Eric Roberts, the older brother of Julia Roberts, is famous for taking almost any acting role he’s offered.
The elder Roberts, 67, has made acclaimed contributions from his breakout role Bob Fosse’s dark drama Star 80 to a late-career renaissance with important supporting roles in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, Paul Thomas Anderson’s Inherent Vice and Damien Chazelle’s Babylon.
And now the prolific actor – who is dad to AHS star Emma Roberts – is set to delve into his whirlwind career and personal struggles — including his tense relationship with his sister — in a new memoir.
However, one aspect of his career that might be overshadowed among his films is his work as an in-demand star of many hit music videos.
Eric has flexed his acting muscles in videos with some of the biggest music stars of the past few decades, including Mariah Carey, Ja Rule and The Killers.
As Eric is set to dish on his Hollywood career, DailyMail.com looks back at his iconic music video appearances…
Eric Roberts, 67, is one of the most prolific actors around, but did you know he has also starred in at least eight music videos? Ahead of the release of his upcoming memoir, DailyMail.com looks back at his many iconic cameos (seen in 2004’s Mr Brightside video)
Mariah Carey — It’s Like That
One of Roberts’ biggest collaborations to date in the music video realm has been with the pop diva Mariah Carey. He first worked with the 54-year-old songstress on her song It’s Like That, from her 2005 album The Emancipation Of Mimi
He appears to be playing the wealthy sugar daddy to Mariah’s character who is throwing a masked ball at his mansion, and he watches her on security cameras
But while he spies on her from a balcony, a masked man (Wentworth Miller) catches her eye, just before the video ends with, ‘To be continued…’
One of Roberts’ biggest collaborations to date in the music video realm has been with the pop diva Mariah Carey.
He first worked with the 54-year-old songstress on her song It’s Like That, from her 2005 album The Emancipation Of Mimi.
His part is somewhat limited in the video. He appears to be playing the wealthy sugar daddy to Mariah’s character who is throwing a masked ball at his mansion that looks as if it could evolve into an Eyes Wide Open situation at any moment.
As she dances with a group of masked men, Eric’s character sits up in his office behind a massive desk.
But he’s spying on her the whole time via banks of closed-circuit cameras.
And his obsessiveness isn’t completely unwarranted, as Mariah’s eye strays when a mysterious new masked man (played by Prison Break’s Wentworth Miller) arrives at the ball.
While Eric spies on his love from a balcony, Wentworth’s character removes his mask and catches Mariah’s eye, only for the video to end with the on-screen text: ‘To be continued…’
Mariah Carey — We Belong Together
Mariah’s follow-up single and video was her chart-topping hit We Belong Together, which was received as her comeback after a few uninspiring years. It’s revealed that she is about to get married to Roberts’ character from the previous video
As she walks down the aisle slowly, her mystery man from the previous video reappears sans mask and catches her eye
As Eric lifts her veil and the enormity of her decision dawns on her, Mariah suddenly dashes back down the aisle toward her new love
The veteran star is left looking shocked and defeated at the alter, and the video concludes with scenes of Mariah writhing around in bed solo
Mariah’s follow-up single and video was her chart-topping hit We Belong Together, which was received as her comeback after a few uninspiring years.
The singer is seen looking somber as she gets made-up in the mirror and has her hair done, and it’s revealed that she is about to get married to Roberts’ character from the previous video.
He doesn’t do anything particularly disturbing in this video, but Mariah’s facial expressions make it clear that she isn’t enthused about marrying him.
As she walks down the aisle slowly, her mystery man from the previous video reappears sans mask and catches her eye.
As Eric lifts her veil and the enormity of her decision dawns on her, Mariah suddenly dashes back down the aisle toward her new love.
The veteran star is left looking shocked and defeated at the alter, and the video concludes with scenes of Mariah writhing around in bed solo.
Ja Rule — Down A** Chick (featuring Charli Baltimore)
Eric has played a bevy of heavies and criminals in his film career, but he has also played law enforcement numerous times, which may have helped secure his role in Ja Rules 2002 music video Down A** Chick
The video opens as another detective brings him a file on Ja and Charli, though the crimes they’re accused of are intentionally vague. ‘Let’s go get ’em,’ he says
After catching Ja’s partner Charli during a burglary, he plays the good cop, but neither one has any success with Charli
After she does her time, Ja Rule meets her with a private jet, and they fly off to a beach somewhere. The video ends on a cliff hanger, as Eric and his partner have followed the two
They watch them through binoculars as they prepare to arrest them together
Eric has played a bevy of heavies and criminals in his film career, but he has also played law enforcement numerous times, which may have helped secure his role in Ja Rules 2002 music video Down A** Chick.
The video opens as another detective brings him a file on Ja and Charli, though the crimes they’re accused of are intentionally vague.
‘Let’s go get ’em,’ he says.
The musicians are revealed to be cat burglars as they’re seen breaking into a mansion and cracking a safe to steal a trove of diamonds.
But the security alarm goes off, and Ja Rules escaps, but Eric and his partner capture Charli and interrogate her.
He plays the good cop, but neither one has any success with Charli.
After she does her time, Ja Rule meets her with a private jet, and they fly off to a beach somewhere.
The video ends on a cliff hanger, as Eric and his partner have followed the two and are watching them through binoculars as they prepare to arrest them together.
Ja Rule — Down 4 U remix (featuring Ashanti, Charli Baltimore and Vita)
Eric returned for the hilarious opening of the video for the Down A** Chick remix, Down 4 U, which added Ashanti on the chorus and rapped verses from Charli and Vita
As the detective and his partner approach Ja and Charli from behind to cuff them, they realize that they have been duped by a pair of body doubles
‘Detective, correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought you had this,’ Eric seethes to his partner. ‘I thought you had this!’ his partner shoots back
‘No, no, no, I think you had this,’ Eric replies as they launch into a back and forth. His scene ends with him making a sheepish face at the camera
Eric returned for the hilarious opening of the video for the Down A** Chick remix, Down 4 U, which added Ashanti on the chorus and rapped verses from Charli and Vita.
As the detective and his partner approach Ja and Charli from behind to cuff them, they realize that they have been duped by a pair of body doubles.
‘Detective, correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought you had this,’ Eric seethes to his partner.
‘I thought you had this!’ his partner shoots back.
‘No, no, no, I think you had this,’ Eric replies as they launch into a back and forth.
His scene ends with him making a sheepish face at the camera.
Ja seems to be in the clear after the mixup, as he and the ladies party on the beach and on a yacht for the remainder of the video without any more interruptions from the police.
The Killers — Mr. Brightside
Eric changed things up with his appearance in The Killer’s video for their 2004 hit Mr. Brightside. The video features the band performing to a ballroom of wealthy, debauched figures in what looks like a burlesque show
Among the audience is Eric, who is depicted in a crimson robe as he leers at the band. He’s seen getting close to a woman who appears to be the romantic interest of singer Brandon Flowers
The two go into battle with a chess game, before Flowers upturns the board on the smirking Roberts before rejecting his unfaithful lover
Eric changed things up with his appearance in The Killer’s video for their 2004 hit Mr. Brightside.
The video features the band performing to a ballroom of wealthy, debauched figures in what looks like a burlesque show.
Among the audience is Eric, who is depicted in a crimson robe as he leers at the band.
He’s seen getting close to a woman covered in white grease paint with platinum curls, who also appears to be the romantic interest of singer Brandon Flowers.
The two go into battle with a chess game, before Flowers upturns the board on the smirking Roberts before rejecting his unfaithful lover.
The Killers — Miss Atomic Bomb
Roberts returned for the half animated, half live-action Miss Atomic Bomb. His animated character is a dance partner to Flowers’ love interest who appears to be having an affair with her
The live-action back half of the video reveals he was a jealous figment of Flowers’ imagination. He’s seen smoking by his car before disappearing into thin air
Roberts continued his habit of working with the same artists multiple times in the video for The Killer’s Miss Atomic Bomb, which was released in 2012.
At first, it appears as if he had just given permission to use his likeness, as the first half of the video is animated and we only see a cartoon version of the actor.
The animated portion shows a stand-in for Flowers falling in love with a dancer.
When they both perform at the Miss Atomic Bomb pageant — him as a musician and her as one of the dancing contestants — she and her dance partner Roberts are triumphant.
But Flowers’ jealousy goes into overdrive and he becomes convinced that the two are having an affair, which only gets worse when he visits her house and sees a car belonging to the dance partner.
But in the next live-action section, the animated portion is revealed to be a paranoid, jealous fantasy.
Eric is briefly seen in a double-breasted three-piece suit as he smokes against his car.
But then he vanishes into thin air, indicating that he was just a figment of Flowers’ jealous imagination.
Akon — Smack That (featuring Eminem)
Eric again plays a detective in Akon’s Smack That music video from 2006, which is a mini remake of Walter Hill’s classic buddy action comedy 48 Hrs. (1982)
While Akon is singing to himself in his prison cell, Roberts arrives to offer him a 24-hour supervised release if he’ll help him find a suspect
Akon accompanies Roberts to a club, where he connects with the woman Roberts is searching for, who appears to be a former lover. The two fly the coop while leaving the detective occupied with other women in the club
Eric again plays a detective in Akon’s Smack That music video from 2006, which is a mini remake of Walter Hill’s classic buddy action comedy 48 Hrs. (1982), which stars Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte.
While Akon is singing to himself in his prison cell, Roberts arrives to offer him a 24-hour supervised release if he’ll help him find a suspect.
He accompanies Roberts to a club, where Eminem joins the video for a guest verse.
But while at the club, Akon connects with the woman Roberts is searching for, who appears to be a former lover, and the two fly the coop while leaving the detective occupied with other women in the club.
Godhead — Hey You
One of Roberts’ less-heralded music video appearances was in the industrial metal band Godhead’s 2006 video for Hey You
The video opens with the band’s lead singer appearing to have a fight with his girlfriend before leaving. But then she receives a call from Eric, who appears to be some sort of crime boss
Roberts seems to put out a hit on a the singer, whose friends and bandmates then gang up on him and take him hostage so that the heavily armed mobster can drive him out to the desert
But just as it looks as if he’s about to shoot the singer and bury him under the sand, suddenly the singer issues a burst of unexplained energy from his hands, knocking over all of the people preparing to murder him
One of Roberts’ less-heralded music video appearances was in the industrial metal band Godhead’s 2006 video for Hey You.
The video opens with the band’s lead singer appearing to have a fight with his girlfriend before leaving.
But then she receives a call from Eric, who appears to be some sort of crime boss.
He walks with a cane and dramatically closes his flip phone after hanging up with her.
Roberts seems to put out a hit on a the singer, whose friends and bandmates then gang up on him and take him hostage so that the heavily armed mobster can drive him out to the desert.
But just as it looks as if he’s about to shoot the singer and bury him under the sand, suddenly the singer issues a burst of unexplained energy from his hands, knocking over all the people preparing to murder him.
He then drives home alone in Roberts’ car while his girlfriend reacts in anger as she somehow knows that he hasn’t been killed.