King of the Gypsies is a 1978 American drama film by Paramount Pictures starring Eric Roberts (in his film debut), Sterling Hayden, Shelley Winters, Susan Sarandon, Brooke Shields, Annette O'Toole and Judd Hirsch.

Originally planned to be directed by Peter Bogdanovich,[2] the film was finally directed by Frank Pierson from a screenplay which he adapted from the 1975 book King of the Gypsies by Peter Maas. The book tells the story of Steve Tene and his Gypsy family.

The film deals with the criminal ways and turbulent lives of a group of modern-day Gypsies living in the early 1960s of New York City. While on his deathbed their "king", Zharko Stepanowicz, passes his position of leadership on to his unwilling grandson, Dave. In spite of Dave's reluctance to become the Gypsies' new leader, Dave's father, Groffo, resentful over not having been appointed leader, attempts to have Dave killed. Groffo is scheming and temperamental, and uses violence and threats to get the clan to do his bidding. Eventually this leads to a major confrontation with his son, and the film ends with the suggestion that Dave has finally accepted his legacy; with his voiceover considering the possibility of his bringing the rest of the tradition-bound Gypsies into the world of 20th Century customs and lifestyles.

Eric Anthony Roberts (born April 18, 1956) is an American actor.[1][2] In a career spanning over 50 years, Roberts has amassed more than 700 credits and appeared in blockbusters, independent films, television series, animation, short films, student films, and music videos.[3][4][5] As of 2024, he is one of the most prolific English-speaking screen actors of all time.[4][6]

Roberts' career began with a leading role in King of the Gypsies (1978) for which he received his first Golden Globe Award nomination. He was nominated again at the Golden Globes for his acclaimed role as Paul Snider in Bob Fosse's Star 80 (1983). Roberts' performance in Runaway Train (1985), as prison escapee Buck McGeehy, earned him a third Golden Globe nod and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Notable films Roberts has appeared in include Raggedy Man (1981), The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984), By the Sword (1991), Final Analysis (1992), The Specialist (1994), The Cable Guy (1996), It's My Party (1996), Cecil B. Demented (2000), National Security (2003), A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2006), The Dark Knight (2008), The Expendables (2010), Lovelace (2013), Inherent Vice (2014), The Human Centipede 3 (2015), and Babylon (2022). A black belt in taekwondo, Roberts also demonstrated his martial arts skills in the films Best of the Best (1989) and its sequel Best of the Best II (1993).

His varied television work includes being the only non-UK actor to play the Master in the 1996 Doctor Who television film, a main role on the sitcom Less than Perfect (2002–2005), as well as recurring roles on the NBC drama Heroes (2007–2010), the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless (2010–2011), the legal drama Suits (2014–2019), and the HBO series The Righteous Gemstones (2022).

Eric Anthony Roberts was born in Biloxi, Mississippi, on April 18, 1956,[7] to Betty Lou Bredemus and Walter Grady Roberts, one-time actors and playwrights, who met while touring with a production of George Washington Slept Here for the armed forces.[8] In 1963, they co-founded the Atlanta Actors and Writers Workshop in Atlanta off Juniper Street in Midtown. They ran a children's acting school in Decatur, Georgia. Roberts' mother became a church secretary and real estate agent, and his father was a vacuum cleaner salesman.[9] Roberts' younger siblings, Julia Roberts (from whom he was estranged until 2004) and Lisa Roberts Gillan, are also actors.

On a 2023 episode of Finding Your Roots featuring Julia Roberts, it was revealed that Eric Roberts' biological paternal great-great-grandfather's surname was actually Mitchell, not Roberts.[94]

Eric Roberts is a distant cousin of fellow actor Edward Norton.[95]

In December 1987, Roberts was arrested after police found him banging on a woman's apartment door in Manhattan's Upper West Side. He was charged with criminal trespass, possession of cocaine and marijuana, and second-degree assault after he punched a police officer.[105] In February 1988, he pleaded guilty to harassment and was sentenced to six months on probation. His possession and assault charges were dropped.[106]

In February 1995, Roberts was arrested in Los Angeles for shoving his wife Eliza into a wall.[107]

Bibliography
— (2024). Runaway Train: or, The Story of My Life So Far. co-written with Sam Kashner. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-1-250-27532-5.[93]