AllMovie

Whether burning-up the ice as an all-star high school hockey player, studying pre-med at Pepperdine, singing in the all-state chorus or essaying one of many roles on stage, screen, or television, multi-faceted actor Eric Christian Olsen has worn many hats on his way to celebrity stardom. Born in Eugene, OR, and raised in Bettendorf, IA, Olsen spent most of his early years playing hockey and writing for his high school newspaper, not discovering his love for acting until after graduation, when he landed a commercial role in a television spot for Whitey's Ice Cream Parlor. Olsen was soon actively seeking out both stage and screen roles, and, following his television series debut in Millennium, he had a memorable performance as a burn victim on ER and made his feature debut in Arthur's Quest (1999). Soon drawn in to the millennial teen movie boom, Olsen's career continued to flourish in such films as Pearl Harbor and Not Another Teen Movie (both 2001). Following a starring turn in the 2002 drama Local Boys, the burgeoning actor appeared the same year in the Rob Schneider comedy The Hot Chick. In addition to his film work, Olsen was also the youngest improvisation comedian in the nation for Comedy Sportz, a live comedy show suitable for the entire family. He played the role of the younger Lloyd Christmas in the Dumb and Dumber prequel, and in 2004 he starred in the horror film Cellular. He continued to work in a variety of projects including Beerfest, License to Wed, Fired Up, The Back-Up Plan, and Celeste and Jesse Forever.