Biography for
Anthony Edwards (I) More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

19 July 1962, Santa Barbara, California, USA

Birth Name

Anthony Charles Edwards

Nickname

ACE

Height

6' 2" (1.88 m)

Mini Biography

Born to a well-blended family, Anthony Edwards was born in Santa Barbara, California, on July 19, 1962, the youngest of five children. Growing up as the son of an architect and an artist, his parents encouraged him to act at age 16, which eventually led him to attending a summer workshop in London before graduating from high school. Returning to the United States, Edwards worked in commercials, jobs that helped him pay his education at The University of Southern California, where he studied acting. However, he dropped out of college and, in that same year, he had a small role in the movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), starring Sean Penn. The movie was a box office smash and Edwards was looking forward to doing more films. His first movie role was that of teen-aged "John Muldowney" in Heart Like a Wheel (1983) and his first starring role as nerdy "Gilbert Lowell", in Revenge of the Nerds (1984).

Edwards didn't need to worry about being typecast as a socially-challenged loser. After starring in The Sure Thing (1985) and Gotcha! (1985), he landed another big-time successful movie Top Gun (1986), in which he played Tom Cruise's ill-fated easy-going navigator/best friend, Lt. Nick "Goose" Bradshaw. As Cruise rode Top Gun (1986) into the Hollywood stratosphere, Edwards also found his flight to stardom, at the same time. After Top Gun (1986), he reprised his role as Gilbert in the movie Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise (1987), before he starred in Summer Heat (1987). He also starred in Mr. North (1988), and Miracle Mile (1988), although they weren't too successful.

Edwards began working in TV movies and continued to star in more box office movies such as Hawks (1988), How I Got Into College (1989), Downtown (1990), Pet Sematary II (1992), Landslide (1992) and Delta Heat (1992). The '90s won Edwards his best reviews for his recurring role of the quirky "bubble man" Mike Monroe on the popular television series "Northern Exposure" (1990). He was nominated for a Cable Ace Award in HBO's Sexual Healing (1993), and the following year, he starred in Charlie's Ghost Story (1994), before he played law clerk "Clint Von Hooser" in the John Grisham movie The Client (1994). This led to his most prominent role, as easy-going charismatic physician "Dr. Mark Greene" on the very popular TV series "ER" (1994).

For his work on "ER" (1994), he was nominated for an Emmy Award four times For Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, but has never won. However, he has won a Golden Globe Award For Best Performance by an Actor-in-a-TV-Series, and was nominated four times, and also has two Screen Actor's Guild Awards. Prior to playing Dr. Greene, he also played bank breaker turned cold-blooded killer, "Dick Hickock" in the TV movie remake of Truman Capote's In Cold Blood (1996) (TV), which was the best TV movie of the 1996-97 season. During Edwards' hiatus on "ER" (1994), he went back to the box office circuit to star and to produce the movie Don't Go Breaking My Heart (1999), a complex movie which wasn't a big hit. Edwards, once again, returned to the set of "ER" (1994), and this time, he signed up for a salary that almost no actor could be paid, so his decision was to stay on the show for 3 more years and possibly to save the money in order to spend a lot of family time and to work on directing later.

His first big roles after "ER" (1994) were that of "Brains" in the movie Thunderbirds (2004), and as "Jim Paretta" in The Forgotten (2004). In the many years that he starred on "ER" (1994), that show gave him more success in working on and off the set. Also, it gave him a spiritual blessing that so many popular actors have had over the years.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Gary Richard Collins II (hugsarealwaysinorder@yahoo.com)

Spouse

Jeanine Lobell

(5 September 1994 - present) 4 children

Trivia

Nominated as "Best Actor" by Cable Ace for his part in "Sexual Healing" (2006).

Named as "Favorite Male Television Performer in a Series" by the People's Choice Awards.

Nominated for best actor by the Viewers for Quality Television.

Is an honorary board member of Access Theatre, a repertory acting company comprised of disabled artists. A documentary he directed about this group has received several awards and is being distributed in high schools around the United States.

Grew up and went to school with Eric Stoltz.

Had a relationship with Meg Ryan [1986-1987].

Graduated from University of Southern California with a BA in drama [1986 - 88]

Attended San Marcos High School in Santa Barbara, California and graduated in 1980 (as stated on wall of fame plaque in auditorium).

Has four children: Son Bailey (born June 1, 1994), daughters Esme and Wallis born (September 1, 2000) and daughter, Poppy (born March 15, 2002) with wife Jeanine Lobell.

His wife, Jeanine Lobell, is a respected & renowned make-up artist who also founded the Stila cosmetics line.

When he was a teenager, studied ballet with his childhood friend Eric Stoltz in Santa Barbara, California, so that "they could meet girls."

Was raised in "The Riviera", Santa Barbara's answer to Beverly Hills. His family belonged to the Riviera Country Club.

Has a cat named Nitro.

At 16, he appeared in dozens of plays

Is currently on the Board of Cure For Autism Now Foundation.

Is a longtime friend of Aimee Mann.

Owns his production company, Aviator Films

As a teenager he collected James Taylor's and Styx's tapes/records.

On an episode of "ER" (1994), he sang a song made popular by the rock group Styx, "Come Sail Away," when his TV wife gave birth to a baby girl. In real-life, growing up as a teenager, he was a big fan of Styx.

Moved to Manhattan, New York, in 2002

Spends every Thanksgiving with Helen Hunt.

Honda Civic was his very first car.

Was approached by Michael Crichton (author of "Jurassic Park") and producer John Wells to star in a two-hour pilot called "ER" (1994) after playing a lawyer in The Client (1994).

Plays basketball with friend George Clooney, who also co-starred with him on "ER" (1994).

Had lived on the same street that Lily Tomlin, Nicolas Cage and Patricia Arquette resided on.

Had watched every single Gene Kelly musical, which led him to becoming "a song and dance man".

Is a big fan of race car driving.

Is a big fan of "South Park" (1997).

Is good friends with James Garner.

Left his role in the 8th season of "ER" (1994) to spend more time with his family. Co-star, Noah Wyle did the same in the 10th season (though he has returned sporadically since).

Named "The Sexiest Man" in a prime-time series [1997].

His grandfather designed Walt Disney Studios in the 1930s.

His parents wouldn't allow him to watch prime-time TV as a teenager.

Driver of Pace Car at 84th Indianapolis 500, May 28, 2000.

Attended Santa Barbara Jr. High with Kathleen Wilhoite who co-starred in several episodes of "ER" (1994) as "Chloe Lewis".

Personal Quotes

There's really no point in having children if you're not going to be home enough to father them.

Flying back from New York, the flight attendant said, "God, I wished you were here yesterday, we had a stroke on the plane". I said, "If I have a stroke on a plane, I hope the pretend doctor isn't the one on the plane. I want a real doctor."

Browse biographies section by name

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z