Eriq La Salle Biography: Awards, Books, Movies, Height, Ethnicity, Age, Net Worth, Siblings, Parents, Girlfriend

Eriq La Salle (born Erik Ki La Salle on July 23, 1962) is an American actor, director, writer, and producer whose career was propelled by his role as Darryl Jenks in the 1988 comedy Coming to America.

He reached even greater fame portraying Dr. Peter Benton on NBC’s medical drama ER (1994–2009), earning three Primetime Emmy nominations and solidifying his place in television history.

Beyond acting, La Salle has built a reputation as a director of prestige series from Law & Order: SVU to Chicago P.D. and as a bestselling novelist of crime thrillers.

Profile

• Full name: Erik Ki La Salle
• Date of birth: July 23, 1962
• Age: 63 years old
• Gender: Male
• Place of birth: Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.
• State of origin: Connecticut
• Nationality: American
• Profession: Actor; director; writer; producer
• Height: 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
• Eye color: Dark brown
• Hair color: Black
• Parents: Ada Haynes (mother)
• Siblings: One of four children
• Spouse: None
• Children: None
• Relationship status: Single
• Religion: N/A
• Ethnicity: African-American
• Net worth: US$25 million

Early Life and Education

Eriq La Salle (63 years old) was born and raised in Hartford, Connecticut, by his mother, Ada Haynes, and is one of four siblings. His father’s identity has not been publicly disclosed.

He attended Weaver High School and the Artists Collective, Inc. in Hartford before enrolling at The Juilliard School’s Drama Division (1980–1984) as part of Group 13. After two years at Juilliard, he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts in 1984.

Personal Life

La Salle has kept his personal life largely private. He was engaged in the 1990s to consultant Angela Johnson, but the engagement ended around 2000, and he has never married. He has no children and has not publicly discussed any subsequent relationships or his religious beliefs.

Career

La Salle made his screen debut in the mid-1980s with roles in Rappin’ (1985) and the soap opera One Life to Live (1985–1986), followed by guest spots on Spenser: For Hire (1986). His film breakthrough came as Darryl Jenks in Coming to America (1988). In 1994, he joined ER as Dr. Peter Benton, remaining a series regular until 2002 and returning for the finale in 2009.

His directing credits include episodes of ER, The Twilight Zone, Law & Order: SVU, CSI: NY, Soul Food, and Dick Wolf’s Chicago P.D. and Chicago Med. As a writer, he debuted with the thriller Laws of Depravity (2022) and followed with Laws of Wrath (2023) and Laws of Annihilation (2023).

Awards

• – Primetime Emmy Award nominations (3) – Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for ER (1995, 1996, 1997)
• – NAACP Image Awards (3 wins) – Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for ER
• – Golden Globe Award nomination – Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film for ER (1996)

Net Worth

Eriq La Salle’s net worth is estimated at US$25 million, earned through his long-running television roles, film appearances, directing fees, and income from his bestselling novels.

Social Media

• Instagram: @eriqlasalle
• X: @EriqLasalle23
• TikTok: @eriqlasalleauthor
• YouTube: @EriqLaSalleAuthor

Filmography

• Rappin’ (1985)
• Cut and Run (1985)
• One Life to Live (1985–1986)
• Spenser: For Hire (1986)
• Coming to America (1988)
• Jacob’s Ladder (1990)
• Color of Night (1993)
• Drop Squad (1994)
• ER (1994–2009)
• Pirates of Silicon Valley (1999)
• One Hour Photo (2002)
• The Librarian: Quest for the Spear (2004)
• The Librarian: Return to King Solomon’s Mines (2006)
• The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice (2008)
• Logan (2017)

Books

• Laws of Depravity (2022)
• Laws of Wrath (2023)
• Laws of Annihilation (2023