Ricky Schroeder

From TeeVeePedia, the Internet TV Encyclopedia.

Ricky "The Rick" Schroeder (born April 13, 1970 in Staten Island, New York) is one of the few child television actors who did not turn to a life of crime. That's not to say that Schroeder hasn't enjoyed the occasional crime now and again, as the victims of several intricately planned jewel capers in the capitals of Europe will attest -- it's just that crime isn't what he's all about.

In fact, the only crime involving Schroeder -- besides his part in a daring mid-day heist of rare Renaissance paintings from Florence's Accademia dell'Arte del Disegno in 1991 -- is his criminally under-appreciated work in the 1980s series Silver Spoons, a searing tale of a man coming to terms with his estranged son. Schroeder portrayed the son... or the father... or quite possibly another character entirely. I never really watched the goddamn show, but I'm sure he was plenty good in it. After all, he's got his own TeeVeePedia entry, and they don't hand these things out to just any talentless hack, do they?

Increasingly typecast in roles that drew upon his notoriety as a child actor and international jewel thief, Schroeder took time off acting to concentrate on tricking wealthy dowagers out of their fortunes. He also appeared in Lonesome Dove where he played a cowboy. No, not that kind of cowboy -- really, stop kidding him about that. Soon, he landed the coveted role as Andy Sipowicz's doomed partner on NYPD Blue. Schroeder appeared on Blue for three seasons, until his character's body was found floating in the East River. Ironically, that's the same fate that befell Schroeder shortly before Steven Bochco finished the screenplay of that particular episode.

Bochco, who is still wanted by authorities for questioning, has thus far eluded law enforcement by hiding out in a remote location far from the public view -- the set of Commander-in-Chief.