Aaron Eckhart

A longtime actor in playwright Neil LaBute's stable, Aaron Eckhart first caught moviegoers' attention in his film debut as the unctuous businessman Chad in the black comedy "In the Company of Men" (1997). Previously, Eckhart had been struggling to find his way on television - both in series and in commercials - as well as on the big screen. After collaborating again with LaBute on "Your Friends and Neighbors" (1998), Eckhart branched out on his own, first landing a small part in "Any Given Sunday" (1999), then gaining wider recognition in the award-winning hit "Erin Brockovich" (2000). He continued to delve into richly varied characters under LaBute's direction, playing an insensitive thug in "Nurse Betty" (2000) before calmly shifting gears for a romantic lead in "Possession" (2002). Meanwhile, he captured the attention of top Hollywood talent, being cast by the likes of Sean Penn in "The Pledge" (2001) and Ron Howard in "The Missing" (2003), though he struggled to find that one defining role to propel him into his own. His opportunity finally arrived with a deviously enjoyable performance as an unapologetic spokesman for Big Tobacco in "Thank You For Smoking" (2005), which earned the talented actor the strongest praise of his career, leading to massive mainstream exposure with his portrayal of Batman's nemesis, Two Face, in "The Dark Knight" (2008). His appearance in the box office blockbuster was an accomplishment recognized by several critics, firmly placing Eckhart's name on the roster of contemporary A-list actors. Eckhart continued to work steadily, balancing acclaimed fare like the dark family drama "Rabbit Hole" (2010) and Clint Eastwood's aviation biopic "Sully" (2016) with crowd-pleasing work in hits including terrorist drama "Olympus Has Fallen" (2013) and its sequel "London Has Fallen" (2016).