Christian Slater

Christian Michael Leonard Slater (born August 18, 1969) is an American actor. He made his film debut with a leading role in The Legend of Billie Jean and gained wider recognition for his breakout role as Jason "J.D." Dean, a sociopathic high school student, in the satire Heathers (1989).

In the 1990s Slater starred in a number of big-budget films, including Young Guns II (1990), Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), Interview with the Vampire (1994), Broken Arrow (1996), and Hard Rain (1998) as well as cult films like Gleaming the Cube (1989), Pump Up the Volume (1990) and True Romance (1993). He has had roles in other notable films, including The Name of the Rose (1986), Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988), Windtalkers (2002), Alone in the Dark (2005), Bobby (2006), He Was a Quiet Man (2007), Nymphomaniac (2013), The Wife (2017), We Can Be Heroes (2020), and Blink Twice (2024).

He received critical acclaim for playing the title role in the USA Network television series Mr. Robot (2015–2019): it earned him the 2016 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film, and additional nominations for that award in 2017 and 2018. For his role as Mulgarath in fantasy series The Spiderwick Chronicles (2024), Slater received the Children's and Family Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Performer.

In addition to his live-action roles, Slater has had an extensive voice-acting career, with roles including Pips in FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992), Slater in Archer (2014–2023), Ushari in The Lion Guard (2016–2019), Rand Ridley in Inside Job (2021–2022), and Floyd Lawton / Deadshot in the DC Animated Movie Universe.

Early life and education Slater was born on August 18, 1969, in New York City, the son of Michael Hawkins (born Thomas Knight Slater), an actor also known as Michael Gainsborough; and Mary Jo Slater (née Lawton), an actors’ agent turned casting executive and producer. He has a maternal half-brother, Ryan Slater, who also became an actor. His great-uncle was radio personality Bill Slater.

He attended the Dalton School, the Professional Children's School, and the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. Following a run on Ryan's Hope, he made his Broadway debut as the lisping Winthrop Paroo opposite Dick Van Dyke in the 1980 revival of The Music Man. Slater played Connery's apprentice monk, and they investigated a series of murders at a Benedictine abbey. Slater next played Junior Tucker in Francis Ford Coppola's Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988).

At the age of 18 Slater played the dark character J.D. in the 1989 film Heathers alongside Winona Ryder. Slater was chosen for the part over many other actors, including Brad Pitt, and his performance drew a comparison with a young Jack Nicholson. With Slater being a big Star Trek fan (in addition to his mother, Mary Jo Slater, serving as the casting director for the film), he accepted a cameo role in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, shortly after playing Charlie Luciano in the crime drama Mobsters. In the same year, he was the first choice for the role of Eric Draven in the movie The Crow, directed by Alex Proyas.

He gained the role of the interviewer Daniel Molloy in Interview with the Vampire (1994) after the death of his friend River Phoenix, who was originally cast.

Slater starred in the television series My Own Worst Enemy in 2008 and The Forgotten in 2009. In 2011, he co-starred in the action film The River Murders, with Ray Liotta and Ving Rhames. Also in 2011, he starred in the television series, Breaking In, which ran for two seasons. Slater co-starred with Rhames again in the film Soldiers of Fortune (2012), and in the Sylvester Stallone action thriller Bullet to the Head (2013), directed by Walter Hill. He co-starred in the 2014 television series, Mind Games, which was cancelled after five episodes were aired. He was part of the ensemble in Lars von Trier's controversial film, Nymphomaniac.

In October 2014 Slater signed on for his title role in the television series on USA Network Mr. Robot. Slater plays a computer hacker, "Mr. Robot," who recruits Rami Malek's character, Elliot, into Slater's band of hackers called fsociety. The series premiered on June 24, 2015, and concluded in 2019 with its fourth season. For his performance, he earned the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film in 2016, with additional nominations in 2017 and 2018.

Prior to beginning his role in Mr. Robot, Slater announced in 2013 that he was developing and making a film based on Will Viharo's 1993 neo-noir novel Love Stories Are Too Violent for Me, the first of three works to feature Vic Valentine. However, the success of Mr. Robot and contracts for additional seasons has delayed his being able to develop his adaptation.

Slater voices the character "Slater" on the FX original series Archer. He also provided the voice of Ushari the Egyptian Cobra in The Lion Guard. He also made a short film for HP called The Wolf, which shows how easily malware can spread on unprotected printers and computers. In 2018, Slater appeared in The Public, the latest film by Estevez. At the world premiere of the film at the Toronto Film Festival, Slater discussed his role, Josh Davis, with Ikon London Magazine: "He (Josh Davis) is definitely the character in the movie who represents that side of politics where he is not as open-hearted as you'd like him to be. He is definitely the guy who feels this is all a mess. And he is a law and order politician in this movie. So hopefully, he is the kind of guy you love to hate". From 2021 to 2022, he voiced the character Rand Ridley on the adult sci-fi animated sitcom Inside Job. The show's creator announced the cancellation of the show in January 2023.

He was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for television in 2025.

Personal life In 2000 Slater married Ryan Haddon, the daughter of model Dayle Haddon. They have two children, a son, Jaden Christopher, born in 1999, and a daughter, Eliana Sophia, born in 2001. Haddon allegedly threw a glass bottle and cut Slater's neck. The wound required 20 stitches. Haddon was charged with domestic battery, booked at Las Vegas' Clark County Detention Center, and freed after posting bond. They announced their separation over Christmas in 2004. Slater was living in London at the time, performing in a stage version of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. The couple officially separated in 2005 and divorced in 2007.

On December 2, 2013, Slater married Brittany Lopez in Florida after three years of dating. They have a daughter together, born in August 2019, and a son, born in July 2024.

Slater practices Kempo Karate and divides his time between Coconut Grove in Miami, Florida and Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan.

Legal issues Slater has had difficulties with substance abuse and has undergone treatment. In 1989, Slater was arrested for drunk driving. He was sentenced to ten days in jail.

In 1994, he was arrested when he tried to board a commercial plane with a gun in his baggage.

In 1997, Slater was convicted of punching his girlfriend, Michelle Jonas, and assaulting a police officer while under the influence of heroin, cocaine, and alcohol. He had consumed them for two days straight and had little to no sleep. Slater was charged with third-degree sexual abuse. The charges were later dropped due to lack of evidence and on the condition that Slater keep out of trouble for six months.

After becoming sober Slater said, "Work is my hobby, staying sober is my job". In a similar vein, he said, "Work is my job, and having adventures with my kids. My kids are all-important". The illusion of being very cool, that drinking is the hip thing to do and that you'll seem like Clark Gable. You go to a party and have a drink and feel like a superhero when the truth is you're looking rather foolish. Showing up for life 24/7 straight and sober can be tough if you're riddled with insecurities. Actually, the fastest way of knowing who you are is to know who you're not. Slater appeared in an educational video on behalf of Nelson Mandela’s 46664 charity for AIDS awareness. He has also worked to promote humanitarian work in South Africa. In early May 2009 Slater visited wounded and recovering soldiers of Walter Reed Army Medical Center for the USO.

Filmography

Film Slater speaking at the Mr. Robot panel during the 2015 PaleyFest

Television Year Title Role Notes 1981 Standing Room Only Billy Episode: "Sherlock Holmes" 1982 Pardon Me for Living Virgil Meade Television film 1983 ABC Weekend Special Billy Episode: "The Haunted Mansion Mystery" Living Proof: The Hank Williams Jr. Story Walt Willey Television film 1984 Tales from the Darkside Jody Tolliver Episode: "A Case of the Stubborns" 1984, 1986 All My Children Scotty, Caleb Thompson 1985 Ryan's Hope D. J. LaSalle 6 episodes1986 Crime Story Teen Boy Episode: "Old Friends, Dead Ends" The Equalizer Michael Winslow Episode: "Joyride" 1988 L.A. Law Andy Prescott Episode: "Fetus Completus" 1991, 1993 Saturday Night Live Himself Host; 2 episodes 1992 Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories Himself Narrator; Episode: There's a Nightmare in My Closet/There's an Alligator Under My Bed/There's Something in My Attic 1993 1993 MTV Video Music Awards Himself Host; Television special2002 Alias Neil Caplan 2 episodes The West Wing Lt. Cmdr. Jack Reese 3 episodes Great BooksNarrator Voice; Episode: "Inferno" 2002–2003 Prehistoric Planet Voice; Season 2 2003 Dinosaur Planet Voice; 4 episodes 2003, 2005 Jet Fusion Voice; 2 episodes 2024 The Spiderwick Chronicles Dr. Dorian Brauer / Mulgarath 8 episodes 2024–2025 Dexter: Original Sin Harry Morgan Main role Torrance Voice; post-production

Stage Year Title Role Venue 1978Mister Scrooge Tiny Tim Cratchit Trinity Theatre 1980 The Music Man Winthrop Paroo New York City Center 1981 Copperfield Billy Mowcher August Wilson Theatre 1982 Macbeth Macduff's Son Circle in the Square Theatre 1983 Merlin Young Merlin / Arthur Mark Hellinger Theatre 1984 Landscape of the Body Bert Yearn Second Stage Theatre 1999 Side Man Clifford Glimmer John Golden Theatre 2004–2005 One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Randle Patrick "Mac" McMurphy Gielgud Theatre 2005 The Glass Menagerie Tom Wingfield Ethel Barrymore Theatre 2006 One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Randle Patrick "Mac" McMurphy Garrick Theatre 2007–2008 Swimming with Sharks Buddy Ackerman Vaudeville Theatre 2015 Spamalot Sir Galahad The Hollywood Bowl 2017–2018 Glengarry Glen Ross Richard Roma Playhouse Theatre 2023 Gutenberg! The Musical! Producer (one night cameo) James Earl Jones Theatre 2025 Curse of the Starving Class Weston Tate Pershing Square Signature Center

Awards and nominations