Richard Grieco is an American actor, singer, model, and painter with a net worth of $4 million. He first gained fame in the late 1980s and early 1990s as a television actor and heartthrob, with his breakout role as Detective Dennis Booker in the hit series “21 Jump Street”. Since then, he has appeared in numerous films and television shows, and has pursued careers in both music and painting.
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Richard Grieco was born on March 23, 1965, in Watertown, New York, to Richard and Carolyn Grieco. Growing up in an Italian and Irish family, he developed an interest in the arts and entertainment at a young age. He played football in college at Connecticut State University before pursuing a career in modeling. Grieco worked as a model for major fashion houses like Armani, Calvin Klein, and Chanel, which led to his first acting role on the popular daytime soap opera, “One Life to Live,” where he played the character Rick Gardner from 1985 to 1987.
Career in Acting
In 1988, Grieco landed his breakout role as Detective Dennis Booker on the popular television series “21 Jump Street”. He remained on the show for one season and then appeared in the spin-off series, “Booker,” for one season as well. In 1991, he made his film debut in “If Looks Could Kill,” and later that same year appeared in the movie “Mobsters” as character Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel. Grieco continued to work in both film and television throughout the 1990s, appearing in shows such as “Marker,” “The Marvel Action Hour: The Fantastic Four,” and “Veronica Mars,” and films such as “A Night at the Roxbury,” “Ultimate Deception,” and “Fish Don’t Blink.”
Grieco’s career and persona made an impact in popular culture. He was idolized by characters in the WB sitcom “Off Centre” and the 1998 film “A Night at the Roxbury”. In 2016, he appeared as himself in an episode of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”.
Career in Music
Grieco began his music career in 1994 as a singer with the Dunmire Band. He signed to a German label and released his album “Waiting for the Sky to Fall” in 1995. Grieco performed throughout the 1990s but focused more on his acting career. In 2004, he formed the band Wasteland Park with his music manager, Cheryl Bogart. Grieco later decided to re-release his first album in 2011 and made it available on streaming services like iTunes and Spotify.
Career in Painting
Grieco has spent the later years of his career focused on art. He had always enjoyed painting as a hobby throughout the 1990s, though he had never revealed this fact to the public until encouraged to do so by actor Dennis Hopper in 2009. He then began focusing on painting and working as a professional painter. He sold his first painting for $10,900 in 2012. Grieco refers to the style of painting in which he works as abstract expressionism.
Personal Life
Grieco has been romantically involved with several women in the spotlight throughout his career. In the 1980s, he dated Christina Applegate and Kimber Sissons. In the 1990s, he dated Katie Wagner, Adeline Blondieau, Terry Farrell, and Lynette Walden. He had a long relationship with Stephanie Niknik throughout the early 2000s until their relationship ended in 2007.
