Despite his traditional, chiseled good looks, this chameleon-like actor has eschewed romantic leads in favor of more complex, often downright sleazy characters. With only a handful of small roles under his belt, he was a revelation as a magnetic and malicious businessman in the pitch-black 1997 indie
In the Company of Men, written and directed by his college buddy, Neil LaBute. The two went on to have a fruitful collaboration, with LaBute helping to showcase Eckhart's versatility by casting him in strikingly varied roles, including a dumpy, impotent husband (
Your Friends & Neighbors) and an aggressive American academic (
Possession). Although Eckhart reached a wider audience as the motorcycle-riding hunk who wins Julia Roberts' heart in
Erin Brockovich, most of his subsequent mainstream movies went bust (
The Core, Paycheck,
The Black Dahlia). But in 2006 he found a high-profile project that knew exactly how to capitalize on his talent for playing immoral characters with a winning smile, the satire
Thank You for Smoking. Eckhart won over the criticis with his dazzling turn as a charismatic lobbyist for the tobacco industry and earned his first Golden Globe nomination.
Aaron Eckhart Fast Facts:
- Lived all over the world as a teen, including California, England, Australia, France and Switzerland.
- Worked as a movie usher in Sydney, Australia.
- Joined Brigham Young University classmate and future director Neil LaBute in shuttling celebrities from Salt Lake City to the Sundance Film Festival.
- Has appeared in multiple LaBute films, including In the Company of Men (1997), Your Friends & Neighbors (1998), Nurse Betty (2000), Possession (2002) and The Wicker Man (2006).
- Aaron Eckhart Relationships:
- Andy Eckhart - Brother
- Emily Cline - Ex-fiancée
- Aaron Eckhart Awards:
- 2007 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy - Nominee
- College:
- Brigham Young University, Provo, UT (BFA in Film, 1994)
