Eriq La Salle
Eriq La Salle (born Erik Ki La Salle, July 23, 1962) is an American actor, director, writer and producer known for his portrayals of Darryl in the 1988 comedy film Coming to America and Dr. Peter Benton in the NBC drama series ER.
Early life and education
La Salle, one of four children, was born and raised in Hartford, Connecticut, by his mother, Ada Haynes. He is an alumnus of the Artists Collective, Inc. in Hartford. He attended the Juilliard School's Drama Division for two years as a member of Group 13 (1980–84), 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.
Career
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.
In 1988, La Salle starred alongside Eddie Murphy in the movie Coming to America.
