21 Jump Street Page - Richard Grieco - Article 1 - Can You Judge This Booker By His Cover?

There's an old saying, 'you can't judge a book by its cover, ' meaning, of course, it's what's inside that counts. Does the saying apply to the too handsome star of the TV show called Booker? Have people judged Richard Grieco by looks alone? Perhaps you haven't, but clearly, others have! Richard's been profiled in several big time national magazines and frankly, they haven't made him sound very nice.

The press has intimidated that Richard's stuck on himself and has made it to the top by looks alone. One magazine quoted Richard as saying, "I used to go to the cafeteria and sit alone, when suddenly there would be 20 girls around me..." Another made him sound even more boastful: "I see myself as hot for the next seven years at least... I don't see anyone who has what I do."

Is This what Richard's really like? Is he too hot looking to be just plain nice? Is he too snobby to be modest? Too tough to be sensitive? Too full of himself to care about others? Has he shot to the top without paying his dues? Could someone that handsome possibly be smart? Could someone that cute ever be taken seriously as an actor? Is Richard Grieco all sizzle and no substance?

The Richard We Know, The picture that's been painted is far from the Richard we know - and after several person-to-person intervies, we feel we know him pretty well! The Richard we know ...

Is Sweet and Sensitive He's totally open and candid in interviews; he tries to communicate his real feelings and answer questions thoughtfully. And that's not always the case - many performers are not terribly open about themselves and toss off glib responses without thinking. not Richard. He lets you in on his real feelings about things, like about how he always felt like an outsider all through high school. That's so he can reach out and inspire other teens who may feel that way now. He's a sweet guy.

Is Gentle and Kind, Richard goes out of his way to help the less fortunate. He's very moved by the plight of the homeless and hungry - not only does he help in a personal way, he talks about it, so other people will be made aware.

Is Caring, This is not a guy who spends his days looking in the mirror! Richard looks at, thinks about and cares for other people - including his family, friends and fans. He unbashedly adores his family! At his own expense, he's flown them to Vancouver, Hollywood, and New York, to make sure they share in his sweet success. Richard cares deeply about the kids who watch Booker and look up to him as a role model. He crusades against drugs and truly listens when he's approached by fans.

Is Nice! Richard's genuinely nice to other performers, too. When Brian Bloom came to Vancouver for a guest stint in 21 Jump Street, Richard made sure Brian had a good time - he took him out every night and made him feel part of the "family!"
And Richard's also taken a struggling young actor from Chicago named Robert Munic under his wing. Robert and Richard share the same manager; Richard's doing all he can to help the newcomer get acclimated to Hollywood!

Has Paid His Dues, It may look as if he's an overnight success, but looks are usually deceiving - certainly in this case they are. Richard has worked for his success, he's known struggle and times when he wasn't making character: even though he was hungry, he didn't want to worry his parents, so he never asked them for money.

Is Not Stuck Up It's doubtful that he thinks he's bad looking, but Richard is honestly awed by all attention he's gotten from the opposite sex. "I get embarrassed," he said and by the way he says it, you know it's true.

Doesn't Deserve... ...to be pre-judged as conceited and uncaring just because he's super handsome.

Deserves, Instead... ... to become a huge star! Now that he's signed for his first big movie. In our eyes he's a super star already!