21 Jump Street Page - Richard Grieco - Article 2

Fans of 21 Jump Street are taking sharp notice of a surprising addition to the hit series this season. That addition comes in the form of "Dennis Booker", a rebel cop played by handsome actor Richard Grieco.

Although Richard is a semi-regular in the show, he is already proving to be a popular character with the Jump Street viewers. Richard is pleased about both his schedule. "Dennis is a prankster with a larger-than-life ego, who has a mind of his own. He is a definite rebel who does not follow orders," he explains. "Plus, my arrangement gives me all the benefits of being a series regular, yet leaves me open to future possibilities."

"I take my work seriously, but the business should be fun."

Although Richard is a new face on Jump Street, he is no stranger to acting. The dark-haired actor had a year long stint on the soap One Life To Live, portraying Rick Gardener, a character he jokingly refers to as, "a rebel ski bum." He has also made guest appearances on such shows as Who's The Boss?, The Bronx Zoo and The Facts Of Life.

Those credits are especially impressive when you consider the fact that Richard originally planned on becoming a lawyer - before he got bitten by the acting bug. Born Watertown, New York, he excelled in high school and received a football scholarship to Central Connecticut College. While attending college he also competed as a semi-professional boxer. He soon entered a competition of a different kind and emerged as one of the winners of "Best Faces of the 80's. " That got him signed to a prominent New York modeling agency. Though he succeeded at modeling, he soon got tired of his profession, and left to study acting.

That career change was obviously a good idea. Richard's very first audition led to his first job, on One Life To Live. Now that the actor is an important part of an important series, he's finding that stardom is finally within his reach. "Everything is just starting to happen for me and it's happening fast." he says. "There's such a fine line between struggle and stardom and I'm not afraid to walk that line. I take my work seriously, but the business would be fun."