Rick Gonzalez – Arrow

By: Lisa Steinberg

Q) What are the recent projects that you are working on?

A) Right now, I’ve just been focused on “Arrow.”

Q) How was your character Rene Ramirez originally described to you?

A) When I auditioned for the character, I had no idea I was playing Wild Dog. They gave me a random name for the character. He was described to me as a guy who was very cocksure and rebellious in his ways. He had trouble with authority. I went in and auditioned for the character. It was a random, vague scene and sure enough I booked the job. I had a conversation with my costume designer for the show, Maya [Mani], who I had previously worked with on a different show years ago. She let the cat out of the bag saying stuff like, “I have to get a mask for you” and “We have to fit you for this costume.” I was like, “Wait! Wait! What are you talking about costume?” I was thinking in my mind of the scene I read and booked was a military guy. She said, “Oh sweetheart, you’re playing Wild Dog.” I was like, “What?!” I asked her to send me a photo, but then I said I would Google to find out who he was. I just jumped for joy and got excited. I didn’t know who the character was previously, but I looked him up and got even more excited.

Q) Were you a fan of “Arrow” before joining the series?

A) I didn’t watch the show before. My wife actually was a huge fan of “Arrow.” For some reason, when she was watching it I just never got the chance to watch with her. I was either working or doing other stuff. I remember her always saying I had to check it out. What I did know was that Stephen Amell was on a show we had watched together called “Hung” and I was a fan of that show. I remembered him from that show. She said, “The guy from ‘Hung’ is on ‘Arrow’ and he’s amazing in it!” I said, “That’s awesome! I have to check it out.” I never got around to check it out, but it was interesting that my wife was always like, “You should be on this show!” I said, “Okay, well, I’ve got to get around to seeing it. I never have the time.” I never found the time. I was always working and I just never found the time to see it. Fast forward and it’s just amazing how things turn out. The show she was always like “you’ve got to be on” now I’m on.

Q) How close will this Rene Ramirez be to the comic character?

A) I think it will mirror it in some ways. I think the original Wild Dog in the comic books is someone who is very cavalier and rebellious. He is just a loose cannon. I think we have also incorporated that in this season. In terms of this medium of bringing it to a television format, we had to ground him in a real way somehow in order to make it come alive and give him colors emotional to kind of explain a lot of this behavior and why he does what he does. I think in this season in introducing this character, we are going to give you a real human being and a glimpse into the actions, choices and the why he is the way he is to make you understand what is at the core of Wild Dog, who is Rene Ramirez.

Q) What was it lie for you joining this already established cast?

A) It was great. It is great for me now. In saying before watching Stephen in “Hung,” I understood the amount of commitment. He is very committed to his work and what he is trying to bring. I love what he brings to Green Arrow. He brings a sense of humor to Green Arrow that is very unique to him and acutely makes him so human. I love that. I love what Stephen does to the character. Then, seeing what the characters that have created over the years – David Ramsey and Emily Bett Rickards and even what Echo Kellum has created with his character…There is so much great energy with these characters. I’ve had a great time connecting with them. They have been nothing but gracious and welcoming to me to being a part of the cast and working with them and allowing me to bring my energy and momentum towards the show. I really appreciate that as an actor. It means a lot to have the space to feel safe nd create a different energy and kind of break it up and what they have been creating I hope it helps them and propels the show forward.

Q) How did you prepare for the large physicality to being a part of the Arrow team?

A) It has been a gigantic moment for me in terms of physically preparing for it. James Bamford who directed the first two episodes and is a gigantic stunt and fight choreographer over the years said basically to get in shape because Wild Dog is going to be very demanding of me. I hit the ground running and I feel like it was important to me to mirror the commitment Stephen brought to the Green Arrow because I think as an audience and as a fan you want to see the actor and the real person connect to the character physically so you can believe the moments and believe the circumstances. I think that helps in kind of creating the world and energy we are trying to convey. So, it’s important for me to physically do as much as I can, especially with Wild Dog because he is already ex-military, super fit and formidable in his own right. Obviously, he’s not at the full level of Wild Dog at this moment. Now he is being trained by Oliver there is another level that Wild Dog needs to be. So, it was important for me to get there and strive for that. I appreciate the writers for even pushing me towards that. It’s been fun. I’m thirty-seven years old now so what I was able to get away with in my twenties I have to work even harder. It’s been nothing short of fun and exciting. I’m looking forward to it.

Q) Social media is big for the cast. Are you looking forward to the instant fan feedback you are going to receive?

A) Absolutely! I’m looking forward to whatever the fans feel. I feel like it is important for me to really bring a strong portrayal because I understand the relationship between fan and character. There is a unique dynamic there because they really want to connect to these characters. The characters are real to them. They live and they breathe. So, the care and the amount of respect actors have to have for these characters is immense because there are people that actually really love these characters and want to see them realized in a truthful way so they can have their interpretation come to life from the page. I don’t collect comics anymore, but I still have my collection. I still care about what I read and fell in love with as a kid. I understand that dynamic. So, it was important for me to create Wild Dog in the realist way so they can connect to him and see him realized. That is important to me and I’m excited to connect with them to see how they feel about him and what they say. Hopefully, they love what we created.

Q) Is there anything else you want to be sure to share with the fans about Rene and this season of “Arrow?”

A) I will tease that Wild Dog will be in the 100^th episode crossover on “Arrow” this season. I think that’s exciting to see Wild Dog right away interact with some of the other superheroes in the universe. I think people will get a kick out of Wild Dog, who he is and what he represents, mixing it up with a different energy with these superheroes are presenting, who they are and their energy. That is going to be fun to watch. Wild Dog is a person who doesn’t really respect or trust or like the idea of meta humans and things of that nature. So, we’re going to see a huge discord and a glimpse into the psyche of how he thinks about the universe and the idea of this world coming to life in front of him and the type of respect he has for it – because he has very little of it. That will be fun to watch!