Christian Michael Leonard Hawkins was born on August 18, 1969 in New York to Michael Hawkins, a well-known soap actor and Mary Jo Slater, a casting agent. Christian started in show business early, appearing on the soap opera The Edge of Night in 1976 at the age of 7. He went on to star in many Broadway shows in the early-1980s.

He rose to fame in Hollywood after landing the role of Binx Davey in The Legend of Billie Jean. He moved to Los Angeles in 1987 to pursue a further acting career after dropping out of high school. After having a starring role in the cult hit Heathers, he became somewhat known as the Hollywood bad-boy, having many run-ins with the law. He is also well-known for having dated stars such as Winona Ryder, Christina Applegate, Samantha Mathis and was at one time engaged to actress/model Nina Huang.

In 2000, he married Ryan Haddon, the daughter of 70s model Dayle Haddon. The couple have two children, Jaden Christopher (b. 1999) and Eliana Sophia (b. 2001). As of early 2005 they separated and later divorced, but remain dedicated to bring up their children.
Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994): $250,000
Birth of his son, Jaden Christopher Haddon-Slater, with girlfriend Ryan Haddon. [6 April 1999] Starts three month jail sentence. Released after 59 days for good behavior. [14 January 1998] Arrested by Los Angeles police and charged with three counts of assault with a deadly weapon and one count of battery. [11 August 1997] Half brother of actor Ryan Slater. Arrested in West Hollywood, California after allegedly leading sheriff's deputies on a car chase. A police spokeman's says Slater crashed into a telephone pole, kicked a cop after getting out of his car, and then tried to escape over a fence. He was charged with evading police, driving under the influence, assault with a deadly weapon {his cowboy boots} and driving with a suspended license. [29 December 1989] Arrested in 1994 for bringing a gun on a plane. His godfather was the late soap actor Michael Zaslow. Sold his house in the Hollywood Hills to Tim Allen. [December 1999] Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#79). [1995] Won the roles of the Interviewer in Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles and Eric Draven in The Crow after the death of friend and fellow actor River Phoenix (who had been cast in the first role and turned down the second). Slater also turned down the lead in The Crow, leading producers to actor Brandon Lee - who would become permanently linked with the film and its story when he was accidentally killed on the set of the film. Daughter, Eliana Sophia, born. [15 August 2001] Is a green belt in kempo karate. [August 2003] Sentenced to three months in jail, and 36 months probation, for assaulting his girlfriend Michelle Jonas and a police officer, as well as cocaine abuse. [9 December 1997] Past girlfriends include Kim Walker, whom he broke up with during the filming of Heathers for Winona Ryder, later Samantha Mathis, Christina Applegate and Patricia Arquette. Has also been engaged to actress/model Nina Huang. His mother, Mary Jo Slater was the casting director in 4 of his feature film appearances: Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country; Murder in the First; The Contender and Who Is Cletis Tout?. British stage debut as Randle P. McMurphy in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" in August of 2004, delayed by a bout of chicken pox. Received a standing ovation on his first night playing McMurphy in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" on the London stage. Born on the same day as Oscar-nominated actor Edward Norton. He also shares a birthday with the following celebrities: Denis Leary, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Patrick Swayze and Robert Redford. Attended Dalton School and the Professional Children's School. Born and reared in New York. Made his theater debut in "The Music Man" at the age of 9. The trousers worn by him in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country are the same ones worn by William Shatner in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan. He noticed the name label still inside them. Donated all of his paycheck from Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles to River Phoenix's favorite charities after the young actor's untimely death at 23. As a teenager, he appeared in the musical "Merlin," one of the most expensive and most notorious flops in Broadway history. The show had been conceived as a vehicle for Doug Henning's magic, with Henning playing the eponymous wizard. Slater played "Young Merlin" and "Arthur"; other stars included Chita Rivera and Nathan Lane (in what was only his second Broadway role). The long-standing rumor about Christian's eyebrows (that he shaved them off to look like Spock and they never grew back properly) is actually false. Christian was joking with a reporter in one of his first interviews, and it was somehow printed as fact. He actually stated that he regretted mentioning it, as he still gets asked about the "Halloween costume gone bad" nearly two decades later. Was listed as a potential nominee on the 2006 Razzie Award nominating ballot. He was listed as a suggestion in the Worst Actor category for his performances in the films Alone in the Dark and Mindhunters. He failed to receive a nomination, however. (Had he gotten the nomination, it would have been his first in fourteen years. He was previously nominated for Worst Supporting Actor at the 1992 Razzie Awards for his roles in Mobsters and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.) He has co-starred with each of the two leads of _"Face/Off" (1997)_ , John Travolta and Nicolas Cage, in _"Broken Arrow" (1996)_ and _"Windtalkers" (2002)_ respectively. All three films were directed by 'John Woo' (I) . Sold his house in Brentwood, California to move back to his native New York. (November 2005) His favorite movies are The Witches of Eastwick and The Shining, both starring his idol Jack Nicholson. Is of English/Irish descent. Is good friends with actress Sandra Bernhard.