Christian Slater

The son of casting director Mary Jo Slater and actor Michael Hawkins, Christian Slater was born Aug. 8, 1969, in New York City and launched his career at age 7 in the soap opera "One Life to Live," subsequently premiering on Broadway in "The Music Man."

Slater's early stage and television work led to his 1985 big-screen debut in The Ballad of Billie Jean, followed by a role opposite Sean Connery in The Name of the Rose (1986). In 1989, Slater gained star status with his memorably maniacal turn in the cult favorite Heathers. The next decade proved demanding as Slater appeared in Pump Up the Volume (1990), Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), Interview with the Vampire (1994) and the high-octane Broken Arrow (1996).

Slater returned to the stage in 2004 in a London production of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." His later film roles include Mindhunters (2004) and Alone in the Dark (2005).

Murder in the First

1995 R

Petty criminal Henri Young (Kevin Bacon) gets sent to Alcatraz in the 1930s and attempts to escape. As punishment, the assistant warden (Gary Oldman) puts Young in solitary confinement, where the maximum stay is supposed to be 19 days. But Young spends years there, only to emerge a madman and eventual murderer. A rookie lawyer (Christian Slater) tries to save Young from execution by proving that Alcatraz is to blame for his condition.