In the early 1980s, Eric Roberts’ work in films such as Star 80, Runaway Train and The Pope of Greenwich Village made him one of the new young lions of the silver screen. “From the time I was 8 or 9, I knew that I was going to be an actor,” Eric, 68, tells Closer. His latest project, Hippo, is a coming-of-age story about two step-siblings enduring unrequited love, the threat of the unknown and the chaos of mental illness together. “Hippo is precious, and I’m very proud to have been a part of it,” says Eric, who narrates the film.
Last September, Eric also released his deeply personal memoir, Runaway Train: or, the Story of My Life So Far. In it, he talks about the abuse he suffered at his father’s hands, his early stardom, and his recovery from addiction. He also talks about his quest to make amends with his sister Julia Roberts and daughter, actress Emma Roberts. “This chapter in my life is about patience and understanding,” he explains.
How did you decide to become an actor?
“I had a terrible stutter as a little boy, but I learned that when I memorized things, I could speak freely as long as it was what I had memorized. That’s how it started. Then I got into playing other people with dialects, and it got to be a hobby. By the time I was 9, I considered myself pretty good at it.”
Is there any piece of advice you wish you could go back and tell your younger self?
“I would tell my younger self that even the people who say things that are not correct have something to offer you. If they feel they have to tell you something, there’s a reason behind that. So even when they’re wrong, they’re of value. Listen.”
Do you have a motto that you live by?
“There’s something I’ve learned to say every day to myself: ‘When in doubt — give.’ It’s worked for me. I talk about it in my book, Runaway Train.”
Was writing your memoir a good experience?
“I had been told it was going to be cathartic, but it was painful. I got a three-dimensional point of view of myself that disappointed me somewhat. I don’t think I am heroic, and I don’t think I am brilliant, and I don’t think I am all the things that I should be, but I learned that I’m not a bad guy either.”
You wrote about your relationship with your abusive father. Did you learn anything from looking back?
“You have to remember that when people behave badly it’s probably because they were treated badly. So, you can’t hate them. You just have to understand them. You have to try kindness everywhere you can. If you’re not allowed to, then you have to move on. But if you are allowed to, you must try kindness. Kindness saved my life, and so I’m all for it.”
You named your memoir after your 1985 movie Runaway Train. The film was about two escaped convicts on the run in Alaska. What do you remember most about that shoot?
“They had to drop us off in the tundra by a helicopter so there would be no tracks in the aerial shot. You’d see just the desolation of the place. And they used Jon [Voight] and I, not stuntmen! They’d drop us and say, ‘It’s going to be 30 seconds,’ but it was like 30 minutes. It was awful.
Jon is maybe one of my two or three favorite actors I’ve ever worked with — and that’s some tough company. But he’s an incredible, incredible actor. We had a very hard time on this movie, but he never broke character. He stayed in character the whole time, and he took me with him. I will always treasure that with Jon.”
You’ve got more than 700 film and TV credits to your name. Is there a passion project you’d still like to pursue?
“There is. I’d like to play [Russian ballet legend Rudolf] Nureyev. I want to play Nureyev after he stopped dancing. He was a tragic figure, but he was one of the bravest, most courageous artists. He was gay at a time in Russia that you could not be gay. It was not allowed. I’d like to play him.”
You recently competed on Dancing With the Stars. What was that like?
“It was the most frightening thing I have ever done in my entire life! I got over stage fright 35 years ago, but when you get the image of 40 million people watching you, it’s absolutely frightening. But I did it for my wife, who is a big fan of the show.”
What drew you to the narrator role in Hippo?
“Well, the script itself. But also, my wife was involved in this project. She is one of my two or three favorite actors on the planet — not because she’s my wife but because she’s this great actor. I love my wife’s work, and so that also drew me. But it was just a great story.”
Have you and Eliza collaborated before?
“Sure, about 30 or 40 times. It’s my favorite thing. [Laughs] She’s my favorite person, she’s my favorite talent, and she’s my roommate.”
You’ve been married 32 years. What’s your secret for happiness?
“Honesty is a big deal. Honesty and, of course, sex. If you have those two things, you have what you need to have a long, happy marriage.”
What’s the best thing you’ve learned from your wife?
“Patience. She’s taught this impatient man patience.”
What are you most proud of?
“The relationship I have with my oldest grandchild, Georgia. She’s 5 and we have a real relationship that’s very intense, involved, rambunctious and fun. And she’s smarter than I am, so it’s handy. We do a lot of make-believe together.”
Do you have any hobbies?
“For the past decade, I have had no time to myself at all, except for sitting at my desk and prepping for what I have coming up next. I’ve been lucky. My wife comes to me many times a day with offers from all over the world. I was thinking [my career] would last a minute, but that was 30 years ago. It’s ridiculous, it’s fun, and it’s what I do for a living. I thank my higher power that I still can.”
