Ricky Whittle’s story: from his early life and heritage to his rise as an actor and public figure
Ricky Whittle is a popular English actor best known as Calvin Valentine in the soap opera Hollyoaks. He started his career in modeling and has previously appeared as the face of Reebok. As an actor, some of his major works include Strictly Come Dancing, Single Ladies, and Mistresses. Here is Ricky Whittle's story.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Key takeaways
- Profile summary
- Ricky Whittle's story
- Where is Ricky Whittle from?
- How old is Ricky Whittle?
- Educational background
- Career highlights
- Awards and achievements
- Ricky Whittle's upcoming projects
- How much is Ricky Whittle's net worth?
- Who has Ricky Whittle dated?
- Who is Ricky Whittle's wife?
- Is Ricky Whittle gay?
- Ricky Whittle and Marie Avgeropoulos' relationship
- Ricky Whittle's height
- Social media presence
- Why did Ricky Whittle leave The 100?
- What is Lincoln's real name from The 100?
- What is Ricky Whittle mixed with?
Key takeaways
- Richard Whittle was born on December 31st, 1981, to Harry and Maggie Whittle.
- The popular actor
- Ricky Whittle's nationality is British, and he holds British citizenship by birth. He was born in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England.
- As an actor, his first appearance was in a TV series titled Dream Team. In 2006, he left the show and joined Hollyoaks, where he played Calvin Valentine.
Profile summary
Full name | Richard Whittle |
Nickname | Ricky |
Date of birth | December 31st, 1981 |
Zodiac sign | Capricorn |
Place of birth | Oldham, England |
Nationality | British |
Ethnicity | Mixed |
Gender | Male |
Occupation | Actor |
Age | 42 years |
Alma mater | Southampton Solent University |
Height | 6 ft 1 inch (1.85m) |
Weight | 95 kg |
Ricky Whittle's story
The actor was born on December 31st, 1981, to Harry and Maggie Whittle, his father and mother, respectively. Ricky Whittle's parents are of different ethnicities. Her mother is a Caucasian from England, while his father is Jamaican. The actor has two younger siblings, Chris and Debbie.
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Where is Ricky Whittle from?
The popular actor was born in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England. Ricky Whittle's nationality is British, and he holds British citizenship by birth. However, his family regularly shifted to different countries as his father was in the Royal Air Force.
How old is Ricky Whittle?
Ricky Whittle's age is 43 years as of September 2025. He celebrates his birth anniversary on December 31st every year.
Educational background
The actor attended school in Northern Ireland. This was one of the countries his family lived in for a long time. In his Northern Irish diaries, he recalls how he wished to be white because he was racially harassed at school.
Even though Ricky Whittle's ethnicity is mixed, he has dark skin, and as a result, he attracted racial remarks. Nonetheless, this did not deter him from pursuing his academic dreams. In 1999, he enrolled in the Solent University, Southampton, to study law and criminology.
Career highlights
Whittle began his career as a model in college. While pursuing law, the talented actor combined studies with modeling to foot his school bills. Modeling pushed him to prominence in the early 2000s when he became the face of a footwear brand - Reebok.
As an actor, his first appearance was in a TV series titled Dream Team. In 2006, he left the show and joined Hollyoaks, where he played Calvin Valentine. He later joined the comedic-drama, Single Ladies, while it was in its second season.
Source: Getty Images
Overall, he has established an illustrious career in showbiz. Ricky Whittle's movies and TV shows are some of the best-selling and most-watched in the entertainment industry. Below are some of Ricky Whittle's movies and TV shows.
Television shows
He has featured in popular television shows. Here are some of his roles in the respective series.
- Dream Team (2002) as Ryan Naysmith
- Holby City (2004) as David Richards
- Hollyoaks (2006-2011) as Calvin Valentine
- Strictly Come Dancing (2009) as a contestant
- Candy Cabs (2011) as Eddie Shannon
- Single Ladies (2012) as Charles
- NCIS (2013) as Lincoln
- The 100 (2014-2016) as Lincoln
- Mistresses (2014-2016) as Daniel Zamora
- American Gods (2017-present) as Shadow Moon
- GMA: Strahan & Sara (2019) as the Talk Show guest
Ricky Whittle movies
He has played impressive roles in the movies below.
- Losing Sam (2011) as Samuel
- Austenland (2013) as Captain East
- Nappily Ever After (2018) as Clint
Awards and achievements
As a result of his fantastic talent and hard work, the actor has won and been nominated for several awards. Below is the award he has won, plus his nominations.
- He is a four-time nominee at the British Soap Awards (2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010).
- He won TV Soap Personality at the TRIC Awards in 2010.
- He was nominated for Best Actor on Television at the Saturn Awards in 2018 for his role in American Gods.
Ricky Whittle's upcoming projects
Ricky Whittle is confirmed to be in The Rookie in the 2025 season, playing the character Mickey Barnes.
How much is Ricky Whittle's net worth?
Considering that he has been active in the lucrative entertainment industry for a while, the actor's net value has been an area of interest among his numerous fans and followers. His net worth is reportedly $1 million. He has made his fortune through acting and product endorsements.
Who has Ricky Whittle dated?
The English actor is undoubtedly handsome, and many women would die for his love. He has been in at least five known relationships. Between 2007 and 2009, he dated his Hollyoaks co-star Carley Stenson. They parted ways but still maintain a close friendship.
Source: Getty Images
Some of the other beautiful ladies he has dated include Rumer Willis, Natalie Lowe (rumors), Jessica Szohr, and Kirstina Colonna.
Who is Ricky Whittle's wife?
Details of whether or not the actor is married are not known to the public. Therefore, if you are keen to know Ricky Whittle's partner, you will have to wait longer. Since his break up with Kirstina Colonna in 2018, the actor has become utterly private about his relationship affairs, and none has been reported ever since.
Is Ricky Whittle gay?
Curious fans have always wanted to know whether the British actor is gay or not. But even as the aforementioned question continues to pop up occasionally, Whittle has remained reserved about his sexual orientation.
Ricky Whittle and Marie Avgeropoulos' relationship
Ricky Whittle and Marie Avgeropoulos are co-stars from the TV series The 100, and while their on-screen chemistry was strong, they were not in a romantic relationship off-screen; instead, they were reportedly just friends.
Ricky Whittle's height
Ricky Whittle is 6 ft 1 inch (1.85m).
Social media presence
The British actor enjoys a massive following on social media, with his Instagram page and Twitter account commanding 884k and 349.1K followers, respectively. He uses these accounts to engage and publicize some of his upcoming projects.
- Instagram page: @rickywhittle
- Twitter account: @MrRickyWhittle
Why did Ricky Whittle leave The 100?
Ricky Whittle left The 100 because of a conflict with showrunner Jason Rothenberg, whom Whittle accused of professional bullying and marginalizing his character, Lincoln.
What is Lincoln's real name from The 100?
The character Lincoln is portrayed by Ricky Whittle.
What is Ricky Whittle mixed with?
Ricky Whittle is mixed-race, being the son of a Black Jamaican father and a Caucasian English mother.
Ricky Whittle is a model and a talented actor. He has mastered the art of portraying different roles in his movies and shows. He currently plays the lead role in the American hit series American Gods. Ricky Whittle's story is one of determination, growth, and undeniable talent that continues to inspire fans worldwide.
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Adrianna Simwa (Lifestyle writer) Adrianna Simwa is a content writer at Legit.ng where she has worked since mid-2022. She has written for many periodicals on a variety of subjects, including news, celebrities, and lifestyle, for more than three years. She has worked for The Hoth, The Standard Group and Triple P Media. Adrianna graduated from Nairobi University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in 2020. In 2023, Simwa finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. You can reach her through her email: adriannasimwa@gmail.com
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