Rick Gonzalez
Encyclopedia
Rick Gonzalez is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Timo Cruz in the motion picture Coach Carter
, and as Ben Gonzalez on the CW
supernatural drama
television series Reaper
.
and Puerto Rican descent. His parents met in New York City where they married and later divorced. They settled down in the Bushwick
section of Brooklyn
where they raised Rick. There, he attended elementary and junior high school. Ever since he was a young child, Rick would put on improvised "shows" for his family and participate in all of his school's plays. His teachers were instrumental in convincing Rick to apply and try out for the High School of the Performing Arts
, on which Fame was based, in Manhattan
. He did as suggested and was accepted. In 1997, he graduated and began to pursue a career in acting.
movie Thicker Than Blood (1998) as Sanchez. In 1999, he made his feature movie debut as Ricky in the movie Mambo Cafe, which was released in the year 2000. He followed that by participating in the film Prince of Central Park (2000) before heading for Los Angeles, California
.
In Hollywood, he landed a small part as a gangbanger in the 2001 film Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles. He followed that with the roles of Rudy Bonilla in The Rookie
, starring Dennis Quaid
and as the sex-crazed Primo in the 2003 movie Biker Boyz
. In 2005, he played the role of Timo Cruz in the movie Coach Carter
. Gonzalez also appeared in Twista
's video "Hope", which is the lead single off the Coach Carter movie soundtrack. He played the male lead in Mashonda
's "Back of Tha Club" video; and has also starred in the video to the Obie Trice
song "Snitch
", where he plays a member of a group who successfully pull off a bank robbery, and then snitches on them. Gonzalez was also in Red Cafe
's video for "All Night Long" which was also in the Coach Carter
movie soundtrack.
Among the other movies in which Gonzalez has participated in are the 2003 comedy Old School
(alongside Luke Wilson
, Vince Vaughn
and Will Ferrell
) as "Spanish", Laurel Canyon (2003) as Wyett, Subway Cafe (2004) as Vincent Young, War of the Worlds
(2005) as Vincent, Roll Bounce
(2005) as Naps, Pulse (2006) as Stone, First Snow (2006) as Andy Lopez, Illegal Tender
(2007) as Wilson DeLeon Jr., What We Do Is Secret
(2007) as Pat Smear
.
His TV guest appearances have been in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
(2000), Touched by an Angel
(2001) as Ramone, ER
(2001) as Jorge Escalona, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2002) as Tomas, The Shield
(2002), CSI: Miami (2006), Castle
(2010), Lie to Me
(2010), and Bones
(2011). Most recently, he co-starred in the CW television series Reaper
as Ben Gonzalez. Gonzalez had a blog about the 2008 MLB Post Season and was nicknamed the "October Gonzo". He co-starred in Lady Gaga
's 2011 music video for her single "Judas
" where he portrays Jesus
.
Coach Carter
Coach Carter is a 2005 American film directed by Thomas Carter. It is based on a true story, in which Richmond High School basketball coach Ken Carter made headlines in 1999 for benching his MVP and undefeated team due to poor academic results....
, and as Ben Gonzalez on the CW
The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
supernatural drama
Supernatural drama
Supernatural drama is a subgenre of fantasy combining elements of supernatural fiction and the drama genre. This genre deals with ghosts and other paranormal topics, but without the tone and scares associated with the horror genre...
television series Reaper
Reaper (TV series)
Reaper is an American television series that focuses on Sam Oliver, a "reaper" who works for the Devil by retrieving souls that have escaped from Hell.The series originally ran on the CW from September 25, 2007 to May 26, 2009....
.
Early life
Gonzalez was born in New York City of DominicanDominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
and Puerto Rican descent. His parents met in New York City where they married and later divorced. They settled down in the Bushwick
Bushwick, Brooklyn
Bushwick is a neighborhood in the northern part of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood, formerly Brooklyn's 18th Ward, is now part of Brooklyn Community Board 4...
section of Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
where they raised Rick. There, he attended elementary and junior high school. Ever since he was a young child, Rick would put on improvised "shows" for his family and participate in all of his school's plays. His teachers were instrumental in convincing Rick to apply and try out for the High School of the Performing Arts
Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts
Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts is a high school specializing in teaching visual arts and performing arts, located near Lincoln Center and the Juilliard School in the Lincoln Center district of Manhattan, on Amsterdam Avenue...
, on which Fame was based, in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. He did as suggested and was accepted. In 1997, he graduated and began to pursue a career in acting.
Career
Gonzalez started his acting career in New York where he landed a small role in the made for televisionTelevision
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
movie Thicker Than Blood (1998) as Sanchez. In 1999, he made his feature movie debut as Ricky in the movie Mambo Cafe, which was released in the year 2000. He followed that by participating in the film Prince of Central Park (2000) before heading for Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
.
In Hollywood, he landed a small part as a gangbanger in the 2001 film Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles. He followed that with the roles of Rudy Bonilla in The Rookie
The Rookie (2002 film)
The Rookie is a 2002 drama sports film directed by John Lee Hancock. It is based on the true story of Jim Morris, who had a brief, but famous Major League Baseball career in 1999. The film stars Dennis Quaid, Rachel Griffiths, Jay Hernandez, and Brian Cox....
, starring Dennis Quaid
Dennis Quaid
Dennis William Quaid is an American actor known for his comedic and dramatic roles. First gaining widespread attention in the 1980s, his career rebounded in the 1990s after he overcame an addiction to drugs and an eating disorder...
and as the sex-crazed Primo in the 2003 movie Biker Boyz
Biker Boyz
Biker Boyz is a 2003 film about a group of underground motorcycle drag racers. It stars Laurence Fishburne, Djimon Hounsou, Derek Luke, Meagan Good, and Larenz Tate and is written and directed by Reggie Rock Bythewood...
. In 2005, he played the role of Timo Cruz in the movie Coach Carter
Coach Carter
Coach Carter is a 2005 American film directed by Thomas Carter. It is based on a true story, in which Richmond High School basketball coach Ken Carter made headlines in 1999 for benching his MVP and undefeated team due to poor academic results....
. Gonzalez also appeared in Twista
Twista
Carl Terrell Mitchell , better known by his stage name Twista, is an American rapper. He is known for once holding the title of fastest rapper in the world according to Guinness World Records in 1992, being able to pronounce 598 syllables in 55 seconds...
's video "Hope", which is the lead single off the Coach Carter movie soundtrack. He played the male lead in Mashonda
Mashonda
Mashonda Tifrere , often known simply as Mashonda, is an American R&B singer-songwriter and recording artist. Born and raised in Harlem, New York, she graduated from St. Mark the Evangelist School in 1992. Tifrere gained exposure in the early 2000s appearing on songs from highly acclaimed hip hop...
's "Back of Tha Club" video; and has also starred in the video to the Obie Trice
Obie Trice
Obie Trice III is an American rapper and songwriter. He began rapping at the age of 11, and is most known for his time spent signed to Shady Records. Obie Trice has formed his own record label, Black Market Entertainment.-Biography:...
song "Snitch
Snitch
Snitch may refer to:* Informant* Whistleblower* "Snitch" , a song by Obie Trice* Monument Ave. or Snitch, a 1998 thriller film-See also:* Golden Snitch, a ball in Quidditch in the Harry Potter series...
", where he plays a member of a group who successfully pull off a bank robbery, and then snitches on them. Gonzalez was also in Red Cafe
Red Cafe
Jermaine Denny , better known as his stage name Red Café, is an American rapper. He was born to Afro-Guyanese parents and is signed to Akon's Konvict Muzik, Diddy's Bad Boy Records and DJ Clue's Desert Storm label.-Biography:...
's video for "All Night Long" which was also in the Coach Carter
Coach Carter
Coach Carter is a 2005 American film directed by Thomas Carter. It is based on a true story, in which Richmond High School basketball coach Ken Carter made headlines in 1999 for benching his MVP and undefeated team due to poor academic results....
movie soundtrack.
Among the other movies in which Gonzalez has participated in are the 2003 comedy Old School
Old School (film)
Old School is a 2003 American comedy film released by DreamWorks SKG and directed by Todd Phillips, director of the documentary Frat House. The story was written by Court Crandall, and the film was written by Phillips and Scot Armstrong...
(alongside Luke Wilson
Luke Wilson
Luke Cunningham Wilson is an American film actor known for his roles in Old School, Bottle Rocket, The Royal Tenenbaums, Legally Blonde, Idiocracy and Death at a Funeral.-Early life:...
, Vince Vaughn
Vince Vaughn
Vincent Anthony "Vince" Vaughn is an American film actor, screenwriter, producer and comedian. He began acting in the late 1980s, appearing in minor television roles before attaining wider recognition with the 1996 movie Swingers...
and Will Ferrell
Will Ferrell
John William "Will" Ferrell is an American comedian, impressionist, actor, and writer. Ferrell first established himself in the late 1990s as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, and has subsequently starred in the comedy films Old School, Elf, Anchorman, Talladega...
) as "Spanish", Laurel Canyon (2003) as Wyett, Subway Cafe (2004) as Vincent Young, War of the Worlds
War of the Worlds (2005 film)
War of the Worlds is a 2005 American science fiction film adaptation of H. G. Wells' novel of the same name, directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Josh Friedman and David Koepp. It is one of three film adaptations of War of the Worlds released that year, alongside The Asylum's version and...
(2005) as Vincent, Roll Bounce
Roll Bounce
Roll Bounce is a 2005 American comedy-drama film written by Norman Vance Jr. and directed by Malcolm D. Lee. The film stars hip hop artist Bow Wow as the leader of a roller skating crew in 1970s Chicago. The film also stars Nick Cannon, Meagan Good, Brandon T...
(2005) as Naps, Pulse (2006) as Stone, First Snow (2006) as Andy Lopez, Illegal Tender
Illegal Tender (film)
Illegal Tender is a movie written and directed by Franc. Reyes and produced by Academy Award nominee John Singleton. It stars Rick Gonzalez, Wanda De Jesus and Dania Ramirez, the movie also marks the film debut of Reggaeton music star Tego Calderón....
(2007) as Wilson DeLeon Jr., What We Do Is Secret
What We Do Is Secret (film)
What We Do Is Secret is a 2008 American biographical film about Darby Crash, singer of the late-1970s Los Angeles punk rock band the Germs. Rodger Grossman directed the film and wrote the screenplay, based on a story he had written with Michelle Baer Ghaffari, a friend of Crash's and co-producer of...
(2007) as Pat Smear
Pat Smear
Pat Smear is a rock musician who has been a guitarist in several well-known bands including The Germs and Nirvana. He is currently a guitarist for the Foo Fighters...
.
His TV guest appearances have been in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced...
(2000), Touched by an Angel
Touched by an Angel
Touched by an Angel is an American drama series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994 and ran for 211 episodes and nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and produced by Martha Williamson, the series stars Roma Downey, as an angel named Monica, and Della...
(2001) as Ramone, ER
ER (TV series)
ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
(2001) as Jorge Escalona, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2002) as Tomas, The Shield
The Shield
The Shield is an American television drama series starring Michael Chiklis which premiered on March 12, 2002 on FX in the United States and concluded on November 25, 2008 after seven seasons...
(2002), CSI: Miami (2006), Castle
Castle (TV series)
Castle is an American comedy-drama television series, which premiered on ABC on March 9, 2009. The series is produced by Beacon Pictures and ABC Studios. On January 10, 2011, Castle was renewed for a fourth season...
(2010), Lie to Me
Lie to Me
Lie to Me is a 2009-2011 American television series.Lie to Me may also refer to:* Lie to Me , a South Korean drama series* "Lie to Me" , an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer...
(2010), and Bones
Bones (TV series)
Bones is an American crime drama television series that premiered on the Fox Network on September 13, 2005. The show is based on forensic anthropology and forensic archaeology, with each episode focusing on an FBI case file concerning the mystery behind human remains brought by FBI Special Agent...
(2011). Most recently, he co-starred in the CW television series Reaper
Reaper (TV series)
Reaper is an American television series that focuses on Sam Oliver, a "reaper" who works for the Devil by retrieving souls that have escaped from Hell.The series originally ran on the CW from September 25, 2007 to May 26, 2009....
as Ben Gonzalez. Gonzalez had a blog about the 2008 MLB Post Season and was nicknamed the "October Gonzo". He co-starred in Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
's 2011 music video for her single "Judas
Judas (song)
"Judas" is a song by American recording artist Lady Gaga, taken from her second studio album Born This Way . The song was released worldwide on April 15, 2011, four days ahead of its scheduled release, by Interscope Records. Written and produced by Lady Gaga and RedOne, "Judas" is a dance song that...
" where he portrays Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
.