He was sentenced to 10 days in jail.

In 1994, he was arrested when he tried to board a commercial plane with a gun in his luggage. He was sentenced to community service.

In 1997, Slater was convicted of assaulting his then-girlfriend, Michelle Jonas, and a police officer while under the influence of drugs and alcohol. He spent over 100 days in a rehabilitation facility while out on bail and then was sentenced to a three-month term in jail followed by three months in a residential rehab center.

On May 24, 2005, Slater was arrested in Manhattan, New York, after he allegedly sexually harassed a woman on the street. A video of Slater being arrested was recorded and shown on television. Slater was charged with third degree sexual abuse and was held at the 19th precinct in Manhattan. However, Slater denied the charge.

Charity work

Slater has been a supporter of several charities, including 21st Century Leaders, Global Green and Whatever It Takes, Slater appeared in an educational video on behalf of Nelson Mandela's 46664 charity for AIDS awareness. He has also worked to promote humanitarian work in South Africa. In 1994, Slater donated his paycheck from the film Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles to River Phoenix's favorite charities. Slater had taken a role in the film planned to be filled by Phoenix after the latter died in 1993. In early May 2009, Slater visited wounded and recovering soldiers of Walter Reed Army Medical Center for the USO. On December 10, 2009, Christian Slater visited Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where he contributed work for the television show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The episode aired on March 21, 2010.

Awards

Slater won two MTV Movie Awards in 1993, for "Most Desirable Male" and "Best Kiss" (with Marisa Tomei), both for the film Untamed Heart. He also won the Golden Slate for "Best Male Performance" for Very Bad Things.

Filmography

List of film credits

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1981	'
1985	'	Binx
1986	Twisted	Mark Collins
1986	'	Adso of Melk
1988	Tucker: The Man and His Dream	Preston Tucker, Jr.
1989	Beyond the Stars	Eric Michaels
1989	'	Nick Woods
1989	Heathers	J.D.
1989	Gleaming the Cube	Brian Kelly
1990	Tales From The Darkside: The Movie	Andy	Segment: Lot 249
1990	Pump Up The Volume	Mark Hunter
1990	Young Guns II	Dave Rudabaugh
1991	Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves	Will Scarlett
1991	Mobsters	Charlie "Lucky" Luciano
1991	Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country	Excelsior Communications Officer
1992	Kuffs	George Kuffs
1992	FernGully: The Last Rainforest	Pips	Voice
1993	Untamed Heart	Adam
1993	True Romance	Clarence Worley
1994	Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles	Daniel Molloy
1994	Jimmy Hollywood	William
1995	Murder in the First	James Stamphill
1996	Bed of Roses	Lewis Farrell
1996	Broken Arrow	Captain Riley Hale
1997	Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery	Easily Fooled Security Guard	Uncredited
1997	Julian Po	Julian Po
1997	Basil	John Mannion	Co-Producer
1998	Hard Rain	Tom	Co-Producer
1998	Very Bad Things	Robert Boyd	Executive Producer
1999	Love Stinks	Eddie	Uncredited
2000	'	Reginald Webster
2001	Who Is Cletis Tout?	Trevor Allen Finch
2001	3000 Miles to Graceland	Hanson
2002	Hard Cash	Thomas Taylor
2002	Windtalkers	Sgt. Pete "Ox" Henderson
2002	Prehistoric Planet	Narrator	Voice
2003	Dinosaur Planet	Narrator	Voice
2003	'	Jet Fusion	Voice
2003	Masked and Anonymous	Crew Guy #1
2004	Churchill: The Hollywood Years	Winston Churchill
2004	'	Daniel Clemens
2005	Alone in the Dark	Edward Carnby
2005	Mindhunters	J.D. Reston
2005	'	Tom Hanson	Executive Producer
2006	Crossing the Line	Himself	Documentary
2006	Bobby	Daryl Timmons
2006	Hollow Man 2	Michael Griffin/Hollow Man
2007	He Was a Quiet Man	Bob Maconel
2007	Slipstream	Ray / Matt Dodds / Patrolman #2
2007	'	Moses	Voice
2008	Love Lies Bleeding	Pollen
2008	Igor	Doctor Schadenfreude's Igor	Voice
2009	Dolan's Cadillac	Jimmy Dolan
2009	Lies & Illusions	Wes Wilson
2011	Sacrifice	Father Porter
2011	Soldiers of Fortune	Craig Mackenzie
2011	The River Murders	Agent Vuckovitch
2011	Guns, Girls and Gambling	John Smith
2012	Playback	Frank Lyons
2012	El Gringo	Lieutenant West
2012	Dawn Rider (remake)	"Cincinnati" John Mason	IMDB
2012	Rites of Passage	Delgado
2012	Back to the Sea	Jack	Voice role
2013	Bullet to the Head	Marcus Baptiste
2013	The Power of Few	Clyde
2013	Stranded	Col. Gerard Brauchman
2013	Assassins Run	Mikhail Gutseriev
2013	Nymphomaniac	Joe´s father	Post-production

List of television credits

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1984	Tales From The Darkside	Jody Tolliver	Episode: "A Case of the Stubborns"
1985	Ryan's Hope	D. J. LaSalle	6 episodes
1986	Crime Story	Teen Boy	Episode: "Old Friends, Dead Ends"
1986	'	Michael Winslow	Episode: "Joy Ride"
1988	L.A. Law	Andy Prescott	Episode: "Fetus Completus"
1991	Saturday Night Live	Himself/Host	1 Episode
1993	1993 MTV Video Music Awards	Himself/Host
1993	Saturday Night Live	Himself/Host	Second time hosting
2002	Alias	Neil Caplan	2 episodes
2002	The West Wing	Lt. Cmdr. Jack Reese	3 episodes
2003"2005	'	Jet Fusion	Voice, 2 episodes
2005"2008	Robot Chicken	Various	Voice, 4 episodes
2006	My Name is Earl	Woody	1 episode
2008	My Own Worst Enemy	Edward Albright / Henry Spivey	9 episodes
2009	'	Alex Donovan	17 episodes
2009	Curb Your Enthusiasm	Himself	1 episode
2010	The Office	Himself	1 episode
2011"2012	Breaking In	Oz	20 episodes
2011	Entourage	Himself	1 episode
2012	Phineas and Ferb	Paul the Delivery Guy	1 episode
2013	Out There	Johnny Slade	1 episode
2014	Mind Games	Ross Edwards	Series regular