Biography
As the supremely confident surgeon Peter Benton on the long-running medical drama "ER" (NBC, 1994-2009), actor Eriq La Salle raised the performance bar on a series that featured a number of quality turns from other top actors. For eight seasons, he portrayed Dr. Benton and allowed the character to grow in various directions, all the while turning the actor into a bona fide star. Prior to "ER," La Salle appeared frequently on stage before …
Eriq La Salle SlideShow
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Career Milestones
| Made stage debut in the first of several productions for Joseph Papp's Shakespeare in the Park theater company | ||
1985 | Made feature film debut in "Rappin'" | |
1985 | Played reporter Mike Rivers in his first regular TV role, "One Life to Live" (ABC) | |
1988 | Cast as Darryl in the comedy film, "Coming to America" | |
1990 | Hired to co-star in "Love Field" opposite Michelle Pheiffer; fired after a few days of shooting and replaced by Dennis Haysbert | |
1994 | Portrayed Dr. Peter Benton on the first eight seasons of NBC's medical drama, "ER"; returned briefly for the final season in 2009 | |
1995 | Directed first short film, "Psalms From the Underground"; also wrote | |
1996 | Directed the HBO film, "Rebound: The Legend of Earl "The Goat" Manigault"; also acted | |
1997 | Formed Humble Journey Films; signed first-look production agreement with Warner Bros. | |
1998 | Played a detective in the ABC movie, "Mind Prey" | |
2000 | Directed pilot episode for the Showtime series, "Soul Food" | |
2002 | Feature directorial debut, "Crazy as Hell"; also starred and co-wrote screenplay | |
2002 | Had co-starring role with Robin Williams in "One Hour Photo"; screened at Sundance | |
2002 | Was an executive producer of the crime thriller, "The Salton Sea" | |
2006 | Played a Jamaican gangster in the acclaimed independent film, "Johnny Was" | |
2007 | Directed an episode of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (NBC); also had a cameo role | |
2009 | Co-starred in the Hallmark Channel original movie, "Relative Stranger" | |
Awards
1995 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in ER |
1995 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in ER |
1996 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in ER |
1997 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television in ER |
1997 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in ER |
1997 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in ER |
1998 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in ER |
1998 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in ER |
1999 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in ER |
2000 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in ER |
2001 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in ER |