Anthony Ruivivar

Biography: As the son of Tony Ruivivar, the founder of Society of Seven, Anthony Ruivivar was used to a life of fame and celebrity. He often left his native home in Hawaii to go on tour with his father, experiencing firsthand the entertainment industry from a tender age. Once he graduated, he began to pursue a life of his own in the industry and eventually landed in a small, highly competitive drama class at Boston University.

Anthony's diverse heritage-- his father is of Filipino, Chinese, and Spanish descent, while his mother is of German and Scottish-- was both a boon and a burden when Anthony began working. It was hard to find roles because of his hard-to-place ethnicity, but at the same time, the demand for classically-trained ethnic young actors opened up several doors for him. The latter allowed him his pick of agencies in New York.

Once Anthony made it to New York, he auditioned for, and landed, a role in a pilot. Afterwards, his career began to take off as he was cast in several major films, including Starship Troopers and Simply Irresistable.

His biggest break came in 1999 when he was cast as Carlos Nieto, a clueless, self-absorbed paramedic who loved women almost as much as he loved himself. He describes Carlos as "an ethnically three-dimensional character you don’t often see on TV with a lot of room to explore. I am happy to portray who I am ethnically and not have to identify with only one part of my background. My father is Filipino, Chinese, and Spanish and my mother is Scottish and German. The writers have allowed [my unique diversity] to be who Carlos is on the show, and that's brave." His character's development over the six seasons of the show from seemingly brain-dead to seemingly brain-dead with a heart showcased Anthony's amazing talent.

In addition to acting onscreen, Anthony is involved with theatre. He is a member of both the Imua! Theatre company and Circle East, and with Tony Glazer from Imua!, wrote and directed the play SAFE. The stars of the play, about a group of strangers trapped in a bank vault after a robbery gone wrong, included Jason Wiles and Coby Bell, Anthony's Third Watch castmates.

Anthony's other passion is music, as he grew up surrounded by it. He enjoys writing and playing music. "Leaving my guitars out reminds me of my home," says Anthony, "because growing up in Hawaii, my dad always used to do that. I like the idea that I can just pick one up and play it anytime."

Anthony, who has been married for several years, has one son, and is a fan of boogie-boarding and surfing. He misses the oceans of Hawaii, and says, "It just recharges you. It fulfills you in a way that Central Park, as beautiful as it is, can’t.” … Expand