Bio
Eric Petersen is an American actor best known for his starring role as Arlo, the son that Maddie (Kirstie Alley) gave up for adoption at birth who suddenly turns up at her door looking to connect, in the television sitcom Kirstie.
A veteran of the stage, Eric began doing theatre at Glenbard North High School in a suburb of Chicago. After graduating from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, with a degree in Theatre Performance and Radio/TV, he took his first professional job at the famous Barn Theatre in Augusta, Michigan. It was there that he met his wife, fellow actress Lisa Marie Morabito.
The next stop for Eric was New York City, where he would live and work for seven years. He took part in numerous workshops and readings of new plays and musicals before landing his big break as the lead in the 1st National Tour of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee in the role of William Barfée.
After touring the country for a year, Eric started his TV career with an appearance as a Bad Santa on As the World Turns. He then was cast as a series regular in the Comedy Central pilot Evan & Gareth: Trying To Get Laid, and also appeared on such New York series as Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU.
Eric made his Broadway debut in Shrek: The Musical as the standby for the role of Shrek while also appearing in the show as Papa Ogre and one of the Three Pigs. He then was cast as Shrek in the show's first National Tour. Eric's daughter Sophia Marie Petersen was born on the road and spent the entire first year of her life traveling the country with parents.
After Shrek, Eric relocated to Los Angeles. He found success relatively quickly in the TV world with appearances on Modern Family, G.C.B. and the Disney Channel shows Jessie and Pair Of Kings.
He also returned to NYC for a stint in the hit Broadway play Peter & The Starcatcher before being cast in Kirstie.