Christian Slater

Christian Slater (born August 18, 1969) is an American actor.

Slater was born Christian Michael Leonard Hawkins in New York, New York, the son of Mary Jo Slater, a casting executive, and Michael Hawkins, an actor who was also known as Michael Gainsborough. Slater has a half-brother, Ryan, who is also an actor. Slater attended the Dalton School, the Professional Children's School and the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts.

Following a run on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live, he made his Broadway debut as the lisping Winthrop Paroo opposite Dick Van Dyke in the 1980 revival of The Music Man. He made his big screen debut in 1985 in the film The Legend of Billie Jean.

Slater has a well tabloid-publicized record of alcohol and drug abuse, and a series of high profile romantic relationships. He splits his time between New York, Los Angeles and London. He has two children with ex-wife Ryan Haddon: Jaden Zach Haddon-Slater (born April 6, 1999), and Eliana Sophia (born August 15, 2001). Slater divorced Haddon in November 2006.

Slater has had several altercations with the police and other authorities. On August 11, 1997, he was arrested by police in Los Angeles and charged with three counts of assault with a deadly weapon and one count of battery. Slater, drunk and high on heroin, punched his then-girlfriend, fashion editor Michelle Jonas, in the face at a party and bit a man who attempted to protect her. Slater did not go quietly, but hid in a stairwell and fought with officers, reportedly shouting, "the Germans are coming and they will kill us!" He then attacked a police officer. All the felony charges against him were eventually dropped. He was sentenced to three months in prison and released for good behavior after serving 59 days. In 2003, his wife, Ryan Haddon, was arrested for beating up Slater at a Hard Rock Cafe while on a trip to Las Vegas and he later received stitches.