Christian Slater was born in 1969 in New York City. His mother, Mary Jo Slater, is a casting director in Hollywood. His father, Michael Hawkins, is an actor from England. Growing up, Slater attended the Dalton School in New York, followed by the Professional Children’s School, and finally the School of Performing Arts, also in New York. His mother worked as a casting director on Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country in 1991, and as a treat to her son, she cast him in a cameo appearance. Christian was essentially bred to become an actor.

Slater began his professional acting career in the soap opera One Life to Live in 1976. Seeking to broaden his acting horizons and prevent being typecast as a soap star, Slater made his stage debut in The Music Man in 1980, which co-starred Dick Van Dyke. He did not make it into film until 1985 when he starred in The Legend of Billie Jean.

Although Slater has received some success as the lead actor in some films, Slater has become much more famous for his run-ins with the law, over-the-top personal life, and box office bombs. Eventually Slater’s films began going straight to video. His uninspiring works in low-budget productions may have been the reason Slater decided to return to the stage in 2004. Currently, Slater is starring in the stage production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, which was originally played on film by Jack Nicholson.

Christian is known for his highly recognizable voice. This voice has found him work on Panasonic radio and television ads. His commercials have become very recognizable.

Slater’s personal life has been speckled with a string of Hollywood actresses. He eventually married reporter, Ryan Haddon in 2000. The couple has two children together, Jadon Zach, born in 1999, and Eliana Sophia, born in 2001. The couple are currently separated and negotiating a divorce partly due to Slater’s return to the party lifestyle. It was also reported that Haddon beat up Slater at a Hard Rock café in 2003.

In the past, Slater has also dated Christina Applegate, Patricia Arquette, Winona Ryder, and Christy Turlington. He also lived with model Nina Huang between 1990 and 1995. Huang later sued Slater for palimony. The two eventually settled out of court with Slater paying Huang a sum of $100,000.

Slater is also well known for his public stunts, legal battles, and drug abuse. He has been arrested numerous times, the first in 1989 when Slater crashed into a telephone pole, was then pursued in a car chase and assaulted a police officer. In 1997 Slater was arrested again, this time being charged with assault with a deadly weapon and battery.

The story goes that the police were called to a party Slater was attending when Slater was drunk and reportedly using heroine. He then punched his girlfriend at the time and bit a man who was trying to protect the girl. After the police showed up at the party, Slater hid from officers shouting, "the Germans are coming and they will kill us!" When police tried to arrest him, Slater attacked one of the officers. He was sentenced to serve three months in prison, but was released on good behavior after serving only fifty-nine days.

In 2005, Slater was arrested once again for reportedly grabbing a woman’s buttocks in Manhattan. He was charged with third degree sexual abuse. The case was later adjourned for six months.

If Slater manages to stay out of trouble during that time, the charges against him will be dropped sometime in late 2006.

YUDDY