Eric Salter Balfour (born April 24, 1977) is an American actor and singer. He is the lead singer of Born as Ghosts, formerly known as Fredalba. He made his film debut in the drama ''
Shattered Image
''Shattered Image'' is a 1998 thriller film written by Duane Poole and directed by Chilean filmmaker Raúl Ruiz. It stars William Baldwin, Anne Parillaud and Lisanne Falk.
According to academic Michael Goddard, this is a confusing and surreal fi ...
'' (1998), followed by roles in ''
What Women Want
''What Women Want'' is a 2000 American romantic fantasy comedy film written by Josh Goldsmith, Cathy Yuspa, and Diane Drake, directed by Nancy Meyers, and starring Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt.
The film earned mixed reviews from critics but wa ...
'' (2000) and ''
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
''The Texas Chain Saw Massacre'' is a 1974 American horror film produced and directed by Tobe Hooper from a story and screenplay by Hooper and Kim Henkel. It stars Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow and Gunnar Hansen, ...
'' (2003). His roles on television include
Milo Pressman
Milo Pressman is a fictional character played by Eric Balfour on the show ''24 (TV series), 24''.
During the events of Day 6, Milo works as the Internet Protocol Manager of the Los Angeles 24 (TV series)#Counter Terrorist Unit, CTU Domestic Unit.
...
on the action-thriller TV series ''
24'', a recurring role in the
HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
drama ''
Six Feet Under'' as Gabriel Dimas, Duke Crocker in ''
Haven'', Eddie on ''
The OC
''The O.C. '' is an American teen drama television series created by Josh Schwartz that originally aired on the Fox network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 22, 2007, running a total of four seasons. "O.C." is an initiali ...
'', and as Boone in Country Comfort.
Early life
Balfour was born to a
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
family in Los Angeles, California, the son of David Balfour, a chiropractor, and Sharon (née Salter), who works as a marriage and family counselor. He has a younger sister, Tori.
He described his household growing up as "creative" and said that his family often made trips to the
Esalen Institute
The Esalen Institute, commonly called Esalen, is a non-profit American retreat center and intentional community in Big Sur, California, which focuses on humanistic alternative education. The institute played a key role in the Human Potential ...
in
Big Sur
Big Sur () is a rugged and mountainous section of the Central Coast of California between Carmel and San Simeon, where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean. It is frequently praised for its dramatic scenery. Big Sur ha ...
.
Career
Balfour appeared on the kids TV show ''
Kids Incorporated
''Kids Incorporated'' (also known as ''Kids Inc.'') is an American children's television program that began production in the mid-1980s and continued airing well into the early 1990s. It was largely a youth-oriented program with musical performan ...
'' for one season in 1991. During the early 1990s, he had a variety of minor juvenile roles on television series such as ''
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
''Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman'' is an American Western drama television series created and executive produced by Beth Sullivan and starring Jane Seymour, who plays Dr. Michaela Quinn, a physician who leaves Boston in search of adventure in the O ...
'', ''
Arresting Behavior'', ''
Boy Meets World
''Boy Meets World'' is an American coming-of-age sitcom created by Michael Jacobs and April Kelly that aired on ABC for seven seasons between September1993 and May2000. The series centers on Cory Matthews (Ben Savage) and his friends and famil ...
'' and ''
Step by Step''. In 1997, he appeared in the first two episodes of ''
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. It is based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film), 1992 film of the same name, also written by W ...
'' as
Jesse McNally
This article lists the major and recurring fictional characters created by Joss Whedon for the television series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer''. For detailed descriptions, see individual character pages.
Cast Main cast
The following characters we ...
, one of the show's first victims. Eric was a regular on the HBO series ''
Six Feet Under'' as
Gabriel Dimas in 2001. He appeared as a regular cast member in three short-lived TV shows. ''
Veritas: The Quest'' was cancelled after four episodes in 2003, ''
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
'' was canceled after seven episodes in 2004, and ''
Sex, Love & Secrets
''Sex, Love & Secrets'' is an American soap opera, created by Michael Gans and Richard Register, which originally aired on United Paramount Network (UPN) from September 27, 2005, to October 18, 2005. With an ensemble cast led by Denise Richard ...
'' was canceled after four episodes. Also in 2005, Balfour starred in the sexually explicit Canadian drama ''
Lie with Me'' opposite
Lauren Lee Smith
Lauren Lee Smith (born June 19, 1980) is a Canadian actress. She is known for her television roles, including Emma DeLauro in the syndicated science fiction drama '' Mutant X'', Riley Adams in the CBS forensics drama ''CSI: Crime Scene Investi ...
. In March 2006, Balfour debuted as Brian Peluso on producer
Dick Wolf
Richard Anthony Wolf (born December 20, 1946) is an American film and television producer, best known for his ''Law & Order'' franchise. Since 1990, the franchise has included six police/courtroom dramas and four international spinoffs. He is al ...
's short-lived NBC crime drama, ''
Conviction
In law, a conviction is the verdict reached by a court of law finding a defendant guilty of a crime. The opposite of a conviction is an acquittal (that is, "not guilty"). In Scotland, there can also be a verdict of " not proven", which is cons ...
'', which lasted one season. Balfour was also a guest star on the hit show ''
Dawson's Creek
''Dawson's Creek'' is an American teen drama television series about the lives of a close-knit group of friends in the fictional town of Capeside, Massachusetts, beginning in high school and continuing into college that ran from 1998 to 2003. T ...
'' in the ninth episode of the first season.
He starred in the 2003 remake of ''
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
''The Texas Chain Saw Massacre'' is a 1974 American horror film produced and directed by Tobe Hooper from a story and screenplay by Hooper and Kim Henkel. It stars Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow and Gunnar Hansen, ...
'' opposite
Jessica Biel
Jessica Claire Timberlake (née Biel ; born March 3, 1982) is an American actress and model. She has received various accolades, including a Young Artist Award, and nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and two Golden Globe Awards.
Biel be ...
. He played a minor character in several episodes of ''
The O.C.
''The O.C. '' is an American teen drama television series created by Josh Schwartz that originally aired on the Fox network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 22, 2007, running a total of four seasons. "O.C." is an initiali ...
'' as Eddie,
Theresa
Teresa (also Theresa, Therese; french: Thérèse) is a feminine given name.
It originates in the Iberian Peninsula in late antiquity. Its derivation is uncertain, it may be derived from Greek θερίζω (''therízō'') "to harvest or re ...
's fiancé, and in the hit HBO show ''
Six Feet Under'' as
Gabriel Dimas,
Claire Fisher
The following is a list of descriptions for characters on the HBO television series '' Six Feet Under'', which aired for five seasons, from 2001 through 2005.
While the series ends in 2005, the finale (“ Everyone's Waiting”) was met with uni ...
's boyfriend.
Balfour appeared in seven episodes of the first season of ''
24'' as computer technician
Milo Pressman
Milo Pressman is a fictional character played by Eric Balfour on the show ''24 (TV series), 24''.
During the events of Day 6, Milo works as the Internet Protocol Manager of the Los Angeles 24 (TV series)#Counter Terrorist Unit, CTU Domestic Unit.
...
in 2001. Five years later, Balfour reprised the role for 19 episodes of ''24s sixth season before leaving the show by his own request. Balfour appeared in ''
Life on Mars
The possibility of life on Mars is a subject of interest in astrobiology due to the planet's proximity and similarities to Earth. To date, no proof of past or present life has been found on Mars. Cumulative evidence suggests that during the ...
'' as Eddie Carling, the brother of detective Ray Carling.
He was the face for the
Valentino male fragrance Valentino V. In September 2009, Balfour appeared in an episode of ''
Monk
A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...
''. In the same month, Balfour booked a recurring role on the drama show ''
The Beautiful Life
''The Beautiful Life'' (also known as ''The Beautiful Life: TBL'') is an American teen drama television series, which ran on The CW from September 16 to September 23, 2009. The series starred Mischa Barton, Elle Macpherson, Sara Paxton, and ...
'', but the show was canceled after its second episode and production was shut down immediately. In 2010, he starred in the
Strause Brothers thriller film ''
Skyline
A skyline is the outline or shape viewed near the horizon. It can be created by a city’s overall structure, or by human intervention in a rural setting, or in nature that is formed where the sky meets buildings or the land.
City skyline ...
''. He starred as Duke Crocker on the Syfy drama ''
Haven''. Balfour co-starred with
Missy Peregrym
Melissa "Missy" Peregrym (born June 16, 1982) is a Canadian actress and former fashion model. She is known for her roles as Haley Graham in the 2006 film ''Stick It'' and Officer Andy McNally on the ABC and Global Television Network series ''R ...
and
Jeff Roop in the survival film ''
Backcountry
In the United States, a backcountry or backwater is a geographical area that is remote, undeveloped, isolated, or difficult to access.
Terminology Backcountry and wilderness within United States national parks
The National Park Service (NPS) ...
'', and he appeared as Spiro Dalon in an episode of ''
Chicago P.D.
The Chicago Police Department (CPD) is the municipal law enforcement agency of the U.S. city of Chicago, Illinois, under the jurisdiction of the City Council. It is the second-largest municipal police department in the United States, behind th ...
''
Personal life
After five years of dating, Balfour married fashion designer Erin Chiamulon on May 30, 2015 in Pacific Palisades, California. Balfour and his wife had a son on August 2, 2018. In May 2022, Balfour and his wife welcomed their second son.
Filmography
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Balfour, Eric
1977 births
American male child actors
American male film actors
American male television actors
Jewish American male actors
Living people
Male actors from Los Angeles
20th-century American male actors
21st-century American male actors
21st-century American singers
21st-century American male singers
21st-century American Jews