Ricky Whittle facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ricky Whittle
Whittle in 2017
Born	(1979-12-31) 31 December 1979 (age 45) Oldham, Greater Manchester, England
Alma mater	Southampton Solent University
Occupation	Actor
Years active	2002–present
Agent	Gersh
Known for	Hollyoaks Single Ladies Mistresses The 100 American Gods

Richard George Whittle (born December 31, 1979) is a talented British actor. He first became known as a model for Reebok. In the United Kingdom, he is famous for playing Calvin Valentine in the TV show Hollyoaks.

In 2009, Ricky Whittle came in second place on the BBC reality show Strictly Come Dancing. Later, he moved to American television. He had roles in shows like Single Ladies and Mistresses. From 2014 to 2016, he played Lincoln in The 100. Whittle also starred as Shadow Moon in the Starz series American Gods for three seasons.

Early Life and Education

Richard George Whittle was born on December 31, 1979. His birthplace was Oldham, England. His parents are Harry and Maggie Whittle. He is the oldest of three children.

His mother is from England, and his father is from Jamaica. Because his father was in the Royal Air Force, his family moved often. They lived in different countries every few years. However, Ricky mostly grew up in Northern Ireland.

He shared that he was bullied as a child. This was because he was the only Black child at his school. At one point, he even told his mother he wished he were white to fit in.

Whittle studied law at Southampton Solent University. He was also the captain of the university's football team. To help pay for his textbooks, he started modeling. He left university just before he was set to graduate.

Career Journey

Early Acting and Hollyoaks

Ricky Whittle began modeling while in college. In 2000, he became the face of Reebok. His first acting role was in 2002. He appeared in the TV series Dream Team on Sky 1. He called this show a "dream job" for a new actor.

Whittle's agent surprised him with the audition for Dream Team. He credits his co-star, Terence Maynard, for helping his career. Ricky left Dream Team in 2006. In May 2006, he joined the cast of the soap opera Hollyoaks. He played the character Calvin Valentine.

In December 2009, Whittle announced he would leave Hollyoaks. His character was written out of the show in 2010. He told Digital Spy that he wanted to try acting in American TV and movies. He had only planned to be on Hollyoaks for four years.

In the summer of 2009, Whittle joined series 7 of the BBC reality show Strictly Come Dancing. He danced with professional dancer Natalie Lowe. They finished in second place. Sports presenter Chris Hollins won that season. In the summer of 2011, Ricky moved to Los Angeles permanently. He wanted to grow his acting career there.

American TV Success and The 100

When he arrived in the US, Whittle met with someone to create an acting reel. This is a video showing an actor's best work. This meeting led him to sign with manager Ken Jacobsen. Jacobsen has also worked with famous actors like James Franco and Michelle Williams.

Soon after, Whittle was cast in the movie Austenland. He acted alongside Keri Russell and Jane Seymour. He joked that he got the role because of his body. His audition tape had accidentally cut off his head! He found it funny that the movie filmed in the UK. This was after he moved to Los Angeles for American projects.

After Austenland, Whittle found it easy to get auditions. However, his immigration status caused some problems. He had to drop out of a few projects. For example, he was set to film an episode of Up All Night. But the network would not accept his visa. After this, Whittle decided to apply for his green card. This would allow him to live and work in the US permanently.

In March 2012, Whittle was cast in a recurring role. He played Charles in the second season of Single Ladies on VH1. Charles was a love interest for Denise Vasi's character. Whittle sent his audition tape while visiting the UK for Christmas. He was too young for the first role he tried for. But the producers found another part for him. He was supposed to be in two episodes, but it turned into six. The producer, Stacy A. Littlejohn, liked him so much she wrote him into the rest of the season. Whittle filmed the series in Atlanta from January to June 2012.

In 2013, Whittle appeared in an episode of the CBS drama NCIS. The episode was called "Detour." In 2014, Whittle joined the cast of The 100 on The CW. He played the character Lincoln. On July 25, 2014, at San Diego Comic-Con, it was announced that Whittle would become a regular cast member for season 2.

Around the same time, Whittle also got a recurring role on ABC's Mistresses. He played Daniel Zamora. Daniel was a love interest for April, played by Rochelle Aytes. Whittle filmed The 100 just before starting production on Mistresses. He appeared in 10 episodes of Mistresses.

In January 2016, news came out that Whittle was in talks for a lead role in another series. In April 2016, Whittle announced he was leaving The 100. He stated that his character's role had become smaller. He explained that once leaders at Warner Bros. Television and The CW knew about the situation, he was allowed to audition for other projects.

American Gods and Recent Work

In January 2016, it was announced that Whittle was cast as Shadow Moon. This was the main role in the Starz TV show American Gods. The show was based on Neil Gaiman's 2001 novel. Whittle acted opposite Ian McShane. Whittle did not know the novel before. But he was a popular choice among fans to play Shadow.

Starz announced the series in August 2015. Out of 2,000 audition tapes, Whittle was chosen. He was one of about 600 actors who met with the producers. Whittle sent in 16 audition tapes over five months.

In September 2017, Whittle was cast in the Netflix movie Nappily Ever After. He starred opposite Sanaa Lathan. The movie was based on a novel by Trisha R. Thomas. On April 16, 2018, it was announced that Whittle signed with the talent agency William Morris Endeavor.

Personal Life

Ricky Whittle dated his Hollyoaks co-star Carley Stenson from 2007 to 2009. They have remained good friends. Whittle also dated Kirstina Colonna from 2016 to 2018.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Ricky Whittle para niños