Steve Eckholdt
About
Biography
Biography
Tall and handsome with sandy brown hair, actor Steven Eckholdt is a familiar face to audiences from his consistent television work, with guest, recurring and regular roles on series and frequent appearances in TV-movies. After appearing in numerous commercials, he debuted on TV with a small role in the 1985 NBC TV movie "Between the Darkness and the Dawn." The actor did some feature work, and went on to star in 1988's ABC Disney Sunday Movie "14 Going on 30," playing the grown up incarnation of a young boy who speed ages as the result of a science experiment gone awry. That same year he took on the much heavier role of Navy diver Robert Stethem, the lone casualty of a TWA hostage flight, in the fact-based "The Taking of Flight 847: The Uli Derickson Story" (NBC). The actor brought a sweet affability and an all-American ingenuous air to his roles, often playing pleasant and well-meaning but unexciting characters. He had recurring roles on the short-lived CBS series "WIOU" in 1991, and was featured the following year as the boyfriend of elder daughter Paige on the ABC family drama "Life Goes On." He finally got a regular role as Thumper, the womanizing sportscaster, on the ill-fated cult favorite "Grapevine" (CBS, 1992, a look at modern relationships through the eyes of three gossiping friends. From 1993 to 1994, Eckholdt was the likable love interest of wronged resident good girl Jane on "Melrose Place" (Fox) and during that time was also featured in a recurring role of manipulative associate Patrick Flanagan on the final season of NBC's "L.A. Law." The TV veteran next took a regular role as self-made millionaire Robbie on the ABC comedy "it's like, you know ..." (1999), starring with Jennifer Grey and Chris Eigeman in this satire on life in Los Angeles. Robbie, often shallow and opportunistic, still remained a surprisingly sympathetic character, due mainly to Eckholdt's charming presence and nice guy delivery.
Eckholdt first appeared on the big screen in 1986 with bit parts in "About Last Night" and "The Wraith." Two years later he was featured in the Molly Ringwald vehicle "For Keeps" and he next starred in the little-seen 1989 teen adventure feature "The Runnin' Kind." Busy with television work, Eckholdt didn't return to film until 1999, when he had a featured role as Robin Wright Penn's ex-husband in the romantic drama "Message in a Bottle."
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1985
Appeared in the NBC TV-movie drama "Between the Darkness and the Dawn"
1986
Had bit parts in "About Last Night" and "The Wraith"
1988
Acted in the Molly Ringwald vehicle "For Keeps"
1988
Starred as the adult incarnation of a boy who speed ages as part of a scientific experiment in the Disney Sunday Movie "14 Going on 30" (ABC)
1988
Played Robert Stethem, an American casualty of a terrorist attack, in the fact-based NBC telefilm "The Taking of Flight 847: The Uli Derickson Story"
1989
Featured in the little-seen teen adventure film "The Runnin' Kind"
1991
Guest starred in a recurring role in the CBS newsroom drama "WIOU"
1992
Had a recurring role as the love interest of elder daughter Paige on the ABC's family drama "Life Goes On"
1992
Was a regular on the short-lived CBS series "Grapevine", featuring tales of modern relationships as seen through the eyes of three gossiping friends
1993
Played Robert Wilson, resident good girl Jane's new boyfriend, in a recurring role on the nighttime soap "Melrose Place" (Fox)
1995
Was a regular on the short-lived drama "The Monroes" (ABC), playing the son with political ambitions in a Kennedy-esque family
1999
Played Robin Wright Penn's ex-husband in the romance "Message in a Bottle"
2000
Featured in the revised version of "Grapevine" airing on CBS; played a different character than in the 1992 version
