Ricco Ross is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of private Frost in the 1986 science fiction action film Aliens.

Ricco Ross
Ross in 2016
Born
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Alma materFlorida Atlantic University
University of California, Los Angeles
OccupationActor
Years active1982–present
SpouseJulie Shannon
Children2
Parent(s)Clarence Ross
Christine Ross

Early life

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Born at Cook County Hospital in Chicago, Illinois, he is the fifth of eight children, and in addition has three step sisters and another brother from his father's first marriage. He first acted in a high school production, majored in theater at a local community college, and entered Florida Atlantic University (FAU), where he was awarded a BA in Theater. He earned a fellowship to UCLA, where his career started to develop.

Career

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Ross' first television role was as an extra on The Young and the Restless, which was followed by a small part in Hill Street Blues and the male lead in the music video for Whitney Houston's 1985 hit song "Saving All My Love for You". He later played Private Ricco Frost in the film Aliens (1986), and also appeared in the films Death Wish 3 (1985), Spies Like Us (1985), The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission (1985 TV film), "Displaced Person" (1985 episode of American Playhouse), Gulliver's Travels (1996), Mission Impossible (1996), Fierce Creatures (1997), Nate and the Colonel (2003) and Hydra (2009).

From the late 1980s to the early 1990s, he lived and worked in the United Kingdom. While there, he made guest appearances in Doctor Who (in the 1988 serial The Greatest Show in the Galaxy) and Jeeves and Wooster, and played a supporting role as CIA agent Karl Richfield in the 1991 mini-series Sleepers.

Ross now appears in various commercials as well as TV shows aired throughout the United States.

Aliens

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Ricco Ross originally read for the part of Corporal Hicks. He was then offered the role of Private Drake, but he turned it down in favour of appearing in Full Metal Jacket. However, James Cameron was so impressed with Ross' audition that he wrote the character of Frost specifically for him, and as a result Ross left Kubrick's production to appear in Aliens. In a 2014 interview for the podcast "I Was There Too", Ross stated that Private Frost's first name is actually Robert.

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1983 Scarred -
1985 The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission Arlen Dregors TV movie
Death Wish 3 The Cuban
Spies Like Us WAMP Guard
1986 Aliens Private Frost
1987 The Return of Sherlock Holmes Matthew TV movie
Body Contact Smiley
1988 Crusoe 2nd Victim
1989 Slipstream 1st Man at Table
Murder on the Moon Alvarado TV movie
The Return of Sam McCloud Rifkin TV movie
1992 Project Shadowchaser Jackson
1993 Passport to Murder Dealer TV movie
1995 Project Shadowchaser 3000 Lennox Video
Hackers Second Reporter
Proteus Buckley
1996 Mission: Impossible Denied Area Security Guard
Timelock Tibuck
1997 Fierce Creatures TV Journalist
Wishmaster Lt. Nathanson
2000 Octopus Brickman
2002 The Tower of Babble Clint Short
2003 Nate and the Colonel Nate Washington
2007 Alls Well That Ends Well Billy Shakes Short
Santa Croce Crazed Proclaimer Short
2009 The Least Among You Marvin Kelly
Hydra Broughton TV movie
2011 Apocalypse According to Doris Bauer
2012 Hayabusa: Harukanaru Kikan Dr. Daniel Clark
Celestial Guard Torno Short
An Average American Marriage Jerome TV movie
Potluck Mike TV movie
2013 Marriage of Inconvenience Pastor Short
Foreclosed Deputy Drews Video
Trane and Miles John Coltrane Short
You & Me Doctor Short
2014 Bermuda Tentacles Captain Phillips TV movie
Whipping Boy Napalm's Father Short
The New Jersey Americans Player Ricco Short
Hidden in the Woods Ricco
2015 Story of Eva Detective Grind
A Gifted Amateur Detective Savino Short
Batgirl Rises The Riddler Short
Family Times Jasmine's Dad Short
In Between the Gutter and the Stars Tourist in Love Short
Stormageddon Agent Travers TV movie
2016 Opening Night Mr. Robertson
A Husband for Christmas Roger Burkett TV movie'
The Hidden Toll Community Director Short
2017 Capture Drew Short
Fat Camp Fred
The Possessed Louis Laveau
Bobbi Kristina Uncle Ray TV movie
The Sandman Detective Price
My Christmas Grandpa Jim Short
2018 Where Branches Break Abraham Short
2019 Night Walk Saud
The Wrong Boy Next Door Principal Perkins TV movie
A Brother's Honor Sheppard Granger
The Shinjuku Five Ronny Hayes
2020 She's in Portland Paul
TALIENS: Last Stand Sergeant John Davis Short
A Christmas for Mary David TV movie
2021 Do Something Detective Dillon

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1982 Hill Street Blues Tyler Bragg Recurring cast: season 2
1985 American Playhouse Jackson Episode: "Displaced Person"
C.A.T.S. Eyes Edsom Episode: "Love Byte"
1988 The Play on One Larry Episode: "Airbase"
1988-89 Doctor Who Ringmaster Episode: "The Greatest Show in the Galaxy Part 1-4"
1989 The Bill Maxi Silver Episode: "Duty Elsewhere"
CBS Summer Playhouse Alvin Episode: "American Nuclear"
1991 Sleepers Karl Richfield Recurring cast
Murder Most Horrid Gary Episode: "Mrs Hat and Mrs Red"
1992 Jeeves and Wooster Liftman Coneybear Recurring cast: season 3
The Tomorrow People Sergeant Young Episode: "The Origin Story: Part 5"
1993 Westbeach Greg Dacosta Main cast
Sitting Pretty Cliff Monahann Episode: "Wills of Fire"
1996 Gulliver's Travels Brobdingnag Scientist Episode: "Episode #1.1"
Highlander: The Series Kassim Episode: "Promises"
1997 JAG Secret Service #2 Episode: "Washington Holiday"
Babylon 5 Captain Frank Episode: "The Face of the Enemy"
The Pretender Larron Episode: "Back from the Dead Again"
The Practice Reporter Episode: "Reasonable Doubts" & "Hide and Seek"
1999 Beverly Hills, 90210 Miles Caufield Episode: "Agony"
2000 Days of Our Lives Reggie Morris Episode: "Episode #1.8729"
2006 ER Barnard Episode: "Scoop and Run"
2012 Bite Me Barnard Main cast: season 2
2014 Caper Psycho Recurring cast
Family Time - Episode: "Powering Down"
Match Detective Purcell Episode: "Secret Lives"
2015 Escorts Charles Stone Sr. Recurring cast
2016 K.C. Undercover Preacher Episode: "The Love Jinx"
2019 No Good Nick Walter Strickland Episode: "The Pigeon Drop"
2020-22 P-Valley Pastor R. J. Gilfield Recurring cast: season 1, guest: season 2
TBA Beauty in Black Horace Series regular

Music Video

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Year Title Artist Role
1985 Saving All My Love for You Whitney Houston Producer / Lover
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