Erik Ki La Salle (born July 23, 1962), professionally known as Eriq La
Salle, is an American actor, director, writer and producer known for
his performances in the films Coming to America (1988) and especially
as Dr. Peter Benton in the NBC medical drama ER (1994â€"2002;
2008â€"2009) which earned him three NAACP Image Awards and nominations
for a Golden Globe Award and three Primetime Emmy Awards.La Salle, one
of four children, was born and raised in Hartford, Connecticut, by his
mother, Ada Haynes. He is an alumnus of Weaver High School and the
Artists Collective, Inc. in Hartford. He attended the Juilliard
School's Drama Division for two years as a member of Group 13
(1980â€"84), then attended New York University's Tisch School of the
Arts, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Graduate
Acting Program in 1984.At the time of his graduation from NYU, La
Salle was cast in Joseph Papp's Shakespeare in the Park production of
Henry V. Soon after, he found continuous acting work on Broadway,
off-Broadway and in several daytime TV dramas including One Life to
Live, where he played the reporter Mike Rivers.
Salle, is an American actor, director, writer and producer known for
his performances in the films Coming to America (1988) and especially
as Dr. Peter Benton in the NBC medical drama ER (1994â€"2002;
2008â€"2009) which earned him three NAACP Image Awards and nominations
for a Golden Globe Award and three Primetime Emmy Awards.La Salle, one
of four children, was born and raised in Hartford, Connecticut, by his
mother, Ada Haynes. He is an alumnus of Weaver High School and the
Artists Collective, Inc. in Hartford. He attended the Juilliard
School's Drama Division for two years as a member of Group 13
(1980â€"84), then attended New York University's Tisch School of the
Arts, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Graduate
Acting Program in 1984.At the time of his graduation from NYU, La
Salle was cast in Joseph Papp's Shakespeare in the Park production of
Henry V. Soon after, he found continuous acting work on Broadway,
off-Broadway and in several daytime TV dramas including One Life to
Live, where he played the reporter Mike Rivers.
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