Eriq La Salle Net Worth

What Is Eriq La Salle's Net Worth and Salary?

Eriq La Salle is an American actor, director, producer, and writer who has a net worth of $25 million. Eriq La Salle is best known for his performance in the comedy film "Coming to America" and for his role as Dr. Peter Benton on the medical drama television series "ER." For the latter, he earned three NAACP Image Awards, as well as Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. Behind the camera, La Salle has directed episodes of numerous television shows, including "The Night Shift," "CSI: Cyber," and "Chicago Med."

For much of the 1990s and early 2000s, Eriq La Salle was a household name.  After attending Juilliard and graduating from Tisch School of the Arts in the mid-1980s, the actor and director began to work steadily in off-Broadway and Broadway productions, and on soaps such as "One Life to Live."  By the late '80s, he was adding film work to his resume, including a co-starring role in the hit film "Coming to America."  However, it was television where he enjoyed the most success, and guest-starring roles on such shows as "Gideon Oliver," "L.A. Law," and "Quantum Leap," along with starring roles in multiple television films, eventually led to the role that would make him a bona fide star.  In 1994, he was cast as Dr. Peter Benton on the incredibly successful series, "ER."  He appeared on "ER" for eight seasons and then returned briefly during its fifteenth and final season. Since leaving "ER," Eriq has guest-starred or played co-starring roles on multiple television shows such as, "The System," "The Twilight Zone," "Without a Trace," "24," "Cover Affairs," "How to Make It in America," and "A Gifted Man." Though he has yet to book a show with the kind of massive popularity that "ER" experienced, he has managed to work steadily.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Erik Ki La Salle was born on July 23, 1962, in Hartford, Connecticut. He was brought up by his mother, Ada. Eriq went to Weaver High School and also attended the interdisciplinary cultural institution Artists Collective, Inc. in Hartford. For his higher education, La Salle enrolled in the Juilliard School's Drama Division for two years, and then went to New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, from which he earned his BFA in 1984.

Upon his graduation from NYU, La Salle landed a role in a Shakespeare in the Park production of "Henry V." He was subsequently cast in a number of both Broadway and off-Broadway shows.

Film Career

In 1985, La Salle made his big-screen debut in the film "Rappin'," a sequel to "Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo." The same year, he had a role in the Italian thriller "Cut and Run." Over the following two years, Eriq appeared in the mystery thriller "Where Are the Children?" and the crime drama "Five Corners." He then had one of his most memorable roles in 1988, when he appeared alongside Eddie Murphy, Shari Headley, Arsenio Hall, and James Earl Jones in the romantic comedy "Coming to America."

La Salle's credits in the '90s include the psychological horror film "Jacob's Ladder," the erotic thriller "Color of Night," and the crime film "Drop Squad." In the early 2000s, he appeared in the psychological thriller "One Hour Photo" and the psychological drama "Crazy as Hell," which he also directed and produced. Next, Eriq had cameo appearances in "Biker Boyz" and "The Seat Filler." His subsequent credits have included the gangster film "Johnny Was" and the superhero film "Logan."

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Television Career

On the small screen, La Salle first appeared in the television crime film "Out of the Darkness" in 1985. The following year, he was in episodes of "Spenser: For Hire," "One Life to Live," and "ABC Afterschool Special." Subsequent credits included "Another World," "Mariah," "Vietnam War Story," "Leg Work," "Knightwatch," and "Gideon Oliver" and the television films "What Price Victory," "Magic Moments," and "When We Were Young." In the early '90s, Eriq appeared in episodes of the shows "B.L. Stryker," "A Different World," "L.A. Law," "Screenplay," "Quantum Leap," and "The Human Factor." He was also in the television films "Hammer, Slammer, & Slade," "Eyes of a Witness," and "Empty Cradle." La Salle landed his biggest role yet in 1994, when he began playing Dr. Peter Benton on the NBC medical drama "ER." He played the character for eight seasons through 2002, and later returned for the series' 15th and final season in 2009. During his time on the show, Eriq received both Emmy and Golden Globe Award nominations and won three NAACP Image Awards.

While still on "ER," La Salle made his directorial debut with the 1996 HBO television film "Rebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault," in which he also had a supporting role. Three years later, he appeared in the television film "Mind Prey." In the 2000s, Eriq was in episodes of "The Twilight Zone," "The System," and "Without a Trace." Subsequently, he had a notable part as the United Nations Secretary General in the 2010 series finale of "24." The next year, La Salle had recurring roles on the HBO series "How to Make it in America" and the CBS medical drama series "A Gifted Man." His subsequent credits were "Blackout," "We Need Help," and "Under the Dome."

"ER" Salary

In 1999, right around the time George Clooney was leaving "ER," Eriq landed a new deal with producers that paid him $27 million over three seasons, $9 million per year. That's the same as earning around $14 million today after adjusting for inflation. The deal made him one of the highest-paid actors on television, earning around $410,000 per episode. He had previously been earning $85,000 per episode.

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Directing and Producing

Four years after making his directorial debut with "Rebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault," La Salle directed an episode of the television drama "Soul Food." In 2002, he made his feature film directorial debut with the psychological drama "Crazy as Hell," based on a 1982 novel. Following this, Eriq directed episodes of "The Twilight Zone," "Without a Trace," and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," as well as an episode of "ER" during its final season. He went on to direct a myriad of episodes of other shows, among them "CSI: NY," "Ringer," "Crisis," "Madam Secretary," "The Night Shift," "Under the Dome," "CSI: Cyber," "The Messengers," "Rosewood," "Lucifer," "Once Upon a Time," "Chicago Med," "The Quad," and "The Librarians." Additionally, La Salle directed and executive produced numerous episodes of "Chicago P.D."

(Photo by Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)

Personal Life

In the '90s, Eriq was in a relationship with Angela Johnson. The two got engaged in December 1997 but called it off shortly after. Overall, La Salle is very private about his personal life and keeps a distance from the media.

Real Estate

In 2016, Eriq paid $3.03 million for a home in Bel-Air. He continues to own this property.

In 2010, he listed his longtime 6,000-square-foot Beverly Hills mansion for $8 million. Eriq bought the house in 1988, the same year he appeared in "Coming to America," for $1.7 million. In 2006, La Salle spent at least $1 million on a complete remodel. He sold this home in August 2013 for $6 million. In the ensuing years, the new owner tore Eriq's previous home down to the ground and rebuilt a modern 6,000-square-foot mansion. In July 2020, the home was listed for $44.5 million. As of this writing, this home has not sold. Here's what the home looks like currently:

In 2013, Eriq sold a lakefront house in Lake Arrowhead, California, for $2.7 million. And again, around the same time, he sold a different house in Los Angeles for $1.6 million, which was actually a nearly $500,000 loss from the price he paid.

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