Eric Roberts to Pen Revealing New Memoir About His Life: See the Cover (Exclusive)

Eric Roberts has a lot of life under his belt.

An Academy Award and Golden Globe nominee, Roberts has starred in well over 700 films and TV shows since moving to New York City at 17 to pursue his craft.

Fans may know him from his breakout film, King of the Gypsies, or recall his Oscar nomination for Runaway Train. Now, he’s spilling his secrets about a life full of names you’ll recognize as well as juicy stories to go with them in his new memoir, Runaway Train: Or, the Story of My Life So Far, and PEOPLE has an exclusive first-look.

Roberts, 67, grew up in Georgia, mostly separated from his sister, fellow Hollywood icon Julia Roberts, and his mother, Betty. After moving to the city, he rubbed elbows with legends like Christopher Walken, Mickey Rourke, John Malkovich, Bruce Willis and Robin Williams. The book will detail his affair with actress Sandy Dennis, working with Bob Fosse on the critically acclaimed Star 80 and what it was like being one of the hottest stars of the time.

But as it so often does, fame didn’t come without its foibles. Drugs were rampant in that era, and Roberts was involved in a car accident that almost killed him. According to the book announcement, Roberts is “open about the seriousness of his addictions and their devastating effect on his career” in his memoir.

He’ll also delve into the complicated relationship with his sister, Julia, and his daughter, Emma Roberts, a successful actress in her own right. Now happily married to casting director Eliza Roberts, Eric is an actor’s actor, and with the release of his memoir, an author to boot.

Written in collaboration with New York Times bestselling author, former Vanity Fair contributing editor and current Air Mail writer-at-large Sam Kashner, Runaway Train is sure to capture the imagination of anyone with a taste for stories of New York City in one of its golden eras. By spotlighting Roberts’ early life, the successes of his career and the pitfalls of his party lifestyle, the memoir looks to paint a vivid picture of one of Hollywood’s enduring stars.

Runaway Train will be released via St. Martin’s Press on Sept. 17, 2024.