The Rookie, Land of Bad, American Gods: Ricky Whittle talks about his favorite projects

At Dream It Fest Paris 2, Ricky Whittle, best known for his roles in The 100 and American Gods, talked about his most memorable career experiences. Between funny anecdotes, tributes to his colleagues, and revelations about his professional fulfillment, here’s a look at some of his favorite projects.

The Rookie: a collaboration between friends

Among his most recent projects, Ricky Whittle mentions his role in the seventh season of The Rookie. The actor was reunited with his friend Nathan Fillion, who wrote a role especially for him: “My last one was fun, with my good friend Nathan Fillion in The Rookie. He wrote a part for me, and it was really funny, and so I said I’d do it, and I got to work with my good friend Nathan, which was fun.”

Land of Bad: A good dose of action with the Hemsworth brothers

If you like action and fast-paced movies, Ricky Whittle recommends Land of Bad. Between Milo Ventimiglia, Liam Hemsworth and Luke Hemsworth, the actor describes an adventure that is as intense as it is unusual: “running around the mountains and then, for no reason shirtless, […] we obviously have to take our shirts off because, you know, we’re all hot and sweaty and dirty and so we get naked. And then Russell Crow has to get us home alive when the mission goes wrong!” The movie, which was shot in Australia over a two-month period, provided him with some memorable moments, especially with the Hemsworths: “I became the fourth Hemsworth brother.” He then adds that after meeting Liam and Luke’s mother, who is as beautiful as her sons, he confided in Luke with a touch of humor: “I don’t want to be your brother anymore, I want to be your daddy”. It was a remark that had the Dream It Fest Paris 2 crowd in stitches.

American Gods: a real fulfillment for Ricky Whittle

During his panel, Ricky Whittle also spoke at length about the importance of American Gods in his career, a project that marked a real turning point for him: “I was now working with a cast that was so professional and experienced and idols that I wanted to work with, like Ian McShane and Gillian Anderson. […] I was now learning by watching them, and it was such an honor to work with such incredible actors”. He adds, “I think everybody understands why I left the 100. I was not happy, and I was now able to be the number one on American Gods, the lead. I was able to create the environment instead of just being part of a toxic environment.”

An experience that earned him lasting bonds with the rest of the cast: “Everyone that joined American Gods was such a lovely person. We had so much fun, and the American Gods cast, we do still talk, all of us, even Ian McShane. You know, Ian McShane‘s nearly 80, but he’ll still text me about Manchester United, and he calls me kid.”

He concludes, “When I joined that show, a much bigger show, I felt a real shift where people really started to respect my craft, and I just felt happier as a person, which is kind of a lesson.”