# Eric Stoltz
**Eric Stoltz** (born 1961 in [Whittier, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/whittier-california)) is an American actor, producer, and director known for starring roles in *Mask* (1985) and *Some Kind of Wonderful* (1987), a body of 1990s independent films including *The Waterdance* and *Pulp Fiction*, and a second career as a television director that began in the early 2000s.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/eric_stoltz) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000655/fullcredits)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1961, Whittier, California[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/eric_stoltz) |
| Breakthrough | Roy "Rocky" Dennis in *Mask* (1985); Golden Globe nomination for best supporting actor[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000655/fullcredits) • [3](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/stoltz-eric-1961) |
| Back to the Future | Originally cast as Marty McFly and filmed for about five weeks before being replaced by Michael J. Fox[4](https://thewritingking.com/actor/eric-stoltz/) • [5](https://apnews.com/article/6bdd5edf39c6ab279fbb676f4b55a156) |
| Indie breakthrough | *The Waterdance* (1992), which won the Sundance audience award and two Independent Spirit Awards[6](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-09-04-ca-34630-story.html) |
| Signature 1994 role | Lance in *Pulp Fiction*; Independent Spirit Award nomination for best supporting actor[3](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/stoltz-eric-1961) |
| Directing career | Emmy-nominated debut *My Horrible Year!* (2001); directing producer of *Madam Secretary* and *Bull*[7](https://www.ericstoltz.org/) |
| Nominations | Golden Globe, Tony, Emmy, Independent Spirit Award, and Grammy[7](https://www.ericstoltz.org/) |
## Early life and training
Stoltz grew up in [Santa Barbara, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/santa-barbara-california), and in [American Samoa](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-samoa), and by age fourteen was earning money playing piano for local musical theater productions, including a production of *Mame* that featured [Anthony Edwards](https://www.edgepedia.org/anthony-edwards-ep8zmhhffp).[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000655/fullcredits) He attended the University of Southern California from 1979 to 1981, originally studying to be a pianist and working as a rehearsal accompanist for musicals, before dropping out in his junior year to join a repertory company that performed ten plays at the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000655/fullcredits) • [3](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/stoltz-eric-1961) • [8](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Eric-Stoltz/)
He relocated to New York in 1981, where he trained under [Stella Adler](https://www.edgepedia.org/stella-adler) and Peggy Feury, and it was not long before he made his film debut playing one of Jeff Spicoli's stoner friends in *Fast Times at Ridgemont High* (1982).[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000655/fullcredits) He and Edwards, who had both appeared in that film, became college roommates at USC.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000655/fullcredits)
## Acting career
The 1980s brought Stoltz his first major attention. He starred as Roy "Rocky" Dennis, a teenager with craniodiaphyseal dysplasia, in *Mask* (1985), a performance that earned a Golden Globe Award nomination for best supporting actor.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000655/fullcredits) • [3](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/stoltz-eric-1961) He followed it with the lead in John Hughes's *Some Kind of Wonderful* (1987) and roles in *Haunted Summer*, *Sister, Sister*, *The Fly II*, and *Say Anything...*.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000655/fullcredits) • [3](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/stoltz-eric-1961) In 1988 he made his Broadway debut in *Our Town*, for which he received a Tony Award nomination for best featured actor in a play.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000655/fullcredits) • [3](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/stoltz-eric-1961)
**The 1990s indie years.** Stoltz moved between stage and film through the decade, building a résumé that mixed studio pictures with independent ones. *The Waterdance* (1992), in which he played an embittered paraplegic writer, became a turning point: the film won the audience award at the [Sundance Film Festival](https://www.edgepedia.org/sundance-film-festival) and two [Independent Spirit Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/independent-spirit-awards) for best picture and screenplay, and a Los Angeles Times profile quoted [Quentin Tarantino](https://www.edgepedia.org/quentin-tarantino) observing that people began looking at "the kid in 'Mask'" as an adult.[6](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-09-04-ca-34630-story.html)
The year 1994 marked his high-profile run in independent cinema. He appeared in *Naked in New York*, *Killing Zoe* (as a murderous junkie in a Paris bank robbery), *Sleep with Me*, and *Pulp Fiction*, in which he played Lance, the drug dealer whose living room hosts the film's adrenaline-needle sequence; he received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for best supporting actor for the role.[9](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/eric-stoltz/) • [10](https://film.one/person/eric-stoltz) • [3](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/stoltz-eric-1961) Other 1990s credits include *Little Women* (1994, as John Brooke), *Rob Roy* (1995, as McDonald), *Kicking and Screaming*, *Grace of My Heart*, *Anaconda* (1997, as Dr. Steven Cale), and *The House of Mirth* (2000, as Lawrence Selden).[3](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/stoltz-eric-1961) • [11](https://catalog.afi.com/Person/255843-Eric-Stoltz) On television he had a recurring role as [Helen Hunt](https://www.edgepedia.org/helen-hunt)'s ex on *Mad About You*, a year on *Chicago Hope* (playing a Buddhist doctor), and roles in cable movies including *Inside* (1996, directed by [Arthur Penn](https://www.edgepedia.org/arthur-penn)) and *The Passion of Ayn Rand* (1999, opposite [Helen Mirren](https://www.edgepedia.org/helen-mirren)).[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000655/fullcredits) • [12](https://tricycle.org/magazine/chat-eric-stoltz/)
He also produced his own projects, including *Bodies, Rest & Motion* (1993), *Sleep with Me* (1994), and *Mr. Jealousy* (1997), in which he also starred.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000655/fullcredits) • [3](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/stoltz-eric-1961)
## Back to the Future
Stoltz was originally cast as [Marty McFly](https://www.edgepedia.org/marty-mcfly) in *Back to the Future* and filmed for about five weeks before director [Robert Zemeckis](https://www.edgepedia.org/robert-zemeckis) decided he was not right for the part and production restarted with [Michael J. Fox](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-j-fox).[4](https://thewritingking.com/actor/eric-stoltz/) • [5](https://apnews.com/article/6bdd5edf39c6ab279fbb676f4b55a156) Fox, stepping in while still appearing on *Family Ties*, described being thrown onto the set with no rehearsal: "I just showed up and then I was in a parking lot in the City of Industry."[5](https://apnews.com/article/6bdd5edf39c6ab279fbb676f4b55a156)
In a 2025 interview on the podcast *Inside of You*, co-star [Thomas F. Wilson](https://www.edgepedia.org/thomas-f-wilson), who played Biff Tannen, recalled that Stoltz took a method-heavy approach to the role, insisting on being called Marty by everyone on set, and that this created conflict between them; Wilson also noted that Stoltz was relaxed and friendly with Lea Thompson, his former *The Wild Life* co-star, which struck Wilson as selective.[13](https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/back-to-the-future-thomas-f-wilson-recalls-og-marty-mcfly-method-replaced) Stoltz later said of the firing, "What happened is that the director fired me. He didn't like my work," calling it "devastating" but adding that he survived it.[14](https://as.com/meristation/cine/michael-j-fox-fue-mal-recibido-por-una-actriz-de-regreso-al-futuro-tras-sustituir-a-eric-stoltz-fui-muy-altiva-n/) Decades later, in 2025, Fox and Stoltz met at Fox's office while Fox was researching his book *Future Boy*, and Fox described the conversation as warm: "It was just two guys talking."[15](https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/story-behind-what-happened-michael-j-fox-finally-met-back-to-the-future-og-marty-mcfly-eric-stoltz)
## Move to directing
Since 2002 Stoltz has concentrated mainly on directing. His first step behind the camera was a production assistant job on Cameron Crowe's *Say Anything* (1989), where he worked with first assistant director Jerry Ziesmer on four films.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000655/fullcredits) • [7](https://www.ericstoltz.org/) His directorial debut, the television movie *My Horrible Year!* (2001), brought a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for outstanding directing in a children's special.[3](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/stoltz-eric-1961) • [7](https://www.ericstoltz.org/)
**Television and features.** His episodic directing credits include multiple episodes of *Glee*, *Grey's Anatomy*, *Boston Legal*, *Nashville*, *Madam Secretary*, and *Bull*, as well as single episodes of *Law & Order*, *Nip/Tuck*, *Private Practice*, *Californication*, *Caprica*, *White Collar*, *Black Box*, and *How to Get Away with Murder*.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000655/fullcredits) • [7](https://www.ericstoltz.org/) • [16](https://www.adorocinema.com/personalidades/personalidade-18889/filmografia/) As the directing producer of *Madam Secretary* across all six seasons and *Bull* in its final two seasons, he oversaw the visual style and directed 25 episodes of those two series.[7](https://www.ericstoltz.org/) He has also directed two feature films, *Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk* (2017) and *Class Rank* (2018, starring Bruce Dern), both dealing with youth, loss, and love, and the short films *The Bulls* (2005, starring Chris Pine) and *The Grand Design* (2007, starring Frances Conroy).[7](https://www.ericstoltz.org/) • [1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/eric_stoltz)
## Recognition
Stoltz's nominations and awards span stage, screen, and audio. Along with the Golden Globe nomination for *Mask* and the Tony nomination for *Our Town*, he received a ShoWest Award as male star of tomorrow in 1985, a Theatre World Award in 1989, an Indie Supporter Award at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival in 1998, and the Daytime Emmy nomination for *My Horrible Year!*.[3](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/stoltz-eric-1961) He has also been nominated for a Grammy and won a Gold Lion at the Lions Health Awards in Cannes for his public service announcement "Mind Your Meds".[7](https://www.ericstoltz.org/) He is a member of the Actors Studio.[3](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/stoltz-eric-1961) • [7](https://www.ericstoltz.org/)
## References
1. [Eric Stoltz Movies & TV Shows List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/eric_stoltz)
2. [Eric Stoltz Biography and Credits, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000655/fullcredits)
3. [Stoltz, Eric 1961-, Encyclopedia.com](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/stoltz-eric-1961)
4. [Eric Stoltz: Film Reviews and Career, The Writing King](https://thewritingking.com/actor/eric-stoltz/)
5. [40 years later, Michael J. Fox looks back on 'Back to the Future', AP News](https://apnews.com/article/6bdd5edf39c6ab279fbb676f4b55a156)
6. [MOVIES: Unmasking Eric Stoltz, Los Angeles Times (1994)](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-09-04-ca-34630-story.html)
7. [Eric Stoltz, Director/Producer, ericstoltz.org](https://www.ericstoltz.org/)
8. [Eric Stoltz Bio, BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Eric-Stoltz/)
9. [Eric Stoltz, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/eric-stoltz/)
10. [Eric Stoltz, Fi1m](https://film.one/person/eric-stoltz)
11. [Eric Stoltz, AFI Catalog](https://catalog.afi.com/Person/255843-Eric-Stoltz)
12. [Chat with Eric Stoltz, Tricycle: The Buddhist Review](https://tricycle.org/magazine/chat-eric-stoltz/)
13. [Thomas F. Wilson Recalls OG Marty McFly Actor Going Method, CinemaBlend](https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/back-to-the-future-thomas-f-wilson-recalls-og-marty-mcfly-method-replaced)
14. [Michael J. Fox fue mal recibido tras sustituir a Eric Stoltz, AS.com](https://as.com/meristation/cine/michael-j-fox-fue-mal-recibido-por-una-actriz-de-regreso-al-futuro-tras-sustituir-a-eric-stoltz-fui-muy-altiva-n/)
15. [What Happened When Michael J. Fox Finally Met Back To The Future's Original Marty McFly Actor, CinemaBlend](https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/story-behind-what-happened-michael-j-fox-finally-met-back-to-the-future-og-marty-mcfly-eric-stoltz)
16. [Eric Stoltz Filmografia, AdoroCinema](https://www.adorocinema.com/personalidades/personalidade-18889/filmografia/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 1970s to 1990s › Surnames Sm to Su*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license