Hot off the heels of Donnie Wahlberg’s 52nd birthday Tuesday, actor Christian Slater celebrates his 52nd as well today. Acting nearly his whole life, Slater sports an impressive resume of soap operas and movie appearances.
Christian Michael Leonard Slater was born in New York City, New York on August 18, 1969. One could say he was destined to act, as his father was a soap actor. Not only that, but his mother was a casting agent.
Slater’s career started early, appearing in the soap opera “The Edge of Night” in 1976, at the age of seven. Up until the early 1980s, he starred in a number of Broadway shows.
Christian’s big break came in 1985, playing Binx Davey in “The Legend of Billie Jean.” Shortly after in 1987, he moved to Los Angeles after dropping out of high school to further his acting career. After starring in the movie “Heathers,” he developed a bit of a bad reputation, due to numerous run-ins with the law.
While Slater dated other Hollywood stars such as Winona Ryder, Samantha Mathis, and Christina Applegate, he married Ryan Haddon in 2000. Though they separated and divorced in early 2005, they continue to raise their two children, Jaden Christopher and Eliana Sophia, together.
Christian Slater’s Top Movies
Though mostly known for his roles on television on shows like “Mr. Robot” and “West Wing,” Slater boasts reputable, varied movie appearances too.
In 1990, he played Mark Hunter, a teenage DJ at an illegal underground radio station in “Pump Up The Volume.” Functioning as more than a mere DJ, Mark counseled schoolmates suffering from depression, bullying, harassment, and even suicidal thoughts because of the school’s principal.
In 1991, Slater took on a sci-fi role as an Excelsior Communication Officer in “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.” Starring with other Hollywood notables like Christopher Plummer and Kim Cattrall, the movie sits at 82% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Slater’s roles aren’t limited to live-action, however, as one of his highest-rated movies is “Suicide Squad: Hell To Pay” in 2018. For this animated film, Slater stars as Deadshot, one of the deadliest assassins in the DC universe.
However, Slater’s highest-rated movie is the 1993 movie “True Romance.” Scoring an impressive 93 on Rotten Tomatoes, Slater plays Clarence Worley in the praised crime film. A lonely comic-book store employee, Clarence’s life takes a dramatic turn after meeting Alabama, played by Patricia Arquette.
Clarence attempts to retrieve Alabama’s belongings from her former pimp, but accidentally takes a suitcase filled with cocaine. Fleeing to Los Angeles from Detroit, the pair try to escape the mafia, leading to an adventure.
His most recent work involved starring on “Mr. Robot” as the character Mr. Robot. Slater’s character was an anarchist in an underground hacker group, fsociety. The show concluded in 2019 and last four seasons.
