As an award winning actor, a sci fi nerd, the oldest of 11 children on his mothers side (6 biological / 5 adopted) and the 3rd of 4 children on his fathers side, Rico was born in Seaside/Monterey, CA and raised on the south side of Chicago as well as the San Francisco Bay Area. It was in Chicago where Rico's love for the arts began. As a little boy, his 3rd grade class went to a touring performance of The Wiz, starring Stephanie Mills. Even at that early age, Rico sat there mesmerized and amazed at the performances. Memories from that performance stuck in the back of his mind and would not surface until a few years later when his family moved to Berkeley, California. The bug bit again and Rico started performing in several plays and Independent films. Rico also majored in Theatre Arts at San Francisco State University. Eventually, Rico moved to Los Angeles and has been blessed to have many film, television, voice over and theatre credits to his name.

 

Known for playing a variety of humans....and aliens, Rico's selected film and television credits include S.W.A.T. on CBS, The Orville and Rosewood on FOX and Young & Hungry on Freeform. Other selected works include, The Mick, Grey's Anatomy, The Fosters, NCIS, Modern Family, Criminal Minds, K.C. Undercover, Two and a Half Men, Mike & Molly, 2 Broke Girls, Days of our Lives, The Bold and the Beautiful, Murder in the First, Sullivan & Son, Justified and The Shield. Rico was also tapped for the lead role in the feature, Get Gone opposite Lyn Shaye and Robert Miano.  Rico's breakthrough role was in the 2005 Academy Award Winning short, "Mighty Times: The Children's March" portraying civil rights activist, Shelley "The Playboy" Stewart. This period piece was Narrated by Samuel L. Jackson (Marvel's The Avengers, Star Wars Trilogy) and Sam Elliott (The Hulk, The Big Lebowski) respectfully. Another breakthrough role was in Sci Fi where Rico was tapped to star in the TV pilot, Star Trek: Renegades, directed by Tim Russ (Tuvok in Star Trek: Voyager) and starring Walter Koenig (Star Trek, Babalon 5), Sean Young (Blade Runner) and Edward Furlong (John Connor in The Terminator). Rico was directed by Joss Whedon (Marvel's The Avengers, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) in the pilot for Dollhouse w/ Eliza Dushku and played (The Color Purple) Danny Glover's son in in "The Harimaya Bridge" with Peter Coyote.  

 

Onstage, Rico appeared in several noteworthy performances including the multiple award winning production of The West Coast Premiere of The Ballad of Emmett Till (Fountain Theatre, Los Angeles), Fences (NexStage Theatre, Ketchum Idaho), the revival of Ray Bradbury's Kaleidoscope (Sci-Fest LA, Acme Theatre), The title role in Oedipus (African American Shakespeare Company, San Francisco) , For The Love of Freedom-Trilogy (The Robey Theatre Company, Los Angeles), Graffiti Blues (National Black Theatre Festival, North Carolina), the multiple award winning production of The Meeting as Malcolm X, Off Broadway in Bed of Truth, Equus, and A Soldiers Play .

 

As a member of the L.A. based Sketch Comedy Troupe, 'The Outpatients', Rico performed at The World Famous Comedy Store Main Room.

 

Selected Commercial works includes: Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, Direct TV, UPS Store, Lending Tree, Bud Light, Honda, Sony, Jeep.

 

Voice Over Commercial work includes: Mc Donalds, Bud Light, Sony, Jeep, The University of Maryland University College (UMUC) and National Rent a Car.

 

As a Voice Over artist, Rico has recorded Loop Group / ADR work for Batman: Arkham Knight, #FreeRayshawn, Rebel and Being Mary Jane (BET), Geostorm, Power (Starz) and VH-1's Hit the Floor.

 

* In 2015, Rico was selected to be a category Emmy voter in the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and is still an active member. 

​

* On March 10th, 2016, Rico won Best Actor at The Pasadena International Film Festival for the film "Dreams My Master".

​

* On December, 11th 2017, Rico hosted the 3rd Annual Short Film Awards at the Symphony Space on Broadway in New York City.

​

* On March 17, 2017, Rico was a presenter at the 38th Annual Young Artist Awards at the Alex Theatre in Glendale, CA.

​

* On October 30, 2017 Rico hosted the opening ceremony of the Theatre Bay Area Awards at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco, CA.

​

* On December 13th, Rico hosted a 5th Passenger Facebook takeover of the Facebook Live, cast and crew screening red carpet arrivals of 5th Passenger held at Graumans Chinese Theatre on December 13, 2017 in Hollywood, California.

​

* On April 8th, Rico interviewed Star Trek legend, Nichelle Nichols (Uhura) at Silicon Valley Comic Con in San Jose, CA

​

* On April 13 - 15th, Rico was a celebrity judge in the 1st Annual Miss California Petite pageant held at the Scottish Rite in Oakland, California.

 

Rico still lives in Los Angeles, continues to work extensively in film, television, theatre and voice over, makes celebrity appearances at various sci fi conventions and is carefully selecting his next project.