An American actor born on March 12, 1968, in Cupertino, California. His father was a computer executive and his mother was a children's book author. As a youngster, Eckhart moved with his family to England, where he performed in school plays before moving to Australia for his last year of high school. In 1994, he graduated from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in film. His breakthrough was in Erin Brockovich (2000), starring Julia Roberts. He was nominated for a Golden Globe for his role in Thank You for Smoking (2005). He's best known for The Dark Knight (2008), Rabbit Hole (2010) and The Core (2003).