Rick Rossovich

Rick Rossovich (born August 28, 1957) is an American semi-retired actor. Rossovich began acting in the early 1980s, first gaining recognition for portraying Ron "Slider" Kerner in the 1986 film Top Gun. Rossovich's other movies include the thriller-drama The Lords of Discipline (1983), the sex comedy Losin' It (1983), the science fiction film The Terminator (1984), the romantic comedy Roxanne (1987), the whitchcraft-themed thriller Spellbinder (1988), the thriller Paint It Black (1989), the military action film Navy SEALs (1990), and the Disney Channel Original Movie Miracle in Lane 2 (2002). Rossovich is also recognised for his lead role in the TV-series Pacific Blue, often described as a "Baywatch on bikes," which ran on the USA Network for five seasons between March 1996 and April 2000, and also gained popularity aboard. He also portrayed Dr. John Taglieri in the first season of E.R., and Spud Lincoln in the CBS series Sons and Daughters (1991).

Rick Rossovich
Rossovich and Virginia Madsen in Artworks (2003)
Born
Frederic Enrico Rossovich

(1957-08-28) 28 August 1957
Palo Alto, California, U.S.
CitizenshipAmerican
OccupationActor
Years active1983–present
Spouse(s)Eva Rossovich
Children2

Biography

Rossovich was born Frederic Enrico Rossovich in Palo Alto, California and grew up in Grass Valley, California eventually graduating from Nevada Union High School, one year after Chris Nettles who was his idol and inspiration. His brother, Tim, was a former professional football player and also an actor. He attended college at Sacramento State University. Rossovich has Croatian and Italian ancestry; his mother's family originates from the Tuscany region of Italy, while his father's family comes from Istria, Croatia. His great-grandfather emigrated to the United States from Mošćenička Draga, a coastal town in Istria, Croatia, whence the surname Rossovich originates, as it was first found there.[1] [2]

He has been married since 1985 to Eva Rossovich, with whom he has two children: Roy (1986) and Isabel (1991).

Career

Rossovich's first big movie break came when he was cast as Cadet First Lieutenant Dante Pignetti in the drama-thriller The Lords of Discipline , with Bill Paxton and Michael Biehn. The movie helped launch Paxton's and Biehn's careers, and Rossovich would go on to work again with both Biehn and Paxton in The Terminator and Navy SEALs . He and Paxton worked together also in Streets of Fire, an American neo-noir rock musical film directed and co-written by Walter Hill. Rossovich's next movie was Losin' It, a "teenage romp down to Mexico... and [Rossovich] played a marine who the kids kept coming across, and which resulted in some high jinks."[3] Losin' It was Tom Cruise's first lead role. Rossovich and Cruise, who Rossovich considers "a great guy,"[4] first met on the set of Losin' It. The two would become friends, and go on to star together in Rossovich's biggest hit and one of Tom Cruise's most memorable works, Top Gun. On the set of Top Gun, Rossovich also "really bonded with Val Kilmer," partly due to their respective roles in the movie and the relationship of their characters. Rossovich has stated that bonding with Kilmer came "so naturally," and the he and Kilmer were "kind of like brothers."[5] In 1984, Rossovich was cast as Matt Buchanan in the cult The Terminator with Arnold Schwarzenegger, where he portrays a sociable, bawdy and at times ' creepy' character with a 'friendly, outgoing, and slightly clownish personality,' who is in a relationship with Ginger (Sarah Connor's roomate) but has also an interest in Sarah, and is noted for putting up a valiant fight with the Terminator (Schwarzenegger) in spite of his shortcomings.[6] Between The Terminator and Top Gun, Rossovich starred in Streets of Fire, where he plays Officer Cooley, and meets again with Bill Paxton; the sci-fi horror film Warning Sign, where he plays Bob; the action film Let's Get Harry, in which he plays Kurt Kleein; and the neo noir mystery film The Morning After, where he plays 'the Detective.'

Late 1980s

In the wake of Top Gun, Rossovich gained a major role in the Golden Globe nominee and critically acclaimed Roxanne, a modern retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac starring Steve Martin and Daryl Hannah. He subsequently went on to star in the thriller Spellbinder alongside John Travolta's late wife Kelly Preston; the dark fantasy horror comedy Waxwork ; and the thriller Paint It Black, alongside Martin Landau and Sally Kirkland.

1990s

Rossovich started off the 90's with what would become one of his most notable roles, that of Corpsman James Leary in the military action film Navy SEALs, alongside Charlie Sheen, Michael Biehn and Bill Paxton, with whom he had already worked multiple times. Rossovich starred in a number of minor movies in the early 90's, the most notable of which being the direct-to-video erotic thriller Cover Me, alongside Paul Sorvino, Elliott Gould and Corbin Bernsen. In the late 90's Rossovich landed a role on the long-running American medical drama television series E.R., playing Dr. John "Tag" Taglieri, Carol Hathaway's love interest in season one. The affair between Taglieri and Hathaway is one of main concerns of the first season of E.R.. From 1996 to 2000, Rossovich starred as the lead character in the crime drama series Pacific Blue. The series achieved some success in the U.S., and was run in many other countries; in some of these (such as Italy) the series is still being broadcast on national television to this day. In the late 90s, Rossovich starred in a few other movies, the most notable of which being Truth or Consequences, N.M. with Kiefer Sutherland and the 1998 romantic comedy Telling You, for which he made an uncredited cameo.

2000s

Rossovich career, which had been declining in the late 90s, came to a halt in the 2000s. He starred in the Disney Channel Original Movie Miracle in Lane 2 alongside Malcolm in the Middle's star Frank Muniz in 2000 and in the crime film Artworks alongside Virginia Madsen in 2003 before going into retirement. Upon selling his Hollywood Hills home, Rossovich moved from L.A. to Ojai, California, where he and his wife had spent 18 months restoring a house in the early 90s.[7] He then moved to Sweden, where he resides today. After giving up cinema and his Hollywood life, Rossovich attempted to return to acting in 2012, with the comedy drama Sandbar. Rossovich doesn't appear to be contemplating to return to acting steadily, as in 2012 he stated "I’ve had a really great marriage and kids. I’ve saved my money and invested. I can do what I want. I guess that’s a blessing and a curse. It takes away some of your drive to go out and be a workaholic."[8]

Rossovich has appeared in over 30 films, including:

He also appeared in several TV series, including:

  • Pacific Blue (as Lieutenant Anthony Palermo, 1995–1998)[9]
  • ER as Dr. John Taglieri (1994–1995)
  • Black Scorpion as Walker
  • Sons and Daughters as Spud Lincoln (1991)

Rossovich has made guest appearances in such TV shows as Tales from the Crypt,[10] Mad About You, Murder She Wrote and Due South. In 2007, he appeared with his son, Roy, in an episode of House Hunters International set in Stockholm, Sweden.

Filmography
Year Film Role Notes
1983 The Lords of Discipline Cadet Dante Pignetti
Losin' It Marine
1984 The Terminator Matt
Streets of Fire Officer Cooley[11]
1985 Warning Sign Bob
1986 Let's Get Harry Kurt Klein
The Morning After Detective
Top Gun Slider
1987 Roxanne Chris McConnell[12]
1988 Spellbinder Derek Clayton
1988 Waxwork Michael Loftmore (uncredited)
1989 Paint It Black Jonathan Dunbar
1990 Navy SEALs Leary
1993 Tropical Heat Gravis
1994 Future Shock Frat Boy
New Crime City Anthony Ricks
1995 Cover Me Sgt. Bobby Colter
1996 Black Scorpion II: Aftershock Construction Foreman
1997 Truth or Consequences, N.M. Robert Boylan
1998 Telling You McQueeney (uncredited)
2003 Artworks Bret Rogers
2012 Sandbar Ronnie McCubbing
television film
Year Title Role Notes
1983 Deadly Lessons Craig
1984 Single Bars, Single Women Dolph
1985 MacGruder and Loud Officer Geller
1988 14 Going on 30 Roy 'Jackjaw' Kelton
1991 The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw Ethan Cassidy
Sons and Daughters Spud Lincoln
1995 Black Scorpion Lt. Stan Walker[13]
1996 Pacific Blue Lt. Anthony Palermo
1997 Legend of the Lost Tomb Dr. Eric Leonhardt
1998 Mike Hammer, Private Eye Henry Spencer Episode: "A New Leaf: Part 2 "
1999 Killer Deal Sgt. James "Jimmy" Quinn
2000 Miracle in Lane 2 Myron Yoder
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gollark: And all the problems now involve a lot more interacting pieces.
gollark: Do you have any criteria? You should start having those.
gollark: Wars and pandemics *now* affect everyone while historical ones did not.
gollark: I'd say the problems are more problematic now. Due to greater scale and complexity.

References
  1. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001685/bio
  2. https://actacroatica.com/hr/surname/Rosovi%C4%87/
  3. https://video.foxnews.com/v/6157751585001#sp=show-clips
  4. https://video.foxnews.com/v/6157751585001#sp=show-clips
  5. https://video.foxnews.com/v/6157751585001#sp=show-clips
  6. https://terminator.fandom.com/wiki/Matt_Buchanan
  7. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-12-15-re-684-story.html
  8. https://wegotthiscovered.com/movies/interview-rick-rossovich-sandbar/
  9. Romanko, Karen A. (2016). Television's Female Spies and Crimefighters: 600 Characters and Shows, 1950s to the Present. McFarland. p. 160. ISBN 9780786496372. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  10. Diehl, Digby (1997). Tales From The Crypt: The Official Archives Including the Complete History of DC Comics and the Hit Television Series. St. Martin's Press. p. 190. ISBN 9780312170400. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  11. Muir, John Kenneth (2007). The Rock & Roll Film Encyclopedia. Applause Theatre & Cinema Books. p. 266. ISBN 9781557836939. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  12. Lekich, John (2002). Reel Adventures: The Savvy Teens' Guide to Great Movies. Annick Press. p. 55. ISBN 9781550377354. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  13. Muir, John Kenneth (2004). The Encyclopedia of Superheroes on Film and Television, 2d ed. McFarland. p. 151. ISBN 9780786437559. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
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