Eriq La Salle

Erik Ki La Salle (born July 23, 1962), professionally known as Eriq La Salle, is an American actor, director, writer and producer known for his performances in the films Coming to America (1988) and especially as Dr. Peter Benton in the NBC medical drama ER (1994–2002; 2008–2009) which earned him three NAACP Image Awards and nominations for a Golden Globe Award and three Primetime Emmy Awards.

Eriq La Salle
La Salle in 1998
Born
Erik Ki La Salle

(1962-07-23) July 23, 1962
Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.
Education
OccupationActor, director, writer, producer
Years active1985–present

Early life

La Salle, one of four children, was born and raised in Hartford, Connecticut, by his mother, Ada Haynes.[1] He is an alumnus of Weaver High School and the Artists Collective, Inc. in Hartford. He attended the Juilliard School's Drama Division for two years as a member of Group 13 (1980–84),[2] then attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Graduate Acting Program[3] in 1984.[4][5]

Career

At the time of his graduation from NYU, La Salle was cast in Joseph Papp's Shakespeare in the Park production of Henry V.[3] Soon after, he found continuous acting work on Broadway, off-Broadway and in several daytime TV dramas including One Life to Live, where he played the reporter Mike Rivers.

In 1988, La Salle starred alongside Eddie Murphy in the movie Coming to America as Darryl Jenks.

In 1994 the medical drama ER premiered on NBC with La Salle starring as Dr. Peter Benton. He held the role until leaving during the eighth season. He returned to ER for three episodes during its 15th and final season, including his uncredited appearance as himself in the opening of "Heal Thyself" to tell the audience of the death of the show's creator Michael Crichton. Also during season 15, he returned to direct an episode.[6]

On January 31, 2003 he made a cameo appearance in Biker Boyz as an Slick Will, a mechanic for a legendary motorcycle racer, "The King of Cali", Smoke.

He played a Jamaican gangster in the independent film Johnny Was[7] opposite Vinnie Jones, Samantha Mumba, Lennox Lewis, and Roger Daltrey. La Salle lived in Belfast, for four weeks while filming the movie, which he supported at the North American premiere of the film in 2006, at the American Black Film Festival in Miami.

La Salle starred in the Hallmark Channel original movie, Relative Stranger, which premiered on March 14, 2009. Also in the movie were Cicely Tyson as well as La Salle's former ER castmates Michael Michele (Dr. Cleo Finch) and Michael Beach (Al Boulet). In 2010, La Salle played the United Nations Secretary General in the series finale of 24 and guest-starred in an episode of Covert Affairs in August of the same year. In 2011, he played two recurring roles: one as a Caribbean community leader who rallied against the product Rasta Monsta in HBO's How to Make it in America, the second as the neuropsychiatrist E-Mo in CBS' A Gifted Man.

In 1996, La Salle made his directorial debut in the HBO made-for-TV movie Rebound: The Legend of Earl "The Goat" Manigault, starring Don Cheadle, James Earl Jones and Forest Whitaker, in which La Salle also played a pivotal role. Shortly after that, La Salle also directed the pilot for Soul Food: The Series on Showtime.

In 2002, he produced the feature film The Salton Sea, and in the same year, he produced, directed and starred in the movie Crazy as Hell. In 2003 he wrote, directed and starred in "Memphis", an episode of The Twilight Zone, and he has subsequently directed multiple episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,[8] CSI: NY, and Ringer as well as the 2012 Hallmark Channel movie Playing Father.

After several years spent both in front and behind the camera, Eriq La Salle decided to face a new angle of storytelling and, in 2012, published his first novel Laws of Depravity.[9]

In 2015, La Salle returned to television with a role in Under the Dome's third season, after having directed one episode of the second season. He directed an episode in the third season as well. He also had minor roles as an actor in CSI: Cyber (for which he also directed episodes), The Night Shift, Madam Secretary.[10]

In 2016, La Salle directed the episode "Wingman" in the Fox series Lucifer and the episode "Black and Blue" of TNT's Murder in the First. La Salle co-starred as Will Munson in the 2017 superhero film, Logan.[11] La Salle has also directed and produced multiple episodes of Chicago PD throughout its six seasons.

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1985 Rappin' Ice
Cut and Run Fargas
Out of the Darkness Bobby Television film
1986 Where Are the Children? Deputy Bernie Miles
1987 Five Corners Samuel Kemp
1988 What Price Victory Trumayne James Television film
Coming to America Darryl Jenks
1989 Magic Moments Dancing Guy Television film
When We Were Young Virgil Hawkins Television film
1990 Jacob's Ladder Frank
Hammer, Slammer, & Slade Jack Spade Television film
1991 Eyes of a Witness Mchumbo Television film
1993 Empty Cradle Detective Knoll Television film
1994 Color of Night Anderson
Drop Squad Bruford Jamison Jr
1996 Rebound: The Legend of Earl "The Goat" Manigault Diego
1999 Mind Prey Lucas Davenport Television film
2002 One Hour Photo Det. James Van Der Zee
Crazy as Hell Barnett
2003 Biker Boyz Tariq 'Slick Will' Uncredited
2005 The Seat Filler Alonso Grant Uncredited
Inside Out Doctor Peoples
Conviction Peter Seidman
2006 Johnny Was Julius
2009 Relative Stranger Walter Clemons Television film
MegaFault Charley 'Boomer' Baxter Television film
2017 Logan Will Munson

Television
Year Title Role Notes
1986 Spenser: For Hire Jeffrey Miller Episode 1.19: "Angel of Desolation"
One Life to Live Mike Rivers 1 episode
ABC Afterschool Special Charlie Episode 15.3: "Teen Father"
1987 Another World Charles Thompson 1 episode
Mariah Episode 1.1: "Equations"
Vietnam War Story K.C. Episode 1.1: "The Mine"
Leg Work Goro Asato Episode 1.8: "Mystery Woman"
1988 Knightwatch Derek D. Episode 1.3: "Codes"
1989 Gideon Oliver Ezra Episode 1.4: "By the Waters of Babylon"
1990 B.L. Stryker Mark Hastings Jr Episode 2.3: "Winner Takes All"
A Different World Prof. Paul Mann Episode 3.13: "The Power of the Pen"
1991 L.A. Law Kenny Webster Episode 5.19: "Speak, Lawyers, for Me"
Screenplay Eric Episode 6.5: "Murder in Oakland"
1992 Quantum Leap Bobby Lee Episode 4.15: "A Song for the Soul"
The Human Factor Michael Stoven 5 episodes
1994 Under Suspicion Det. LeBlanc Episode 1.1: "Pilot"
1994–2002, 2009 ER Dr Peter Benton 171 episodes
1998 Adventures from the Book of Virtues King Menelaus Episode 2.2: "Determination"
The Larry Sanders Show Himself Episode 6.7: "Beverly's Secret"
2003 The Twilight Zone Ray Ellison Episode: "Memphis"
The System Andrew Evans 9 episodes
2006 Without a Trace Aaron Gibbs Episode 5.6: "The Calm Before"
2010 24 UN Secretary General 2 episodes
Covert Affairs Christopher McAuley Episode 1.5: "In the Light"
2011 How to Make It in America Everton Thompson 3 episodes
2011–2012 A Gifted Man Evan 'E-Mo' Morris 5 episodes
2012 Blackout George Lumas 3 episodes
2013 We Need Help Police Officer
2014, 2015 Under the Dome Hektor Martin 5 episodes

As director or producer
Year Title Role Notes
1996 Rebound: The Legend of Earl "The Goat" Manigault Director Film
Psalms from the Underground Short film
1999 Mind Prey Producer Television film
2000 Soul Food Director Episode 1.1: "The More Things Change"
2002 The Salton Sea Film
Crazy as Hell Director and producer Film
2003 The Twilight Zone Director Episode: "Memphis"
2007 Without a Trace Episode 5.15: "Desert Springs"
2007, 2008 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit 2 episodes
2009 ER Episode 15.15: "Family Man"
Old Skool Executive producer Television special
2010 CSI: NY Director Episode 6.17: "Pot of Gold"
2011, 2012 Ringer 2 episodes
2012 A Gifted Man Episode 1.14: "In Case of Co-Dependants"
2013 Playing Father Television film
2014 Crisis Episode 1.11: "Best Laid Plans"
Madam Secretary Episode 1.5: "Blame Canada"
2014, 2015 The Night Shift 5 episodes
Under the Dome 2 episodes
2015, 2016 CSI: Cyber 3 episodes
2015 The Messengers Episode 1.5: "Eye in the Sky"
Rosewood Episode 1.4: "Vitamins and Vandals"
Battle Creek Episode 1.9: "Gingerbread Man"
2016 Lucifer Episode 1.7: "Wingman"
Once Upon a Time Episode 5.18: "Ruby Slippers"
Murder in the First Episode 3.3: "Black and Blue"
2016–present Chicago P.D. Director, executive producer and co-executive producer
2016, 2017 Chicago Med Director 2 episodes
2017 Chicago Justice Episode: 1.6: "Dead Meat"
APB Episode 1.8: "Fueling Fires"
The Quad Episode 1.8: "#TheCagedBirdSings"
Training Day Episode 1.13: "Elegy: Part 2"
The Librarians Episode 4.2: "And the Steal of Fortune"

Awards and nominations
Year Association Category Work Result
1995 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series ER Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Nominated
1996 Magnolia Stage Award Best Supporting Actor Won
NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Won
1997 Golden Globe Awards Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or Television Film Nominated
NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series Nominated
Online Film & Television Association Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Nominated
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Won
Viewers for Quality Television Best Supporting Actor in a Quality Drama Series Nominated
1998 NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series Nominated
Online Film & Television Association Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Nominated
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Won
1999 NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series Won
Online Film & Television Association Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Won
2000 NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series Won
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Nominated
2001 NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Nominated
2002 NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series Won
2003 Black Reel Awards Outstanding Independent Actor Crazy as Hell Won
Black Reel Awards Outstanding Independent Film Nominated
2009 NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Episode: PTSD

 Nominated
2010 Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special Relative Stranger Nominated

References
  1. "Eriq La Salle Biography – Yahoo! Movies".
  2. "Alumni News". The Juilliard School. April 2009. Archived from the original on November 11, 2011. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
  3. "ER Cast Biographies". NBC. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
  4. "NYU Graduate Acting Alumni: Eriq LaSalle ('84)". NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Retrieved December 1, 2011.
  5. "Eriq La Salle". All Movie Guide. The New York Times. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
  6. Eriq La Salle Back in the ER — to Direct" TV Guide. November 5, 2008. Retrieved on November 5, 2008.
  7. Johnny Was at MySpace.com
  8. Eriq La Salle at IMDb.com
  9. Laws of Depravity Archived August 5, 2012, at the Wayback Machine.
  10. Abrams, Natalie (April 23, 2015). "ER alum Eriq La Salle joins Under the Dome in season 3". Entertainment Weekly.
  11. Kroll, Justin (May 4, 2016). "Eriq Lasalle Joins Cast of 'Wolverine 3'". Variety. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
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