Eric Stoltz

Eric Cameron Stoltz (born September 30, 1961) is an American actor, director and producer. He played Rocky Dennis in the biographical drama film Mask, which earned him the nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture. He was also nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male for his performance in Pulp Fiction (1994).

He has appeared in a wide variety of other films, including Some Kind of Wonderful (1987), Say Anything... (1989), The Waterdance (1992), Killing Zoe (1993), Little Women (1994), Rob Roy (1995), Kicking and Screaming (1995), Anaconda (1997), Mr. Jealousy (1997), and The Butterfly Effect (2004). Stoltz is also a prolific television director, most notably on Glee (2010–2014) and Madam Secretary (2014–2019).

Early life and education Stoltz was born in Whittier, California, the son of Evelyn , a violinist and schoolteacher, and Jack Stoltz, an elementary school teacher. He has two sisters.

Stoltz was raised in both American Samoa and Santa Barbara, California. He attended the University of Southern California, but dropped out after his junior year. He moved to New York in 1981 and studied acting with Stella Adler and Peggy Feury.

Career

In the 1970s, Stoltz joined a repertory company that performed ten plays at the Edinburgh Festival. He returned to the United States in 1979, when he entered USC as a drama student. He dropped out to pursue film and television roles.

In 1978, he was cast as Steve Benson in the television adaptation of Erma Bombeck's The Grass Is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank.

Director Cameron Crowe and Stoltz became friends when the latter appeared in his first feature film, Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982). Crowe wrote it and Stoltz had a minor role. According to Stoltz, Crowe promised Stoltz roles in all of his future films.

Stoltz was cast in each of Crowe's next four films, The Wild Life (1984), Say Anything... (1989), Singles (1992) and Jerry Maguire (1996).

In 1985, Stoltz received a Golden Globe nomination for starring performance as Rocky Dennis in Mask. Among his other roles in the 1980s, he appeared in the 1987 film Some Kind of Wonderful, written and produced by John Hughes.

Stoltz was originally cast as Marty McFly in Back to the Future. His view of the movie clashed, however, with that of the director, Robert Zemeckis. While the film was to become a sci-fi comedy (and box office smash hit), Stoltz had read the script from a more serious angle, apparently focusing on the tragic consequences of going back to live a life that was not one's own. Five weeks into shooting, Zemeckis replaced Stoltz with Michael J. Fox.

In 1989, Stoltz starred as the lead character of the sequel The Fly II. The movie was a hit, grossing approximately $38.9 million worldwide.

In the 1990s, Stoltz worked in stage, film and television, appearing in studio and independent films such as Memphis Belle (1990), The Waterdance (1992), Pulp Fiction (1994), Grace of My Heart (1996) and Anaconda (1997), and produced the films Bodies, Rest & Motion (1993), Sleep with Me (1994) and Mr. Jealousy (1997).

He continued to appear on the New York stage, both on Broadway (Three Sisters, Two Shakespearean Actors, Arms and the Man, Our Town) and off-Broadway (The Importance of Being Earnest, The Glass Menagerie, Sly Fox). He was nominated for a Tony Award as Featured Actor for his performance as George Gibbs in the 1989 Broadway revival of Thornton Wilder's Our Town.

A performance of this production was featured on Great Performances: Live from Lincoln Center, which received a 1989 Emmy nomination.

On television, he had a recurring role as Helen Hunt's character's ex-boyfriend on Mad About You (five episodes, 1994–1998), spent a year on Chicago Hope (1994) and did some television and cable films such as Inside (1996) (directed by Arthur Penn) and The Passion of Ayn Rand (1999), with Helen Mirren. Stoltz received the Indie Supporter Award at the 1998 Los Angeles Film Festival.

In 2000, he starred with Gillian Anderson in The House of Mirth (2000), based on the novel by Edith Wharton. From 2001 to 2002, he had a recurring role as the English teacher-poet August Dimitri in ABC's Once and Again, wherein Julia Whelan's character, a teenager, fell in love with his character. He directed an episode of the show in 2002.

In 2003, he played his first leading TV role in Out of Order, which was canceled after five episodes. At the same year, he also played Otto in When Zachary Beaver Came to Town, alongside Jonathan Lipnicki. In 2004, he appeared in The Butterfly Effect as a child molester; the following year, he guest-starred in the NBC sitcom Will & Grace as Debra Messing's love interest. He was nominated for a Daytime Emmy for his direction of the cable movie My Horrible Year! (2001). He also directed a short film entitled The Bulls

He has contributed essays to the books City Secrets--New York as well as Life Interrupted by Spalding Gray and appears on the children's CD Philadelphia Chickens.

Beginning in 2007, Stoltz directed episodes of the drama series Quarterlife, which began airing as webisodes and were then picked up to air on NBC in 2008. Stoltz played a serial killer in need of medical attention in three episodes of the fifth season of Grey's Anatomy. He has also directed two episodes of Grey's Anatomy.

Stoltz starred as Daniel Graystone, inventor of the Cylons, in the science fiction television series Caprica, a prequel set 58 years before the Battlestar Galactica series.

He became a regular director of the series Glee, directing a total of 12 episodes, including "Nationals", in which the Glee club finally wins the championship.

In the 2011 film Fort McCoy Stoltz played the leading role of a conflicted barber of German heritage forced to suppress his American patriotism after moving his family to a post–World War II military base housing a German POW camp.

Starting in 2014, Stoltz became the producing director of the CBS political drama series Madam Secretary. The following year he became one of its four executive producers, alongside Morgan Freeman and Barbara Hall and has directed more than 10 episodes, as well as starring alongside Téa Leoni in several episodes as her brother, Will Adams.

Personal life Stoltz and Bridget Fonda began dating in 1990. The relationship ended after eight years.

Stoltz married Bernadette Moley, a singer, in 2005. The couple have one child, a daughter.

Stoltz is a vegetarian.

Filmography

Actor

Film Year Title Role Notes 1982 Fast Times at Ridgemont High Stoner Bud 1984 Surf II Chuck Running Hot Danny Hicks The Wild Life Bill Conrad Back to the Future Marty McFly Unreleased scenes filmed over weeks in 1984 and recast except for one shot, where he hits Biff in the diner 1985 The New Kids Mark Mask Rocky Dennis Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture Code Name: Emerald Lt. Andy Wheeler 1987 Some Kind of Wonderful Keith Nelson Lionheart Robert Nerra Sister, Sister Matt Rutledge 1988 Greasy Lake The Narrator Direct-to-video Manifesto Christopher Haunted Summer Percy Shelley 1989 The Rachel Papers Guy at restaurant Uncredited The Fly II Martin Brundle Say Anything... Vahlere 1990 Memphis Belle Sgt. Danny "Danny Boy" Daly 1991 Money Franck Cimballi 1992 The Waterdance Joel Garcia Singles The Mime 1993 Bodies, Rest & Motion Sid Also producer Naked in New York Jake Briggs 1994 Killing Zoe Zed Pulp Fiction Lance Nominated—Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male Sleep with Me Joseph Also producer Little Women John Brooke 1995 Killing Time Stop N Start Manager Short film The Prophecy Simon Rob Roy Alan MacDonald Never Say Goodbye Aids Benefit by Yoko Ono Man From Hamptons Short film Fluke Jeff Newman Kicking and Screaming Chet 1996 Grace of My Heart Howard Cazsatt 2 Days in the Valley Wes Taylor Jerry Maguire Ethan Valhere 1996InsideMarty Strydom 1997 Keys to Tulsa Richter Boudreau Anaconda Dr. Steven Cale Mr. Jealousy Lester Grimm Also executive producer Highball Darien 1998 Hi-Life Jimmy The Rocking Horse Winner Uncle Joe Short film A Murder of Crows Thurman Parks III 2000 It's a Shame About Ray Mr. Stoltz Short film Jesus & Hutch Jesus The Simian Line Sam Donovan The House of Mirth Lawrence Selden 2001 Things Behind the Sun Dan Harvard Man Teddy Carter 2002 The Rules of Attraction Mr. Lawson 2003 Happy Hour Levine When Zachary Beaver Came to Town Otto 2004 The Butterfly Effect Mr. Miller Childstar Fresno Burnbaum 2005 Hello Max Short film The Honeymooners William Davis 2006 The Lather Effect Mickey Also associate producer 2007 The Grand Design Josh Short film; also executive producer 2009 Sparks Joseph Short film 2011 Fort McCoy Frank Stirn Also producer 2014 5 to 7 Galassi 2015 Larry Gaye: Renegade Male Flight Attendant Russ Peterson 2018 Her Smell Howard 2019 Lucky Day Authority Voice cameo

Television Year Title Role Notes 1978 James at 15 Jack Episode: "Hunter Country" The Grass Is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank Steve Benson Television film 1979 A New Kind of Family Burt Episode: Invasion of Privacy The Seekers First Boy Television film 1980 The Waltons Sr. Boy #1 Episode: "The Valediction" Eight Is Enough Kurt Harper Episode: "Finally Grad Night" 1981 Walking Tall David Coombs Episode: "The Killing of McNeal County's Children" Knots Landing Luke Episode: "Man of the Hour" The Violation of Sarah McDavid Pete Brady Television film 1982 Paper Dolls Steve Stratton Seven Brides for Seven Brothers Kevin Episode: "Challenges" 1983 The Fall Guy Little Juice Atkins Episode: "One Hundred Miles a Gallon" Love, Sidney Rick Episode: "The Movie" A Killer in the Family Ricky Tison Television film St. Elsewhere Eddie Carson 3 episodes 1984 Things Are Looking Up Neil 'Trout' Troutman Television film 1989 Great Performances George Gibbs Episode: "Our Town" 1990 American Playhouse Younger Edward Episode: "Sensibility and Sense" 1991 A Woman at War Franz Bueller Television film 1992 The Heart of Justice David Leader 1993 Foreign Affairs Fred Turner Frasier Don (voice) Episode: "Miracle On Third Or Fourth Street" 1994 Roommates Bill Thomas Television film 1994–1998 Mad About You Alan Tofsky 6 episodes 1995 Fallen Angels Nick Ballestier Episode: "A Dime a Dance" Partners Cameron Episode: "How Long Does It Take to Cook a 22-Pound Turkey?" 1996 Don't Look Back Jesse Parish Television film Inside Marty Strydom 1997 Homicide: Life on the Street Drew Kellerman Episode: "Wu's on First?" 1998 Blackout Effect John Dantley Television film 1998–1999 Hercules Theseus / The Grim Avenger (voices) 2 episodes Chicago Hope Dr. Robert Yeats 24 episodes 1999 The Passion of Ayn Rand Nathaniel Branden Television film Our Guys: Outrage at Glen Ridge Prosecutor Bob Laurino 2000 Common Ground Johnny Burroughs One Kill Capt. Wallker Randall The Last Dance Todd Cope 2001 My Horrible Year! Uncle Charlie Television film 2001–2002 Once and Again August Dimitri 7 episodes 2002 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Father Michael Sweeney Episode: "Silence" 2003 Out of Order Mark Colm 6 episodes 2005 Will & Grace Tom Cassidy 3 episodes The Triangle Howard Thomas 3 episodes 2007 Medium Sonny Troyer Episode: "We Had a Dream" Close to Home Det. Chris Veeder 3 episodes 2008 Blank Slate Sean Sullivan Television film 2009 Grey's Anatomy William Dunn 3 episodes 2009–2010 Caprica Daniel Graystone 18 episodes 2011 Leverage Alan Scott Episode: "The Long Way Down Job" 2013 Maron Danny Episode: "Projections" 2014 Blue Arthur 4 episodes 2014–2019 Madam Secretary Will Adams 11 episodes 2022 Bull Matthew Price 2 episodes 2022 The Good Fight Judge Meachem Episode: "The End of STR Laurie" 2024 The Girls on the Bus John Spencer Episode: "The Audacity of Nope" 2026 Law & Order Evan Cole Episode: Accident Like A Martyr

Director

Film Year Title Notes 2005 The Bulls Short film; also executive producer 2007 The Grand Design 2017 Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk Also producer Class Rank

Television Year Title Notes 2001 My Horrible Year! Television film 2002 Once and Again Episode: "Falling in Place" 2005 Law & Order Episode: "Tombstone" 2007 Boston Legal 2 episodes 2008 Quarterlife 2 episodes Grey's Anatomy 2 episodes 2009 Nip/Tuck Episode: "Lola Wlodkowski" 2009–2011 Private Practice 4 episodes 2010 Huge Episode: "Talent Night" Caprica Episode: "Unvanquished" 2010–2014 Glee 12 episodes 2011 Off the Map Episode: "On the Mean Streets of San Miguel" 2012 Californication Episode: "Love Song" White Collar Episode: "Ice Breaker" Made in Jersey Episode: "Ridgewell" 2013 Nashville 4 episodes 2014 How to Get Away with Murder Episode: "He deserved to die" Black Box 2 episodes Believe Episode: "Perception" 2014–2019 Madam Secretary 19 episodes; also co-executive producer and executive producer 2020–2022 Bull 6 episodes; also executive producer 2025 Countdown Episode: "Nothing Else Helps"