Rick Gonzalez's talent and choice of rolls have him poised to arrive a major leading man in Hollywood. He has just landed the lead role in the highly anticipated John Singleton drama “Illegal Tender” scheduled for release in 2007. The movie tracks a young latino man (Gonzalez) on the run to clear his family name and save his mother’s life.

Gonzalez received critical acclaim for his his star making performance as 'Timo Cruz' in Paramount's Coach Carter, opposite Samuel L. Jackson.  Based on a true story,this inspirational film stars Jackson as a high school basketball coach who benched his undefeated team due to their collective poor academic record.  Gonzalez's 'Cruz' is the heart of the film, portraying a young man torn between his roots and a burning desire to achieve, both in basketball and in the classroom.  In Roll Bounce, a 1970's rollerskate coming-of-age comedy, through 20th Century Fox. Rick played the role of 'Naps', a young Latino who takes part in the annual Roller Jam competition on the more affluent side of the tracks. Most recently, Gonzalez was seen in Steven Spielberg's updated version of the H.G. Wells classic War of the Worlds, in which he stars opposite Tom Cruise.  

Hollywood first began to take notice when Gonzalez won the role as  'Primo', opposite Lawrence Fishburne in the motorcycle actioner Biker Boyz for DreamWorks.  He followed this memorable role winning a spot as  a member of Dennis Quaid's struggling baseball team in Disney's box-office hit, The Rookie.

Additional big screen credits include the ensemble comedy Old School with Luke Wilson and Vince Vaughn, and Laurel Canyon with Frances McDormand and Kate Beckinsale. In the television realm, Rick has had a recurring role on the David E. Kelly drama "Boston Public".  Additional television credits include guest turns on "The Shield", "ER", "Law & Order: SVU", "Touched by an Angel" and "Buffy: The Vampire Slayer".

Of Puerto Rican and Dominican descent, Gonzalez was trained at New York's High School of the Performing Arts and excelled in basketball and baseball.  While in the city, he appeared in numerous off-Broadway productions at the Harold Clurman Theatre. Gonzalez, who is into poetry and lyricism, currently resides in Los Angeles.

Filmography: Coach Carter, Illegal Tender, Pulse (2006), Roll Bounce, The Promotion, War of the Worlds (2005),

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Illegal Tender Trailer
The Illegal Tender trailer is now online for our viewing pleasure. After the gangsters who killed his father come to settle a score, a teenage boy...