Show Rundown: September 24, 2019

Howard and Robin reflect on five years since Eric the Actor passed

September 24, 2019

Good Morning Everybody!

Photo: The Howard Stern Show

This month marks the fifth anniversary since the passing of one of the most popular Wack Packers in history ­– Eric the Actor. Howard and Robin reflected on some of his most memorable moments on the Stern Show, starting right off the bat with the first time he ever called in back in 2002. While on the air, Eric admitted he was in love with Kelly Clarkson who was competing on “American Idol” at the time.

“He was arguably the greatest Wack Packer ever,” Howard stated. “Eric was a rich tapestry of material.”

“I always said he was a self-generator,” Robin said in agreement. “You know, a lot of things we sort of create for people. But Eric created his own content.”

Of course, Eric’s crush on Kelly Clarkson led to an instant classic prank call in which fellow Wack Packer High Pitch Erik dialed up Eric and pretended to be the pop singer over the phone.

“He wasn’t fooled for a second,” Howard said of Eric with a laugh.

Eric attempted his own phone call trickery when he tried to convince Howard he was someone named “Derek from Texas” in order to get around a self-imposed ban from talking on the Stern Show.

There was also the unforgettable voicemail Eric once left for his friend and fellow Stern Show caller Johnny Fratto in which it sounded like the Wack Packer was trying to put a hit out on someone he used to attend school with. Listen to the audio clip (below).

Before long, Eric’s spot on the Stern Show earned him quite a bit of fame and he was soon acting on TV series like “American Dreams,” “Fringe,” and “Legit.” For his 2012 appearance on “In Plain Sight,” starring Mary McCormack, Eric had a few demands including required protection against werewolves which he read lived in New Mexico where the television series was shot.

“Eric left us way too soon,” Howard concluded on Tuesday’s show. “We speak your name, little man.”