Eric Roberts Speaks Out After 'Screwing Up' 'DWTS' Debut—'Horrifying'
Eric Roberts has finally made his Dancing with the Stars debut and told Newsweek the experience was "horrifying."
On September 17, the actor—best known for his roles in Star 80 (1983) and Runaway Train (1985)—took to the dance floor with professional dancer Britt Stewart for the Season 33 premiere. Their routine was choreographed to Bob Seger's classic "Old Time Rock and Roll."
That night, judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, and Derek Hough each awarded him a score of 5, for a total of 15 out of 30. Hough humorously noted, "It was a little bit like assembling IKEA furniture, some pieces fit really nice, and that's a bit of a puzzle."
Inaba offered some constructive feedback, saying: "I just want to warn you, my score might not be so great, but what I do want to say is that you are a star and it showed the whole time."
Speaking with Newsweek, Roberts reflected on the performance, admitting that after hours of practice, when it came time to hit the dance floor, he "screwed the whole thing up."
"We have four-hour rehearsals, sometimes only three, but almost always four, and she kicks my heinie," the actor joked, referring to his dance partner Stewart. "She tells me I can't dance and says, 'Here's how you do it better.'"
He continued, "And uh, I'm terrible. But I finally got the routine down several times, and she'd say, 'oh my God, Eric, you can dance! oh my God.' And then we got on stage, and I missed two steps. Screwed the whole thing up."
While such a setback might deter others, Roberts explained that he's no longer afraid.
"I'm over the fear, I think, 'cause I was scared to death—not of the audience or the show, but of the tens of millions of people watching me do what I used to criticize when I watched the show," he said.
"'They can't dance,' 'I can do that,' 'They can't do that'—that's what I was always saying. And I know they're doing that to me now. So, it was kind of horrifying, but I got through it. Thanks to Britt."
Stewart elaborated on the intensity of their preparation, describing it as a "very grueling process" with a lot of hard work happening behind the scenes.
"I don't think people understand that Eric literally went from zero to not even 100, like 200, and jumped right into four-hour rehearsals," she explained.
"It's way easier when you have some sort of dance training. Eric came in with no dance experience, which is totally fine—because that's what Dancing with the Stars is all about. The show is about teaching people with no dance experience how to dance.
"So I'm really proud of him. Throughout this whole process, his commitment and work ethic have been amazing, and that's what you want in a partner."
While Roberts is enjoying the experience, the physical demands are taking a toll on his body.
"But four hours a day of dancing, the lower back goes, 'Hey,' you know," he said, adding, "and all this stuff you don't think about when you're young. Oh, when you're elderly, it gets kind of rough."
When asked who he sees as his biggest competition on the show, Roberts explained that he doesn't view the experience as a contest. For the Hollywood actor, it's all about having fun.
"You know what? I'm not in a contest because I don't expect to win this thing. That's not why I'm in it," he said.
"So I don't look at anybody as, 'Oh, I got to beat him. I got to beat her.' I don't look at it that way. I'm just having a great time with Britt and watching all the other couples going, 'Wow, they're good.' And that's kind of what we're doing. But I'm not in the contest personally. I'm just having a blast because of Britt."
Stewart—who also serves as president of the nonprofit Share the Movement —told Newsweek that when someone approaches dancing with enjoyment rather than fear, it really shows in their performance. As a professional dancer training new partners each season, her focus is on meeting them where they are.
"It's crazy to think this is my fifth season as a pro, but my tenth season on Dancing with the Stars because I spent five seasons on troupe," Stewart said. She first joined the show as a troupe member in season 23 and remained in that role until season 27. In season 29, she made history as the first Black female professional dancer on the show.
She continued: "I think sometimes people forget that, that this is actually my tenth. Like, I've been around on Dancing with the Stars for quite some time, and it's something that—getting different partners is something that I really love about the process."
"I don't know if my partners know this, but they teach me something every single season, and I love the challenge. I love being able to meet someone, like meeting Eric, seeing who he is, how he shows up in the room, and figuring out how to create the best choreography for him. How can I teach him in a way that works best for Eric?"
