Eric Roberts Says His Family Will ‘of Course’ Support Him During Dancing with the Stars Journey (Exclusive)

Eric Roberts knows his family will be rooting for him when he hits the ballroom for Dancing with the Stars.

Shortly after the DWTS season 33 cast news went public, the actor, 68, who is father to Emma Roberts and sister to Julia Roberts, exclusively told PEOPLE that he didn’t know how his family would react to his upcoming stint on the competitive dance show.

“I’ll have to ask them,” he said with a laugh.

When asked if he thought they’d be tuning in to watch him bust a move, he replied, “Of course, they will!”

Eric also opened up about how excited he was to make his debut with pro Britt Stewart. According to the Dark Knight alum, he was the “first person” the producers behind Dancing with the Stars asked to partake in the show nearly two decades ago.

“I couldn’t do it,” he recalled. “I was making a movie in China and it overlapped and they wouldn’t let me go. 19 years later they said, ‘Come on back!'”

Over the years, Eric has kept relatively quiet about his famous family members.

While speaking on the July 8 episode of the Still Here Hollywood podcast, the Oscar-nominated actor fielded a question about Julia, to which he replied, “You’ll have to ask her.”

“I love my sister, but I can’t talk about her,” he said of the Pretty Woman star, 56. “She doesn’t want to talk about it.”

Eric then admitted that his actress daughter had also “told me not to talk about her, but I stumbled and do.” He added, “I’m not supposed to talk about either of them. But I do.”

Eric welcomed daughter Emma on Feb. 10, 1991 with Kelly Cunningham, whom he dated from 1988 until 1991.

Emma followed in her father’s (and aunt’s) footsteps and got into the acting business.

“I’m in love with my daughter’s work these days,” Eric said during his appearance on Still Here Hollywood. “I can’t believe how great she’s become. I’m so proud of her I can’t see straight.”

He told the Behind the Velvet Rope podcast in 2022 that his favorite projects of Emma’s have been We’re the Millers and American Horror Story. “I love [AHS], I love that series, of course I do,” he said. “[Those are] my two favorites.”

Dancing with the Stars is produced in front of a live audience by BBC Studios Los Angeles Productions. Season 33 premieres Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+, with the episode available to stream the next day on Hulu.