Who is Ricky Whittle? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

British Celebrities Born In December

Also Known As: Richard Whittle

Age: 41 Years, 41 Year Old Males

Family:

father: Harry Whittle

Models Actors

Height: 6'1" (185 cm), 6'1" Males

Notable Alumni: Southampton Solent University

City: Oldham, England

More Facts

education: Southampton Solent University

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Childhood & Early Years

Ricky Whittle was born on 31 December 1981 as Richard Whittle in Oldham, England. His father Harry Whittle, an African-Caribbean from Jamaica, served in the Royal Air Force. His mother Maggie née Godwin is a Caucasian from England. He has two younger siblings; Chris and Debbie.

He never stayed in one place for more than three years because of his father’s job. His family lived at different RAF bases around the world throughout his childhood. However, he was primarily raised in Northern Ireland.

Whittle was often taunted and bullied at school due to his dark skin. The remarks ranged from innocent questions like ‘Are you a chocolate boy?’ to more racist comments, often making him wish that he had white skin so that he could fit in with his predominantly white schoolmates.

When he told his mother that he wanted to be white, she told him that would appreciate his unique skin color when he grew up. Eventually, he learned to take remarks about his skin color casually, without getting hurt.

A keen sportsman, Whittle excelled in various sports, especially football. After he graduated from school, he was scouted to play professional football by both Arsenal and Celtic football clubs. But a series of injuries put an end to his ambition of becoming a professional footballer.

Possibly in 1999, he enrolled in the ‘Solent University’, Southampton to study law and criminology. During his four years there, he continued to excel in sports and eventually became a football team captain. Around this time, he also started modeling and became the face of Reebok campaign in 2000.

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Career

Ricky Whittle began his acting career in 2002 after being cast as Ryan Naysmith in the sixth season of ‘Dream Team’, a British television series about a fictional football team. Shortly after that, he left the university to concentrate on his acting career.

Concurrently with playing Ryan Naysmith in ‘Dream Team’, he continued to play football. While participating in a charity football match, he broke his legs. He had to take a long break after that to recover fully. To accommodate him, the storyline of ‘Dream Team’ was adjusted, and he soon returned to set to continue playing the role of a ladies’ man.

He remained with ‘Dream Team’ until May 2006, completing its ninth season. Meanwhile in 2004, he had appeared as David Richards in the ‘You Can Choose Your Friends’ episode of ‘Holby City’, a British medical series that aired on BBC One.

In 2006, Whittle was cast as police officer Calvin Valentine in ‘Hollyoaks’, a popular British soap opera that aired on Channel 4. Beginning on 17 July 2006, he remained with the show until 16 February 2011, appearing in 238 episodes in total.

In 2009, he participated in the seventh season of the popular television dance contest, ‘Strictly Come Dancing’. He partnered with Natalie Lowe for the competition, eventually becoming the runner-up. During this period, he also appeared as a guest star in numerous other shows.

After quitting ‘Hollyoaks’, Whittle appeared as Eddie Shannon in an episode of ‘Candy Cabs’, which aired on 12 April 2011 on BBC One. In the same year, he debuted in films, appearing as Samuel in a short film called ‘Losing Sam’.

In 2011, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the American entertainment industry. Soon after his arrival, he was signed by the LA talent manager Ken Jacobson, who helped him get cast as Captain George East in the TV series ‘Austenland’. He returned to England to begin shooting for the show in the summer of 2012.

In 2012, Whittle played the role of Charles in eight episodes of the American television show ‘Single Ladies’. It was followed by the police procedural television series ‘NCIS’, in which he appeared as Lincoln in its ‘Detour’ episode, which aired on February 26, 2013.

In 2014, he was cast as Lincoln in the science fiction drama series 'The 100' and as Daniel Zamora in the ABC’s prime time drama series ‘Mistresses’. He continued appearing in both of the productions until 2016. He later quit 'The 100' after the creator of the show started “bullying” him by sidelining his character.

Currently, Whittle is playing the leading role of Shadow Moon in the fantasy drama series ‘American Gods’. Premiered on April 30, 2017, the show continues to air till date. Meanwhile in 2018, he appeared as Clint in the Netflix original movie ‘Nappily Ever After’.

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Major Works

Ricky Whittle first came to prominence for his role as Calvin Valentine in ‘Hollyoaks’. He became so popular for his portrayal that he was featured on the Hollyoaks Hunks calendar for three consecutive years on popular demand. His other notable works are ‘Single Ladies’, ‘Mistresses’, ‘The 100’ and ‘American Gods’.

Family & Personal Life

Ricky Whittle was in a relationship with actress Kirstina Colonna from 2016 to 2018.

He dated his ‘Hollyoaks’ co-star Carley Stenson between 2007 and 2009. Despite parting ways, the two have managed to remain close friends.

Ricky Whittle Biography