Stuntman and actor Eric Mansker was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. Mansker was diagnosed with spinal meningitis at the age of ten. Although Eric's physical activity was limited for a year following this diagnosis, he nonetheless eventually began playing with his childhood friends about a year later. Mansker subsequently went on to join his high school track team as a hurdler and high jumper. Following graduation from high school, Eric enlisted in the U.S. Marines. After his enlistment was up, Mansker enrolled in the cinema program at Los Angeles City College before transferring to UCLA. Eric broke into the film and television industry as both an extra and a stuntman in the late 1970's; his career as both a stuntman and an actor encompassed three decades altogether. He was diagnosed with a hyperthyroid condition called "graves" in the early 1990's which required radiation treatment to rectify. In 2003 Mansker's doctor discovered that he had an enlarged adrenal gland, which required further radiation treatment and chemotherapy that might have taken a toll on Mansker's body, but not on his fierce fighting spirit. Sadly, Eric lost his battle with cancer in April, 2019. He was the father of three children.