Rico E. Anderson

Acting with Intent

What do you like doing in your spare time?

Cooking, Working out, watching tv, hiking, chilling with friends and traveling. Even if its local.

Who is your celebrity crush?

Olivia Munn, Gugu Mbatha Raw, and definitely Halle Berry all day, every day. And whoever else I’ll probably end up remembering after this interview comes out.

What’s your biggest pet peeve?

Jealousy, people chew with their mouth open, who talk loud on the phone in public, who don’t control their kids when they are clearly out of control, who in a society like today, where info is so readily available, still decide they want to think what they want and not be open to educating themselves to cure themselves of their bigotry and prejudice. Also, people who write run on sentences.

What’s your annoying habit?

I’ve been told I ask a lot of questions. But hey, I’m an actor. It’s a part of my training. encountering fans or doing interviews (present company excluded).

Who is your inspiration?

I’m really bad at this because I always leave someone out but here it goes…….

Non celebrity: My mother, my elementary / middle school / high school / college professors and many other people from family to friends who gave me great advice and always encourage me to keep doing what I do even when I may feel discouraged or doubtful.

Celebrity: Sidney Poitier, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Barack & Michelle Obama, Robert Guillaume, Denzel Washington and many other entertainers in my industry who have solid bodies of work I aspire everyday to achieve

Do you speak any other languages?

I can count to 100 in Indonesian, 10 in French, 20 in Spanish and can say single words here and there in all languages mentioned.

Where would you like to visit?

Africa, Europe, Australia, Indonesia, Hawaii, Greece, France, Brasil, the planets Vulcan, Krypton, Quo’nos, Tatooine, Risa and Galifrey.

If you weren’t famous, what would you be up to right now?

Work wise, I’d probably be a doctor, fireman or astronaut. The great thing about being an actor of course is that I can still be these things…..in a roundabout way of course.

Who is the messiest person you know?

Me during pilot season. You’d swear up and down I live out of my car.

What’s the most interesting thing you’ve read or seen this week?

Anything happening in the year 2020 while still in the year 2020

What would you like remembered about you?

A good actor, an inspiring individual, ambitious, made a difference in the world, never gave up, fun, funny, outgoing, a nerd, a weirdo,

What is one message you would give to your fans?

Be and stay open minded about what life is all about. Dare to be different. Believe science and have fun in life (yes I know its 4 messages. I did say to dare to be different)

What were your best/worst subjects in school?

Worst was Math. Full stop. Best was all things Theatre Arts, science, history and sports

Who was your favorite teacher?

Mr. Felker and Pat Washburn (Drama), History and Black Studies, Dig Dug, Super Mario Bros., Dragon’s Lair, Star Wars, and Backgammon.

What were you like as a kid?

I was a energetic little boy. Loved tv, playing outside, riding my bike, going to the Museum of Science and Industry, playing in the snow, reading comic books, playing with my action figures. Loved hanging out with my grandmother, great grandmother and cousins.

What did you enjoy doing with your friends?

As a kid, riding our bikes everywhere, Playing in the snow in winter, having dirt ball fights in our apt complex area, watching tv, sleepovers.

What’s your most embarrassing childhood memory?

If anyone remembers those oversized pencils we had the option of using in class, I remember being bored in class one day, biting off the eraser and stuffing it up my nose. The only problem was that it got stuck and I couldn’t get it out. I tried doing it without drawing attention and when I realized it wasn’t coming out, I got scared and instead of saying anything, I just put my head on my desk and started crying. One of the students must have heard me crying, told the teacher and when the teacher asked what was wrong, I cried while saying, “I got an eraser stuck up my nose”. The class laughed. It was both scary and embarrassing. I think the school nurse managed to get it out but not before I had to do the walk of shame out of the classroom, down the long hallway to the nurses office.

What did you want to be when you were a kid?

Actor, fireman, astronaut.

Were your parents strict?

I was raised my my Mom, Grandmother and Great Grandmother. That was 3 generations of upbringing. They were definitely strict.

What was your favorite toy?

My superhero action figures.

How long have you been an actor?

I’ve been acting since I was 12 but professionally for 15 years.

What made you decide to get into acting?

Ever since I was a little boy, I loved television and movies. I always imagined being those actors I saw on the screen. Especially the black actors. I saw myself in them and the work they did. They represented me and I was inspired by that. I wanted to represent as well. I knew one day I wanted to move to Hollywood and pursue that dream. Especially when my mom and I moved from Chicago to the SF Bay Area where I started doing theatre and indi films.

What was your first gig and what was it like?

My first professional gig was the tv show, ‘The Shield’.

What is your favorite movie?

That’s Hollywood, Singin in the Rain, All Star Trek and Star Wars movies, Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, Glengarry Glen Ross, Casino, Goodfellas, The Defiant Ones, All Marvel movies especially Spiderman Into the Spiderverse.

What’s your favorite Halloween costume?

Always been a fan of being Dracula for Halloween.

What’s your favorite holiday?

Thanksgiving

What sports do you enjoy watching?

Basketball and Football and bowling and the Olympics.

What is your favorite song?

September, Boogie Wonderland (Earth, Wind & Fire), Rock With You, PYT, Lady in My Life (Michael Jackson), I Wanna Be Your Lover (Prince), I Want You, Whats Going On, All the Way Around (Marvin Gaye) and there are so many more songs from these and other artists its hard to name just one.

What’s your favorite place to eat? Why?

Korean BBQ. Amazing appetizers, amazing food. A fun dining experience. And sushi because well, it’s Sushi.

What are your favorite clothes?

Henley shirts, jeans, fitted suits.

What’s the weirdest thing a fan has ever done for you?

I had a fan send me a pic of a pumpkin carving of my face. It was cool but weird. No one has ever carved my face before. So that happened. What made it weirder was that same fan sent another pic afterwards of the same pumpkin….smashed to bits. Insert “Smashing Pumpkins” joke. So, that happened also. Weeeeiiiiirrrrrdd!!!

What is your biggest/weirdest fear?

Biggest fear: Heights Weirdest: Flying cockroaches

What pet would you love to have?

KIMODO DRAGON baby!!!!!!!!

What would be a good theme song for your life?

“Ain’t No Stoppin Us Now”

What would you name your boat if you had one?

ENTERPIRSE

Rico E. Anderson Instagram: @iamricoanderson Twitter: @iamricoanderson imdb.me/ricoanderson www.RicoAnderson.com