Richard “Rick” Schroder was born on April 13, 1970 in Staten Island, NY, to a showbiz family headed by father Richard and mother Diane Schroder. His sister Dawn would go on to model and act in shows like “The Facts of Life” (NBC, 1979–1988), but his parents sensed a natural gift their adorable blond son possessed – a instinctive, pure acting ability that was so rare in Hollywood, child actors who were gifted with it could be counted on one hand. It was not long before that skill was put to the test.
Only nine years after arriving in this world, Schroder made his feature film debut in “The Champ” (1979) – a remake of a 1931 film about a washed up and alcoholic boxer who attempts to get his act together for his young son, only to lose his life after a brutal last battle in the ring. Hollywood heavyweights Jon Voight and Faye Dunaway starred alongside the young novice, but despite their respected pedigree, whenever Schroder entered a scene, he stole each one out from under them. His touching scenes left not one dry eye in the house – most particularly during Voight’s death scene when Schroder sobs for his father to “Get up Champ!” Even decades later, Schroder’s performance was still regarded as one of the most tear-jerking performances by any actor of any age and won the youngster a Golden Globe for Best New Male Star for his work.
Coming off that first career high, a year later, Schroder was again cast opposite respected actors – first, alongside Elliot Gould in the Disney film, “The Last Flight of Noah’s Ark” (1980), followed by the lead role opposite Alec Guinness in the CBS movie-of-the-week adaptation of “Little Lord Fauntleroy.”
Schroder’s talent continued to flourish, most noticeably on the small screen. He played Patty Duke’s son in the series “Something So Right” (CBS, 1982) before landing his second iconic role on the unexceptional but beloved in its time sitcom, “Silver Spoons” (NBC, 1982–87). For five seasons, Schroder starred as Ricky Stratton – an uber-rich kid with a racing car bed and train that ran through the living room – toys every kid in America wanted to have. The series made the noble attempt to show that even rich kids who live in big houses and own every toy known to man, could still face the same problems and pratfalls that other teens experienced. Fellow child actor (also dancer) Alfonso Ribeiro – who would later go on to adult stardom himself as Carlton Banks on “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” (NBC, 1990-96) – played Stratton’s best friend. Schroder was so loved for his role on “Silver Spoons,” that even as a preteen, he was landing covers of teeny bopper magazines like Tiger Beat and 16.
When “Silver Spoons” ended in 1987, Schroder stayed close to television. Despite appearing in TV movies like “Too Young the Hero” (CBS, 1988), “Terror on Highway 91” (CBS, 1989), and “Out on the Edge” (1989) with former co-star Ribeiro, the “Silver Spoons” role haunted him, typecasting him in everyone’s minds as that blond kid who rode a train through his living room. Although aging child stars rarely moved on to adult success, Schroder continued to hone his craft and hope for a part that would make Ricky Stratton a distant memory. That part arrived, in part, with the role of Newt Dobbs in the 1989 CBS miniseries, “Lonesome Dove.” Cast alongside acclaimed actors like Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones and Anjelica Houston, the now-adult actor once again held his own alongside them. A critical and ratings success, the miniseries spawned a sequel, “Return To Lonesome Dove” (1993), in which Schroder reprised his role.
Because he was always viewed as this lovable child star, Schroder sought that one breakout adult role, going so far as to even drop the “Y” from his first name, crediting himself as Rick Schroder. In the touching true story “A Son’s Promise” (1990), he played Terry, a teen who promised his dying mother that he would look after his six younger brothers. In “The Stranger Within” (ABC, 1990) Schroder took on a mysterious and thrilling role opposite “Charlie’s Angels” star Kate Jackson. Schroder returned to the big screen in the big-budget action film “Crimson Tide” (1995), playing Paul Hellerman alongside a “Who’s Who” of Hollywood box office heroes, including Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman. The roles showed his range and that, yes he had grown up, but he had yet to make people really sit up and take notice of his maturation.
All that changed in 1998 when he was, in the opinion of many, surprisingly cast as Det. Andy Sipowicz’s (Dennis Franz) new partner, Det. Danny Sorenson, on “NYPD Blue,” following the sad demise of Jimmy Smits character, Det. Bobby Simone at the end of the previous season. The high-profile role gave Schroder the opportunity he had sought for so many years – the transition from child star to serious actor. Not only did he impress with his deft acting skills and believable Bronx accent, he shockingly became something of a hunk on the show, with women lusting after him as they had his predecessors, David Caruso and Smits. The stable ratings proved Schroder was well cast. His interaction with Franz was particularly endearing, as the hothead rookie who clashes with the crusty workhorse that is Sipowicz. Having gotten the comeback he desired, he remained with the show until 2001, and then took on independent film projects, like “Poolhall Junkies” (2002), and “Face of “Terror” (2003).
The actor returned to television and comedy in 2003 when he joined the cast of “Scrubs” (NBC, 2001– ) for a four episode-arc as resident hunk, Nurse Paul Flowers. His command of comedy proved he could conquer any genre. In 2004, he branched out even further, by writing and directing the movie, “Black Cloud,” about a Navajo Native American boxer. He appeared in the movie as Eddie, but working behind the camera was a milestone in Schroder’s career. He also directed and starred in the music video for country singer Brad Paisley’s song, “Whiskey Lullaby” – a move that resulted in Schroder winning a Country Music Television Award in 2005 for his participation in that video.
Amid his busy working schedule, Schroder had plenty of time for his family. He and his wife Andrea built and designed a 15,0000-acre ranch in Grand Junction, CO in 1998, upon which they raised their growing family. They would go on to sell that property and return to Southern California, but for many years, it provided Schroder with a grounding reality he had yearned for after so many years working inside the Hollywood bubble.
Schroder landed his next notable role on Lifetime medical series, “Strong Medicine” (2000 –). Playing Dr. Dylan West during the 2005–06 season, he once again found himself an object of desire by its strongly female demographic. Women just could not get enough of the actor, whose posters and pin-ups once filled their bedroom walls as teenagers themselves.
Knocking another one out of the park, Schroder joined the cast of one of the new millennium’s hottest television shows, “24” in early 2007. Portraying CTU Operative Mike Doyle, Schroder teamed up with Kiefer Sutherland’s iconic hero, Jack Bauer for another thrilling, action-packed season. Creators of the FOX show promised that they would pull out all the stops in the new season. Casting Schroder already proved to fans of the actor and the hit show, that the powers-that-be were moving in the right direction. With a career spanning over 20 years, Schroder had consistently stolen and broken hearts, making fans fall in love with him over and over again.