• Faith: Latter-day Saint
• Career: Actor
• Birthday:  April 13, 1970

Rick Schroder is a filmmaker and actor. As a child actor billed as Ricky Schroder, he debuted in the movie “The Champ,” for which he became the youngest Golden Globe award recipient and went on to become a child star on the sitcom “Silver Spoons.” He’s continued acting as an adult, notably in the Western miniseries “Lonesome Dove” and on the police drama series “NYPD Blue.” He made his directorial debut with the movie “Black Cloud” and has produced several movies and TV series, including the anthology film “Locker 13” and the war documentary “The Fighting Season.”

Schroder was born in Brooklyn, New York City and raised on Staten Island, the son of Diane and Richard John Schroder, both former employees of AT&T. His mother quit her job to raise him and his sister, Dawn. As a child, he appeared in many catalogs, and by age six, he had appeared in 60 advertisements. Schroder made his film debut as the son of Jon Voight’s character in “The Champ,” a 1979 remake of the 1931 film of the same title. He was nominated for, and subsequently won, a Golden Globe award in 1980 for Best New Male Star of the Year in a Motion Picture, becoming at age nine the youngest Golden Glober winner in history.

After his role in “The Champ,” Schroder’s parents removed him from school in the third grade to focus on his career. He moved to Los Angeles with his mother, but his father stayed in New York City and kept his job with AT&T. The following year, he appeared in the Disney feature film “The Last Flight of Noah’s Ark” with Elliot Gould. He also starred as the title character in “Little Lord Fauntleroy,” alongside Alec Guinness. Schroder then became well-known as the star of the TV series “Silver Spoons.” He played a starring role as Ricky Stratton, the son of a wealthy and eccentric millionaire, Edward Stratton. His performance earned him two Young Artist Awards. He struggled with his identity as an actor when “Silver Spoons” ended.

Prospective roles were rare, and he was mainly designated to play boyish-looking teenagers or blond-haired heartthrobs. Schroder avoided the vices of other child actors and tried to establish himself as a more mature actor, dropping the “y” from his first name. His mother enrolled him in Calabasas High School, but he had trouble adjusting to the new environment. In 1988, a year after “Silver Spoons” ended, Schroder starred in a primetime CBS TV movie based on a true story, “Too Young the Hero,” as 12-year-old Calvin Graham, who passes for 17 to enlist in WWII. He also appeared as the guest timekeeper in “Wrestlemania 2” for a match between King Kong Bundy and Hulk Hogan.

What religion is Rick Schroder?

In 2000, Schroder joined his wife’s church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He’s not very vocal about his religious beliefs. In a 2015 interview, he said, “I don’t consider myself an extremely religious person, but at the same time, I do believe there is a high power.” He and his wife separated in 2016, and she filed for divorce later in the year.