Erik was born in Manchester, England, to American parents. His father is Dann Passoja, a physicist and artist. His mother is Dr. Margaret Lewin, an aeronautical engineer-turned-oncologist. He grew up in New York City, where he attended the Buckley School. He went on to graduate from Exeter in New Hampshire as well as from Yale University. Erik often plays scary bad guys, but his stand-up act reveals a lighter side.
Has trained in the martial arts nearly all his life and is a fifth-degree black belt in Shotokan karate and a second-degree black belt in Shorin-Ryu karate.
Lived in Tokyo, Japan, for six months to study karate during a hiatus from college.
In addition to English, speaks French, Japanese, German, and Hebrew.