In Popular Culture
An episode of the satiric cartoon series South Park featured Roberts as a star in a re-enactment of America's Most Wanted. He plays the genetically engineered half-man, half-monkey sidekick of the character Mephisto. The portrayal is less than kind, depicting Roberts as a washed-up overactor. During the re-enactment's taping, a snowstorm forces a group of characters to resort to cannibalism, and they quickly decide on Roberts because "nobody gives a shit about Eric Roberts".
He was also name-checked in an episode of Seinfeld; after giving away the ending of the film, Kramer tells George that Roberts' performance as the husband in the film The Other Side of Darkness was "unforgettable".
He was portrayed as a clay figure on MTV's Celebrity Deathmatch where he fought alongside his sister, Julia, against Donny Osmond and Marie Osmond.
Roberts was mentioned by Pearl Forrester and Leonard Maltin in Mystery Science Theater 3000 – in the Gorgo episode (episode 9, season 9) – as the perfect companion to Mickey Rourke for producing the "worst movie ever made."
Read more about this topic: Eric Roberts
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