Biography
Forceful yet smooth actor Eriq La Salle worked on the stage and on television before breaking into films, directing, and producing his own projects. He is perhaps best known for his role of the confident Dr. Peter Benton on the NBC series
ER, which has earned him several Emmy nominations. He grew up in New England and got a prestigious education at Juilliard and N.Y.U. Living in New York, he made a living doing Broadway, off-Broadway, and soap operas. He worked intermittently between film and television for a few years, with one of his first movies being the breakdancing drama
Rappin' with
Mario Van Peebles. During this time, he made numerous TV guest appearances, briefly joined the cast of the NBC soap
Another World, and played the role of Jeri-curled Darryl in
Coming to America. A couple TV movies later, he strayed away from comedy and got a small part in the drama
Jacob's Ladder. In 1991 he moved to L.A. for a part in the series
The Human Factor, giving him an introduction to the prolific world of medical dramas. He also played two detectives in a row for the thrillers
Empty Cradle and
Color of Night, and appeared in the crime series
Under Suspicion. In 1994, he joined the cast of
ER and got his first starring role in the drama Drop Squad, produced by
Spike Lee. In 1996, he made his directorial debut with the HBO movie
Rebound, about the life of basketball player Earl "The Goat" Manigault, which he also appeared in. The same year he directed the short film Psalms From the Underground. He moved on to producing for the made-for-TV thriller
Mind Prey, which he also starred in. Along with some small roles in
Biker Boyz and
One Hour Photo, 2002 saw La Salle make his first feature as director, producer, and star with the psychological thriller
Crazy as Hell. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide