Eric Michael Cole was born in Sacramento, California but grew up in the Pacific Northwest. His first movie was Mr. Holland's Opus (1995) followed by his breakthrough role as Dean Preston in _White Squall_ directed by Ridley Scott. Soon after he appeared in the television film Gia (1998) with Angelina Jolie for HBO Films. During the course of his career he's appeared in _Sons of Anarchy_, _Southland_, and Law & Order (1990) on television, as well as many features that include New Best Friend (2002), Trash (2014), and Sunken City (2014). Eric also enjoys producing with In Memory of My Father (2005) and The Runaway (2010). He recently wrapped a starring role in _Hangman_ due at the end of the year. As of 2015, he resides in Los Angeles, CA and is a strict vegetarian. He is a skilled craftsman and continues to study the art of acting with his teacher Maximillian Alejandro Decker at the CM Acting Studio.