Celebrity Info
Eric Michael Cole—tall, dark-haired, with intense brows and a unique ability to balance ruggedness and sensitivity—first caught the industry’s attention in Ridley Scott’s 1996 film White Squall, where he portrayed Dean Preston, a sharp yet domineering character among the crew of a training vessel led by Jeff Bridges. Eric Michael Cole’s early life in the Pacific Northwest laid the foundation for a career rooted in performance, beginning on stage in a variety of roles that spanned classic Shakespearean works to lively musical theater productions.
Before breaking into major films, Eric Michael Cole made his feature film debut with a small role as an unnamed high school student in Mr. Holland’s Opus (1995). That same year, he transitioned into television, appearing in the 1996 CBS miniseries Steve Martini’s ‘Undue Influence’. It wasn’t long before Eric Michael Cole stepped into more complex territory, securing his first leading role in Trash/Nobody’s Children—a project filmed in 1996 but showcased at film festivals in 1999. In this emotionally charged drama, he played a gifted but deeply troubled teenager, a role that highlighted both his brooding presence and natural acting depth.
Eric Michael Cole continued to explore layered characters, such as in Last Call (filmed in 1997, released in Chile in 1999), a triptych narrative where he played an immigrant staying with his brother, only to be mistaken for him by a captivating woman. This role once again tapped into the duality that Eric Michael Cole seemed to embody so effortlessly—tough yet introspective, guarded yet vulnerable.
On television, Eric Michael Cole further demonstrated his range. In the 1997 ABC movie Outrage, he took on the role of a menacing teenage gang leader who torments a married couple played by Rob Lowe and Jennifer Grey. Then, in the powerful HBO biopic Gia (1998), Eric Michael Cole delivered a nuanced performance as a supportive, emotionally complex friend to the titular character, adding another dimension to his growing body of work. Throughout these early years, Eric Michael Cole consistently proved himself a compelling presence on both screen and stage.
When it comes to Eric Michael Cole’s filmography, one standout performance definitely shines through — his highest rated movie is Gia from 1998. That role really seemed to define a strong point in Eric Michael Cole’s career, earning praise and solid reviews over the years. On the other hand, not every project hit the same high notes. The film that tends to come up as the lowest rated in Eric Michael Cole’s body of work is New Best Friend, released back in 2002. While Eric Michael Cole has taken on a variety of roles, these two films mark the clear highs and lows in terms of critical reception. Still, it’s interesting to see how Eric Michael Cole’s range spans across such different kinds of movies.
China
