Highlights
- Eric Roberts' career took a hit in the 1990s, but he made a comeback through music videos, earning a sizable net worth.
- His music video appearances led to better roles in blockbuster films like The Dark Knight, The Expendables, and Babylon.
- Roberts has given financial advice to some of the artists he's worked with.
Eric Roberts was one of the most exciting actors of the 1980s. He was nominated for a Golden Globe for his film debut, King of the Gypsies (1978) and nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in Runaway Train (1985). His career slowed down in the following decade, however, as his sister Julia Roberts surpassed him in fame.
Roberts' career may have waned during the 1990s, but the actor managed to rebound and amass a sizable net worth due to his work in an unlikely medium: music videos. He became a music video heavyweight during the 21st century, and his massive earnings may surprise even the most die-hard fans.
Eric Roberts Credits Music Video Roles With Restoring His $2 Million Net Worth
Eric Roberts was a sought-after actor for many years. According to a Vanity Fair profile, however, the actor's drug addiction derailed his career, and led to him getting arrested for cocaine possession in 1987. He didn't spend time in prison, but he received far fewer roles, and eventually found himself struggling to pay the bills.
Roberts began taking supporting roles in less-than-stellar films, but things really turned around for him in 2004, when he made the pivot to high-profile roles in popular music videos. The first video he appeared in was "Mr. Brightside" by The Killers, and the success of the video led to Roberts becoming a sought-after name for the second time.
There have been conflicting reports of Roberts' rate per day, with most estimates being placed between $3,600 to $5K, but given the pedigree of the artists that he's worked with, it's safe to assume that he earned even more from his eight music video appearances:
Music Video | Artist | Year |
"Mr. Brightside" | The Killers | 2004 |
"It's Like That" | Mariah Carey | 2005 |
"We Belong Together" | Mariah Carey | 2005 |
"Hey You" | Godhead | 2006 |
"Smack That" | Akon & Eminem | 2006 |
"Miss Atomic Bomb" | The Killers | 2012 |
"The Black Veil" | Angelica Agurbash | 2014 |
"B**ch Better Have My Money" | Rihanna | 2015 |
The music videos proved excellent for business. They not only increased Roberts' profile, but they got him paid and allowed him to negotiate better salaries and better parts in blockbuster films like The Dark Knight (2008), The Expendables (2010), and Babylon (2022).
RelatedThe Truth About Emma Roberts' Relationship With Her Mother
There's no doubt that the Roberts family has its fair share of drama.Eric Roberts bordered on destitute for several years, but the actor has pulled off a remarkable comeback in terms of both his career and his bank account. According to Celebrity Net Worth, the actor is worth an estimated $2 million in 2024.
Eric Roberts Was Embarrassed To Make Music Videos Before His Wife Encouraged Him
Eric Roberts may not have been a Hollywood star in the 1990s, but he was actually a huge star in Russia thanks to his Oscar-nominated performance in Runaway Train. When the actor voiced his support for Ukraine in the face of Vladimir Putin's invasion, however, he was cut off from the country's industry and forced to find sources of income.
RelatedEmma Roberts' Most Profitable Movie Roles, Ranked
Hailing from a famous family and as Julia Roberts' niece, there was no doubt that Emma Roberts would make it in Hollywood."That was half my income, from working in Russia," Roberts told The Hollywood Reporter. "I go to other places now." These so-called "other places" turned out to be music videos, but the actor was initially hesitant to make the jump to the small screen.
He was worried that acting in music videos would sink his credibility as a film actor, and it took the convincing of his wife, Eliza Roberts, to get him to change his mind. He admitted to Vanity Fair that his gut reaction was wrong:
"I get offered a video. I say instantly, No. My wife says, 'Of course you’re doing it.' And it’s a huge hit... So I was like a lucky charm for a while. I got a whole new audience."
Roberts wasn't kidding when it came to being a "lucky charm." The songs that accompany his music videos have had a staggeringly high hit rate, with many of them peaking within the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Song | Artist | Hot 100 Peak (According To Billboard) |
"Mr. Brightside" | The Killers | 10 |
"It's Like That" | Mariah Carey | 16 |
"We Belong Together" | Mariah Carey | 1 |
"Hey You" | Godhead | N/A |
"Smack That" | Akon & Eminem | 2 |
"Miss Atomic Bomb" | The Killers | N/A |
"The Black Veil" | Angelica Agurbash | N/A |
"B**ch Better Have My Money" | Rihanna | 15 |
Eliza Roberts told Vanity Fair that her husband's prolific output, both in terms of films and music videos, resulted in mockery from others, but the couple came to realize that he was most happy when he was working.
Eliza, for her part, championed every music video that Roberts made, and the actor came to love his "king of the music video" crown:
I went from being a joke that’ll do anything to being 'Is there anything he can’t do?'"
Eric Roberts Has Given Financial Advice To Some Of The Artists He Works With
Eric Roberts has managed to rebuild his career as an actor, and even accumulated a few accolades for his music video work. He was nominated for an impressive six VMA Awards in 2006, and told MTV News that he enjoyed the challenges of learning how to act for a different medium.
Roberts has become wiser with age, and he told MTV News that his interactions with artists like Akon and The Killers resulted in him giving financial advice. More specifically, advice on what not to do with their sizable earnings:
"They're unpretentious and they asked me, 'So, like, what's it like when you get rich?' and I said, 'Well you're going to want to spend it all at once, but don't.'"
Roberts claimed that a specific conversation with The Killers led to them asking what good the money they were making was if they couldn't spend it, and the actor, who had burned through his fair share of cash during the 1980s, responded:
"You don't spend it all at once. Have fun -- and invest."
RelatedWhy Julia Roberts Tried To Take Emma Roberts Away From Her Father
Acclaimed actor Julia Roberts had an extremely complicated relationship with her brother, Eric, who happens to be Emma Roberts' father.Eric Roberts may never attain the astronomical fame or wealth of his sister, Julia Roberts (whose net worth currently sits at $250 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth), or even his daughter, Emma Roberts (who Celebrity Net Worth values at $25 million) but he's managed a remarkable comeback and is revered in both film and music video circles.
Not a bad legacy.
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