Eriq La Salle was born in Hartford, Connecticut, USA on 23 July 1962 of African-American ancestry. He is best known as surgeon Peter Benton from the popular ‘90s drama “ER”, and also Darryl from the Eddie Murphy comedy film “Coming to America”.
A recognizable actor, director, and producer, how rich is Eriq La Salle? Sources estimate that Eriq’s net worth is around $25 million, as of early 2017. Among his assets is T-ranch shaped house in Bel-Air, which he bought for $3.03 million late in 2016.
Eriq La Salle Net Worth $25 million
Eriq La Salle grew up in Harford, where he went to Weaver High School. He was raised solely by a foster mother, Ada Haynes, who worked many different jobs in order to support their family. Eriq grew up as a minority in an area where the majority consisted of white people. His foster mother instilled in him the virtue of hard work and excellence; that he would have to work harder than whites just to be considered equal. He discovered acting after joining a local youth acting group when he was 14 years old, which sparked his passion and he decided that he would make acting his career. Fast forward a few years later, to when he was accepted into the prestigious Juilliard School in New York City where he developed his acting skills until graduation.
Eriq appeared in several on and off-Broadway shows in the 80’s, but also found the time to finish his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Graduate Program of New York University. However, his Hollywood career started only in 1985 when he landed a role in the daytime soap opera, “One Life to Live”. After a slew of minor projects, he landed a minor role as Darryl in the blockbuster comedy “Coming to America” in which he acted alongside comedian Eddie Murphy. He moved on towards other projects, including “The Human Factor” and “D.R.O.P. Squad” among others, before finally landing his big break with the 1994 hit TV drama “ER – this has been his most successful role and he acted in almost 200 episodes spanning 15 years, making a big impact on his net worth.
Although his ER role was his most popular, Eriq’s net worth can also be credited to many other sources. He is an aspiring director, and he has directed numerous TV series such as “CSI”, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” among others.
Outside Hollywood, he is also a fiction writer, having written thrillers “Laws of Depravity” and “Laws of Wrath.” Currently, Eriq is hard at work writing the third novel of his trilogy.
Not much is known about Eriq’s personal life. He was previously engaged to Angela Johnson back in 1998, but the wedding was called off, and he’s still single. Eriq attends various fund raisers such as the Places With No Name benefit auction, which supports the relief effort in Afghanistan, and conflicts on the African continent. Also, he is active in giving back to his former alma mater Weaver High School, where he gives inspirational talks and speeches to graduates.
