Rick Gonzalez (born June 30, 1979) is an American actor and musician.
He is known for his roles as Timo Cruz in the motion picture Coach
Carter, as Ben Gonzalez on the CW supernatural drama television series
Reaper, and as Naps In Roll Bounce. From 2016-2020, he portrayed the
superhero vigilante character Rene Ramirez / Wild Dog on the CW
superhero drama series Arrow.Gonzalez was born in New York City, of
Dominican and Puerto Rican descent. His parents met in Washington, DC,
where they married. They moved and settled down in the Bushwick
section of Brooklyn where they raised Gonzalez. His parents were later
divorced. He attended elementary and junior high school while living
in Brooklyn. Ever since he was a young child, Gonzalez would put on
improvised "shows" for his family and participate in all of his
school's plays. His teachers were instrumental in convincing Gonzalez
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.Gonzalez started his acting career in New York where he landed
a small role in the made for television 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.[dead link]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.
He is known for his roles as Timo Cruz in the motion picture Coach
Carter, as Ben Gonzalez on the CW supernatural drama television series
Reaper, and as Naps In Roll Bounce. From 2016-2020, he portrayed the
superhero vigilante character Rene Ramirez / Wild Dog on the CW
superhero drama series Arrow.Gonzalez was born in New York City, of
Dominican and Puerto Rican descent. His parents met in Washington, DC,
where they married. They moved and settled down in the Bushwick
section of Brooklyn where they raised Gonzalez. His parents were later
divorced. He attended elementary and junior high school while living
in Brooklyn. Ever since he was a young child, Gonzalez would put on
improvised "shows" for his family and participate in all of his
school's plays. His teachers were instrumental in convincing Gonzalez
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.Gonzalez started his acting career in New York where he landed
a small role in the made for television 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.[dead link]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.
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