Aaron Eckhart

Eckhart was born in Cupertino, California, and is the youngest of three sons born to Mary Eckhart, a poet and children's author, and James C. Eckhart "Jim Senior", a computer executive. His brothers are James Lawrence Eckhart and Adam Eckhart.

Eckhart was raised as a Mormon in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in France and Switzerland.

When he was thirteen, his father's computer firm moved to England. The family resided in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, where he attended American Community School. After discovering acting by playing Charlie Brown in a school production, Eckhart moved to Sydney, Australia, where he further developed his acting with productions like Waiting for Godot. In 1986, during his senior year at Cobham Hall, Eckhart left the school, eventually earning his diploma via a correspondence course. This led to him taking a few years off to surf in Hawaii and France.

At age seventeen, Eckhart returned to the United States and enrolled as a film major at Brigham Young University, graduating in 1994 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

During his time at Brigham Young, Eckhart appeared in the Mormon-themed film Godly Sorrow. At this time he met director/writer Neil LaBute, who cast Eckhart, making his theatrical debut, in several of his original plays.

Eckhart was engaged to actress Emily Cline, but separated from her in 1998. He was then in a relationship with SHeDAISY's Kristyn Osborn from 2006–2007. Eckhart appears in the country group's video "I'm Taking the Wheel", and makes out with Osborn at the end of the clip. The couple has since parted ways.

Eckhart has given up the habit of drinking and smoking. In his spare time, he enjoys photography. While in London performing in the play Oleanna, Eckhart did a lot of street photography, often taking pictures of people without them acknowledging he was photographing them.

Eckhart is a fan of the Oakland Raiders. He owns a ranch in Montana. In an interview with Parade magazine, Eckhart revealed that he wanted to become a songwriter, before he discovered acting.