Christian Slater

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Christian Slater
Christian Slater in 2004
Born
Christian Michael Leonard Hawkins

Christian Slater (born August 18, 1969) is an American actor who has starred in films such as Heathers, Kuffs, True Romance and He Was a Quiet Man.

Biography

Early life

Slater was born Christian Michael Leonard Hawkins in New York, New York, the son of Mary Jo Slater, a casting executive, and Michael Hawkins, an actor who was also known as Michael Gainsborough.[1] Slater has a half-brother, Ryan, who is also an actor.[2] Slater attended the Dalton School, the Professional Children's School and the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts.[2]

He has been erroneously thought to be related to Helen Slater. In addition to their shared professional surname (his birth name is Hawkins), the myth is further fueled by their portrayal of sister and brother in The Legend of Billie Jean. Additionally, the DVD of Supergirl, featuring Helen Slater, included a critic's review which wrongly stated she is his sister.

Career

Following a run on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live, he 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. He made his big screen debut in 1985 in the film The Legend of Billie Jean. He had significant roles in the 1986 mystery film The Name of the Rose, the 1989 dark comedy Heathers, and the 1990 teen film Pump Up the Volume. His most notable roles from the '90s include the role of outlaw Will Scarlet in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves in 1991, Elvis-obsessed Clarence Worley in True Romance in 1993, reporter Daniel Molloy in Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles in 1994 and Air Force pilot Riley Hale in Broken Arrow in 1996. In 2006, he appeared as the main character in Hollow Man 2, replacing Kevin Bacon in the starring role, the sequel to Paul Verhoeven's Hollow Man (2000), and also appeared in the 2007 film He Was a Quiet Man. Slater made a cameo in the Joaquin Phoenix directed video "Tired of Being Sorry" for Balthazar Getty's band Ringside.

In recent years, Slater has gone from being a box-office leading man to starring in direct-to-video films and other low-budget projects. In 2004 he returned to the stage, playing Randle P. McMurphy in the play One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest at the Edinburgh Fringe. He twice contracted chicken pox, delaying the show's opening.[3] While continuing to appear in this play in London's West End, Slater was asked to play the role of John Watson aka Wonko the Sane for the BBC Radio 4 adaptation of So Long, and Thanks For All the Fish, produced by Above the Title Productions. In 2005 and 2006 Slater returned to the stage and London to play McMurphy in Cuckoo's Nest. Slater is the advertising voice of Panasonic on radio and television ads.[4]

On January 20, 2006, Slater was the guest host for an episode in the second series of The Friday Night Project for Channel 4 in the United Kingdom. He appeared in the booth of Monday Night Football on November 6, 2006 for the Oakland Raiders at a Seattle Seahawks game.

From October 5, 2007, until January 19, 2008, Slater stars as Buddy Ackerman in the West End production Swimming with Sharks at Vaudeville Theatre, London. A remake of the 1994 film starring Kevin Spacey, the play sees Slater star alongside Helen Baxendale.

Slater is currently involved in the filming of an action movie in Spokane, Washington. The film is tentatively titled "Alicia's Book." Also, NBC has announced that Slater would star in the pilot of a spy drama titled "My Own Worst Enemy", set to air in the 2008-2009 season. In July 2008 ,it was announced he will play Captain America in The First Avenger: Captain America and The Avengers.

Personal life

Slater has a well tabloid-publicized record of alcohol and drug abuse, and a series of high profile romantic relationships. He splits his time between New York City, Los Angeles, California, and London, England. He has two children by his ex-wife Ryan Haddon: Jaden Zach Haddon-Slater (born April 6, 1999), and Eliana Sophia (born August 15, 2001). Slater divorced Haddon in November 2006.[5]

He dated Christy Turlington in 1995.

Slater has had several altercations with the police and other authorities. On August 11, 1997, he was arrested by police in Los Angeles and charged with three counts of assault with a deadly weapon and one count of battery. Slater, drunk and high on heroin, punched his then-girlfriend, fashion editor Michelle Jonas, in the face at a party and bit a man who attempted to protect her. Slater did not go quietly, but hid in a stairwell and fought with officers, reportedly shouting, "The Germans are coming and they will kill us!" He then attacked a police officer. All the felony charges against him, however, were eventually dropped. He was sentenced to three months in prison and released for good behavior after serving 59 days. In 2003, his wife, Ryan Haddon, was arrested for beating up Slater at a Hard Rock Cafe while on a trip to Las Vegas, and he later received stitches.

Filmography

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Christian Slater.
  1. ^ Christian Slater Biography (1969-)
  2. ^ a b Christian Slater Biography - Yahoo! Movies
  3. ^ Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide
  4. ^ Panasonic Offers New Definition Of Plasma TV
  5. ^ Christian Slater divorced
  6. ^ The Ten Commandments : Epic Stories of the Bible

External links

Preceded by MTV Video Music Awards host
1993 		Succeeded by

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