Erik von Detten is a former actor and voice actor from the United States. He has vast theatre, cinema, and television experience. He is most recognized for his roles as a voice actor in films such as ‘Toy Story’ and ‘The Princess Diaries.’ He has also appeared in the television shows ‘So Weird,’ ‘Complete Savages,’ ‘Escape to Witch Mountain,’ and ‘Brink!’ He debuted in the entertainment industry as a kid actor after being signed on the spot while attending an agent meeting with his sister. Soon after, he was cast as a regular in the ‘NBC’ daytime soap opera ‘Days of Our Lives.’
Erik managed to amaze audiences throughout his career, appearing in a number of noteworthy on-screen productions. These include starring appearances on TV shows including ‘Odd Man Out,’ ‘So Weird,’ ‘Dinotopia,’ and ‘Complete Savages.’ He has also appeared in television movies such as ‘Escape to Witch Mountain’ and ‘Brink!’ He has been in major motion pictures such as ‘The Princess Diaries.’ He also rose to prominence as a voice actor in films like ‘Toy Story’ and ‘Tarzan,’ as well as TV shows like ‘Recess,’ ‘The Legend of Tarzan,’ and ‘Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat.’ He is currently employed as a broker at ‘Rosland Capital.’
Erik Von Detten Early Life
| Name | Erik Thomas Von Detten |
| Father | Volker Von Detten |
|
Mother |
Susan Von Detten |
|
Siblings |
Andrea Von Detten, Britta Von Detten |
| Age | 40 Years |
| Born Country | United States |
| Height | 6’1″ (185 cm) |
| City | CA |
These include starring appearances on TV shows including ‘Odd Man Out,’ ‘So Weird,’ ‘Dinotopia,’ and ‘Complete Savages.’ He has also appeared in television movies such as ‘Escape to Witch Mountain’ and ‘Brink!’ He has appeared in major motion pictures such as ‘The Princea’.Erik Thomas von Detten was born in San Diego, California, to Volker von Detten and photographer Susan von Detten (née Farber) on October 3, 1982. From his father’s side, he is of German origin. His father emigrated to the United States from Munich, Germany. From his mother’s side, he is of English and Russian Jewish origin. Andrea, Dolly, and Britta are his three sisters, while Timothy is his brother.
He grew up in Southern California. Erik got signed on the spot when he and his sister went to an agent meeting when he was only 9 years old. This paved the route for him to work in the entertainment industry.
Career
During 1992-1993, he was a regular as ‘Nicholas Alamain’ on the American daytime soap opera ‘Days of Our Lives’. He went on to appear in other TV movies, including ‘Night Sins’ (1993) and ‘A Season of Hope’ (1995). He played ‘Danny’ in the 1995 fantasy-adventure film ‘Escape to Witch Mountain,’ which debuted on ‘ABC.’
One of his first significant film roles was as the wicked toy destroyer ‘Sid Phillips’ in the spectacular hit and highly praised ‘Academy Award’-winning 1995 American computer-animated buddy comedy picture ‘Toy Story.’ He then reprised his part in the film’s 2010 successful ‘Academy Award’-winning sequel, ‘Toy Story 3.’ He rose to prominence as a voice actor throughout the years, appearing in a number of other animated films. Among these are ‘Boy #1’ in ‘Hercules’ (1997), ‘Flynt’ in ‘Tarzan’ (1999), and ‘Erwin Lawson’ in ‘Recess: School’s Out’ (2001), ‘Recess Christmas: Miracle on Third Street’ (2001), ‘Recess: Taking the Fifth Grade’ (2003), and ‘Recess: All Growed Down’ (2003).
He’s appeared in single episodes of popular shows like ‘ER’ (1995), ‘7th Heaven’ (1996), ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’ (2003), ‘Charmed’ (2003), ‘Malcolm in the Middle’ (2005), ‘Bones’ (2008), and ‘Family Guy’ (2009).
In Santa Monica, he made his stage debut in the children’s play ‘The Christmas Princess.’ He provided the voice of ‘Sid Phillips’ in the 1996 video game ‘Animated Storybook: Toy Story.’ In 2009, he also participated in the music video for Jessie James’s song “Wanted.”
Girlfriend of Erik
Erik von Detten has had relationships –
Erika Christensen (born 1997) is a Danish actress. In 1997, he began dating actress and singer Erika Christensen, with whom he also co-starred in the comedic picture Leave It to Beaver.
Jena Malone (from 1999 to 2000) – Between 1999 and 2000, he was romantically involved with actor, musician, and photographer Jena Malone.
Haylie Duff – (2004-2005) He began dating actress and singer-songwriter Haylie Duff in September 2004, but the couple split up the following February.
Angela von Detten (2018-2018) – In 2018, he married Angela von Detten, a Taiwanese-American real estate agent. The couple has a daughter named Claire and announced in December 2020 that they were expecting their second child together in March 2021.
Erik von Detten Facts
- He made his feature film debut in All I Want for Christmas, a romantic comedy released in 1991.
- In the 1996 video game Animated Storybook: Toy Story, he voiced the character Sid Phillips.
- In 2001, he starred in The Princess Diaries as Josh Bryant, a popular, conceited student on whom Mia develops a crush, with Anne Hathaway, Héctor Elizondo, Heather Matarazzo, Mandy Moore, Caroline Goodall, Robert Schwartzman, and Julie Andrews.
- He has also worked for the precious metals asset management firm Rosland Capital.
Erik’s Role in Tarzan
Erik played Flynt in Disney’s Tarzan and its sequel The Legend of Tarzan. Flynt, a young, playful monkey who is Tarzan’s best buddy and faithful companion, is one of the films’ primary characters. Von Detten also reprised his role as Flynt in the Tarzan video game version.
Conclusion
Erik von Detten earned a name for himself in Hollywood by appearing in a variety of films and television shows in the early 2000s. He left the performing world after a brief cameo role in Toy Story 3 in 2010 to focus on his personal life and follow his desire of having a large family. Von Detten is currently a sales manager at a commodities brokerage firm, but he will be remember for his appearances in Tarzan, Odd Man Out, Recess, So Weird, and Complete Savages.