Ralph Rodriguez

Ralph Rodriguez, Jersey-born and definitely not shy about it, has been making some serious noise in TV and film. You might’ve caught him as Freddie Clemente popping up on NBC’s Chicago Fire, or maybe you spotted him in the wild ride that is White Girl on Netflix. The dude’s got range, no doubt. His whole thing with acting? Kind of adorable, actually. Way back, he saw The Sound of Music at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn—yeah, the classic one with the Von Trapps. Next thing you know, little Ralph is doing his best Maria impression, belting out tunes and marching through his living room like he’s got an audience of thousands. That whole experience lit the fuse, and he just never looked back. If you ever talk to him, he’ll go on about his old teachers and the folks from his neighborhood who kept pushing him, even when things got rough. Chasing a dream in entertainment isn’t exactly a walk in the park, but having people in your corner makes all the difference. Aside from his TV gigs, Rodriguez landed a spot in Barry on Netflix—the one about young Obama—with Anya Taylor-Joy in the mix. He’s also in Compliance, a Sundance hit by Craig Zobel, which honestly, is not for the faint of heart. Looking ahead, Ralph isn’t just sticking to acting. He’s got plans to start telling his own stories, writing and directing projects that actually mean something, stuff that’ll stick with people no matter where they’re from.