Miami Living Magazine

Harry Connick Jr

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into the wild with nothing there. He gets hired by Mr. Wednesday, played the incredible Ian McShane, to be his personal body guard and chauffeur. He's basically going around America picking up various mythical and biblical gods to wage a war against the new gods in the form of what we worship now-a-days. We worship technology, celebrity, fame, money, guns." I was able to preview the first episode and was definitely intrigued by its outlandish world and mysterious characters. While it's dark, intense, and controversial, I am told that its punctuated with lot of humor as well. "If you can handle episode one, then you'll love our show. If you can't handle episode one, this is probably not for you. But there's a little something for everyone in there. There are some shocking moments that will probably make some epic TV." In addition to Ricky and Ian, the "incredible ensemble cast" includes Crispin Glover, Gillian Anderson, and Kristin Chenoweth. "They didn't want to white wash it or go against Neil Gaiman's creation, so everyone was cast to type. They've kept it true to the book, which I think is what is exciting fans." This is Ricky's first time working with creator Bryan Fuller, and he's hoping it's not his last. "He's an incredible human being. He really is a genius. This adaption from Neil's book, he's really made it come to life." To keep fans of the book on the edge of their seat, Bryan has thrown in some twists and turns and sort of rearranged the timeline. Filming wrapped last November and since then Ricky's plate has been full with junkets in Europe and all over America –which he considers to be a blessing as he is deeply aware of what the alternative is. "I am not from the greatest of areas but I was raised by a beautiful family and got great friends and family that are around me and support me, so I just feel very honored and will always try and work as hard as I can to stay in this industry." Fortunately, work has been coming in steadily for Ricky since he relocated to Los Angeles five-and-a- half years ago. In 2013, he landed the role of Captain East in Austenland, then went on to work on TV series like, Single Ladies, Mistresses, and The 100. He calls American Gods his "biggest break, by far." Moving to Los Angeles was always Ricky's dream. His father was in the Royal Air Force when he was growing up, so they moved every three years and lived all over the world. His favorite place was Hong Kong. "I traveled the world and found there's lots of different cultures, so I always knew there was more to the world than just England." Growing up surrounded by American culture, TV, and films, informed his decision to move to America one day. If he had grown up in the states, he believes he would've become an athlete and played for the NFL or NBA. "I'd rather have come to America and failed, then gone back home knowing at least I gave it a try." The Marina Del Ray resident tells me that he has no plans to return to the U.K. But he does miss their sarcasm and humor. "I find I'm funnier in England. Americans don't quite get the British humor as much – our sarcasm. We can be very crude and direct and if you have a slightest insecurity, that's what we go for first. It's only 'cause we love you," he says with a big grin. Coming from cold, rainy England, he loves living the beach life. He claims that his biggest problem here is deciding what color shorts to wear each day. "I could say: Let's have a BBQ Tuesday! And we can, 'cause it's going to be sunny! In England, we have thirty days of sun. In California, we have thirty days of rain a year. It's a nice swap for me." Fans would be surprised to find out… "That I'm really insecure about my looks and body, but I think all actors are. I think people get the image that I'm very confident and I am." I mention his shirtless selfies on Instagram. "I believe I've got a bit of body dismorphia. I really don't see it. I guess it keeps me grounded… It's a terrible industry where you're kinda judged off your appearance and your profile, and you're constantly being told: 'You're not this. You're not that.' With age, it's getting better. I'm more comfortable in my body and realizing it doesn't matter what people that don't know me think… as long as I'm healthy, that's all that matters." We briefly chat about where I grew up and have lived and it's hard for him to wrap his head around why I prefer Manhattan to Los Angeles. Not a fan of big cities, Ricky favors California's relaxed vibe and would rather not be encumbered by the fast pace bustling cities like New York and London operate at. New Yorkers are always in a rush because we have so much to do in one day. Ricky's solution: don't plan too much in one day. "Don't exhaust yourself," he

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