Rick calls New Jersey home, and he enjoyed Boston during
his undergraduate years at Emerson College, but it
was New York City that taught Rick Gifford how to
act. He graduated from Columbia University with an
MFA in Theatre Arts, and in addition to the
irreplaceable experience of dwelling and working
amidst some of the world's greatest talent, Gifford
banked three years of Stanislavski training under
Andrei Serban and Robert Woodruff, worked Voice
with Kristin Linklater, and studied Viewpoints with
Anne Bogart. For two summers he continued his
vigorous training with the Moscow Arts Theatre.
His off-Broadway debut was soon after graduation at the Beckett Theatre, and then the Mint Theatre. It wasn't long before he was coveted by the world of television and quickly booked roles on New York-based television shows Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, and The Sopranos. Having left a sizeable mark on New York's theatre and television industry, Gifford paid homage to his old stomping grounds where he starred in Boston's WHAT Theatre's production of The Pugilist Specialist. With his classic "jersey tough guy look" on screen, and his refined finesse on stage, Gifford was armed and ready for the West Coast.
In Los Angeles, Gifford hit the big screen with a role in Adam Sandler's You Don't Mess With the Zohan. After his trip down the red carpet, he was lured to stay in Los Angeles and pursue film and television. He accepted roles on Medium, Numb3rs, Big Time Rush, and most recently, Prime Suspect. But a true actor never leaves the theatre, and Gifford continued to grow and perform on stage in Los Angeles with Tim Robbin's The Actors' Gang, a troupe that specializes in commedia dell'arte. He also studied the Master Class with Jeffrey Tambor and comedy at IO West Improv. Hoping to give back to the young acting community, Gifford has been on the faculty of the AMDA College and Conservatory of the Performing Arts since 2007. As a true patron of all types of performance, he has appeared on-camera in national TV commercials for products like Kay Jewelers, Loews, and Budweiser. Thanks to his years of vocal training, his classic baritone voice can be heard on television and radio for JEEP, Bush's Baked Beans and the newest Hitman videogame, and also as an active part of the loop group that recently worked on consecutive seasons of Lifetime's Army Wives. Rick Gifford holds longstanding memberships with SAG, AFTRA, and AEA. [BACK]
His off-Broadway debut was soon after graduation at the Beckett Theatre, and then the Mint Theatre. It wasn't long before he was coveted by the world of television and quickly booked roles on New York-based television shows Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, and The Sopranos. Having left a sizeable mark on New York's theatre and television industry, Gifford paid homage to his old stomping grounds where he starred in Boston's WHAT Theatre's production of The Pugilist Specialist. With his classic "jersey tough guy look" on screen, and his refined finesse on stage, Gifford was armed and ready for the West Coast.
In Los Angeles, Gifford hit the big screen with a role in Adam Sandler's You Don't Mess With the Zohan. After his trip down the red carpet, he was lured to stay in Los Angeles and pursue film and television. He accepted roles on Medium, Numb3rs, Big Time Rush, and most recently, Prime Suspect. But a true actor never leaves the theatre, and Gifford continued to grow and perform on stage in Los Angeles with Tim Robbin's The Actors' Gang, a troupe that specializes in commedia dell'arte. He also studied the Master Class with Jeffrey Tambor and comedy at IO West Improv. Hoping to give back to the young acting community, Gifford has been on the faculty of the AMDA College and Conservatory of the Performing Arts since 2007. As a true patron of all types of performance, he has appeared on-camera in national TV commercials for products like Kay Jewelers, Loews, and Budweiser. Thanks to his years of vocal training, his classic baritone voice can be heard on television and radio for JEEP, Bush's Baked Beans and the newest Hitman videogame, and also as an active part of the loop group that recently worked on consecutive seasons of Lifetime's Army Wives. Rick Gifford holds longstanding memberships with SAG, AFTRA, and AEA. [BACK]
