Ric Barbera is an American writer and actor who was born on January 21, 1973 in Beloit, Wisconsin. He has performed on TV, in feature films, as well as onstage with sketch comedy troupes. He also toured previously with a rock band in Japan, and entertained U.S. Marine Corps soldiers. His acting credits include appearances in a number of movies. These include The Basement and the Kitchen in 1999 and The Right Man for the Job in 2001. He was also cast as Mr. Henderson in The Plight of a Cheerleader, as Steve Abrams in 2006’s Paved with Good Intentions, and as Curtis in 2007’s Unearthed.
Ric Barbera is also a familiar face on the small screen. His television credits include a role in Saved by the Bell: The New Class, where he played a customer in the episode titled “Air Screech.” Other roles were in Secret Jesus and Action Plant Rescue Squad. Both of these were pilots for Channel 101, where Barbera worked in. He later starred as Dr. Rod in the VH1 television comedy series, I Hate My 30s. His role is the show’s ersatz host, narrating the series while he runs the coffee shop that he owns. He offers a cool-headed yet smug view of the different characters, providing snippets of supposed wisdom which state that life is only going to get much worse. He introduces and concludes each episode with his sardonic observations, though he also manages to be sentimental about certain things.
Barbera has written and performed with sketch comedy acts such as Yellowcard Sketch, An Open Mic Night In Green River, Wyoming, and Drama 3/4’s Another Showcase Showdown, and also became known online for the Food Photographer YouTube video in which he played Sjan. Ric has also continued to provide a lot of material for his own website, planetric.com.
(Photo courtesy of VH1)