Richard Grieco on Conversations LIVE

Richard talked with Cyrus Webb on Blog Talk Radio this week. One thing I'm really enjoying about this round of interviews is that there's been something new in each one. In this discussion, Grieco talks about his early artistic inclinations, his motivation to move beyond the working-class town where he grew up and even offers some advice for those chasing their own dreams.

Listen here: Richard Grieco on Conversations LIVE with Cyrus Webb

Blue Jean Red Auction Update

As I reported earlier this month, Gallerie Sparta is auctioning a very special piece of Richard Greico's artwork. While a number of Richard's paintings are on sale in the gallery through September 6, Blue Jean Red is unique--and is being offered separately through a silent auction.

You probably know by now that Richard incorporates a variety of materials into his artwork. In Blue Jean Red, he's incorporated a souvenir he's been holding on to for more than two decades: pieces of the pair of jeans he wore during his last episode of 21 Jump Street.

If you're a fan of Richard's artwork and Dennis Booker, this is the perfect opportunity to own a one-of-a-kind piece of both. 

Bidding currently stands at $16,600, and increases in increments of $1,000. That means if you'd like to take the painting home, your next bid is $17,600. 

You can check the current bid on the painting, view the piece and submit a big through Gallerie Sparta's website.

BIDDING CLOSES AT MIDNIGHT PACIFIC TIME ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2013.

In case you missed it the first time around, here's the painting:

Richard Grieco on Teens Wanna Know

This video has a couple of things going for it.  The first is the teen interviewer, who is better prepared than many of his adult colleagues are at this type of event and does a great job interviewing celebrities across three or four generations.

The second is the moment when Richard imitates his pet squirrel.

Okay, I liked when he kissed the wolf, too, but I didn't want to give everything away.

Side note: Mackenzie Bourg, who appears in this video and the Phat Magazine interview, has a Kickstarter running to get his first CD out. If you're reading this before September 4 and want to give him a boost, you can donate or share his page here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mackenziebourg/everyones-got-a-story-ep

Richard Grieco Talks to Phat Magazine

I've been gathering up coverage of Richard's opening at Gallerie Sparta, but it's becoming clear that there's going to be far too much to summarize and share in one post.  That's great news--Grieco's artwork is getting a lot of attention from far-flung corners of the media.

In the clip below, Phat Mag talks with Richard and a number of the guests on the red carpet. I'll leave you to judge for yourself just how late in the evening Richard's interview might have taken place.

 

Much more to come; I have about a dozen write-ups and videos from the opening to share, not to mention information about the two non-profits the show supports. 

Looks Like Someone Got a Haircut...

I'm holding off writing about Richard's art opening for a couple of reasons: one is that he's getting plenty of press on that subject right now (great to see) and the other is that I'm waiting for some information I want to include.

In the meantime, I thought I'd share the link to this photo posted by Gallerie Sparta this afternoon. Apparently, it's from a photo shoot for an art magazine, and Richard's shy several inches of hair compared with opening night.

I kind of miss the messy locks, but the new look has a certain air of dignity about it. Check it out here, then let me know what you think.

What's in a Name?

If you're a regular reader of this blog, you probably noticed that I changed the masthead a few days ago.

When I started blogging here back in January, it was mostly because I was sick and had a lot of time on my hands. The whole effort was a bit tongue-in-cheek, and the original title, My Love Affair with Richard Grieco, was intended to fit the humorous, slightly self-mocking tone of the blog.

Then, things changed.

In my search for blog content, I learned a lot more about Richard Grieco and his history. I took a close look at his artwork. At the same time, I was starting to feel stronger and more like myself, and one day I realized that I wasn't kidding anymore. You'll still see the occasional tongue-in-cheek post. But somewhere along the way, Richard became (in my mind) a serious contender for the subject of my next book.

Then, as I researched and wrote a bit more, the focus and format of that book crystallized in my mind, along with a title. Richard Grieco: Intersections will be the title of that book, if and when it comes to pass. I promise you, it will be nothing like the one book published about Richard, back in the Booker days.

The title fits the format I established with my first celebrity book, Rick Springfield: A Lifetime in Music--both in structure and in its multiple meanings. And, for the moment, book or no book, it much better fits the things I have to say about Richard Grieco. He, like Rick Springfield, runs much deeper than his pretty face and instant popularity led the world to believe.

The book in my head is a good one, and the popularity of this blog tells me there's an audience for it. So, Richard, if you're reading this...we really should talk.

Richard Grieco at the LA Sharknado Screening

No, Richard Grieco wasn't in Sharknado, but he did show up for the LA screening. Whether that's just because Richard loves movies (he's said so many times, and he attends a lot of premieres) or because he recently worked with Sharknado writer Thunder Levin on AE: Apocalypse Earth.

I'm mentioning this for only one reason: I think you might enjoy the photo of Richard at the event, decked out as usual in a nice shirt, hat, jewelry...and a pair of jeans bearing a fairly significant quantity of pink paint. (You'll have to scroll down through the photos to see it)

Good to see that now that Grieco's out of the closet, he's showing his inner artist everywhere he goes.

Own a Piece of Richard Grieco's 21 Jump Street History

Blue Jean Red contains a piece of 21 Jump Street history--scraps of jeans that Richard wore on the show.

If you love Richard Grieco's artwork and were a fan of Booker, you have the opportunity to obtain a one-of-a-kind painting that's also a rare bit of memorabilia. A news article yesterday mentioned that these jeans were on set with Johnny Depp, but I'm sure if you're reading this blog, you're more interested in where else they've been ;)

I love that Richard kept these jeans for more than 20 years, and what it seems to say that two decades later, he cut them up and incorporated them into his artwork. 

You can't just walk in and buy this painting, though. Demand is expected to be high, and it's going to the highest bidder in a silent auction. 

Bidding starts at $16,600. You can bid by email to GallerieSparta@gmail.com. 

It's not clear at this point how long bidding is open, but I'm trying to obtain that information and will update as soon as possible.

A high auction price should bring some well-deserved media attention to Richard's artwork, so please share!

New to Richard Grieco's artwork? View the gallery here: Richard Grieco Fine Art

UPDATE: According to Gallerie Sparta co-owner Lee Bowers, bidding closes at midnight Pacific time on September 6. See the current bid or submit a bid at: http://www.galleriesparta.com/silentauction.html

And, on the Flipside...

It's only been a couple of days since I complained about Fox News's sneaky little dig in the context of a generally positive article about Richard Grieco's artwork, so I'm happy to be able to show the flipside tonight.

This piece from The Levity Ball is so good that I'm not even going to comment--but you won't want to miss it:

Iconic actor Richard Grieco is Back...on Canvas!

The Origins of Richard Grieco's Painting

In honor of the fact that Richard Grieco's Los Angeles premiere officially opens tomorrow with a red carpet event at Gallerie Sparta on Sunset Boulevard (his work is on display from August 10-September 6), I wanted to share this article from last year, in which Richard talks about when and how he started painting.

The magical turning point he describes took place during filming of If Looks Could Kill, and it sounds as if painting has been Grieco's first love since. Though it's only been the past few years that Richard says he's been pulling back from acting in order to focus on his painting, this story makes me wonder whether this drive in another direction might have played a role in some of his much earlier career choices, as well.

Richard Grieco of 21 Jump Street Blows His Cover: He's a Serious Painter Now, No Joke

Here's hoping tomorrow brings the recognition that Grieco clearly deserves as an artist.

Random References

Just happened to run across this and thought I'd share. It's an odd song called "Shorty Said" by an artist called Das Racist with a number of pop culture references, including this little batch:

Shorty said I look like Richard Grieco

[Kool AD]
Grieco or Greco?
Shorty said I look like Art Deco
Shorty said I look like the gecko from the Geico commercials

I can't say I'm zipping over to iTunes to find out whether I can download this gem, but I do find it interesting how often Richard's name pops up in such a wide range of apparently random places.

Run across any of these references lately? Please share!

So, Fox News is Kind of an Asshole...

I'll cop to it right up front; I've never been a fan of Fox News and there are far more significant reasons than the one I'm about to share. But when it comes to non-news, Fox has had some good and even progressive programming. And, though I'll admit that I'm far from a regular viewer/reader of the network, I hadn't previously noticed tabloid-style nastiness (I'll be interested to hear from more experienced viewers whether this is the norm).

Earlier today, Fox posted this piece about Richard Grieco's artwork. It's not a bad article,and in it Richard talks about the inevitable comparison between his career path and former co-star Johnny Depp's and says that while he's happy for Johnny, he likes his own shoes.

Of course, Fox topped off the story with a "Where are they now?" photo line-up of the stars of 21 Jump Street--and chose, for some reason, to feature this photo as Richard's "now" shot. It's impossible to believe that this was anything other than a deliberate attempt to find the worst relatively recent photo of Richard available, particularly when you compare it with the "now" shot of Johnny Depp.

I'm sure everyone (except, apparently, the person who put this story together) is bored to death with the 25-year-old "rivalry" between these two men, but Fox appears to have done as good a job of spreading misinformation with its choice of illustration as it does with its news reporting.

Thus far since the article went live earlier today, about 150 brand new visitors have come to this blog, the vast majority of them on the search terms "richard grieco drugs" and "richard grieco drug problem". For variety, a handful have entered on terms like "richard grieco plastic surgery" and "richard grieco troubles".

The power of the media is impressive and disturbing; without a single negative word, Fox has managed to convey an impression that has people all over the country hitting search engines to get to the root of a problem even they haven't directly suggested exists.

If you're one of them, check out this post to see what Richard Grieco actually looks like in the present--not his best or worst pictures, but an actual sample of photos from different events over the past couple of years.

Will Richard Grieco's Fame Help or Hurt His Career as an Artist?

Richard Grieco's fans from the old days have jumped right on board as cheerleaders for his artwork. That's not surprising: his fan base appears to be very loyal and his artwork is damned good. But will those fans and Richard's early fame be good or bad for his career as a painter?

Since I once made my living in Internet marketing, my first thought was that Richard's fan base was a gold mine in terms of spreading the word. He (or someone) has done a great job of getting press coverage for his artwork, but in the era of social media that coverage is only as good as its dissemination. From that viewpoint, having thousands of people invested in promoting your work is a definite benefit.

But, of course, the world of marketing and public relations is rarely so simple. Perception is sometimes more powerful than reality, and the unfortunate fact is that many, many celebrities dabble--some of whom should probably keep their hobbies private. It seems, sometimes, that every actor in Hollywood is in a band on the side and every actress is publishing a children's book. The same gallery showing Richard's work features Jane Seymour on their website, and Rick Springfield has a novel coming out next year.

As I've mentioned before, talented people tend to be talented. Many of those celebrities do, in fact, have other talents, and their work in other fields is quite good. And you already know that I strongly believe that Richard is not an actor who took up painting but an artist who happens to do some acting. But I'm not a critic, and I'm not a collector.

Is Richard's name recognition a blessing or a curse as he unveils his work to the world?  I'm not sure, and I'm hoping to hear your thoughts in the comments or the forums. For the moment, I'm holding my breath a little.

Absolution - Maybe Not So Much

Possibly I should have known, when I paid $5.90 for this movie, that it wasn't going to be the best Richard Grieco movie I'd ever seen, but sometimes there are hidden gems in those forgotten archives. The fact that it had a 3.1 IMDB rating gave me a little more pause, particularly since that rating was bolstered by the 18-29 year old male category (almost certainly because Jaime Pressly gets naked). More than 30% of users rating the film gave it a 1. Though I'm sure that's far from unheard of, I don't recall ever having seen quite such a preponderance of single-star ratings before.

I'm not going to go so far as to say this movie was a 1, but I didn't finish it. And, you may recall, I went on and finished Against the Law. Most of the screen time in this movie went to the younger generation--specifically, to a handful of young male "cadets" who didn't seem to get fully dressed very often. They didn't do a whole lot for me, though, and apparently I wasn't alone--women gave this film an average of 1.8 stars.

Though Grieco's role was significant, we didn't see nearly as much of him as we did Mario Lopez and his scantily-clad squadron. And, Richard's character (the despotic and possibly somewhat crazy commanding officer) was a bit over the top, barking and shouting more than he spoke.

I'm slowly working my way through Richard's whole catalog, but I can't in good faith recommend this one--unless you happen to be an 18-29 year old male, in which case you'll probably find it mediocre.

Josh Hutcherson is Addicted to Gigolos

That's right: The Hunger Games star confessed that Richard Grieco's Gigolos was his "guilty pleasure" and called the show addictive. I wouldn't normally out a guy on a thing like this, but Hutcherson didn't exactly 'fess up over one too many drinks--he shared his fascination with the show with Cosmopolitan UK.

He may also have used the word "horrible"--apparently the life of a male escort isn't for Josh, since he also quickly responded, "Not Gigolos!" when asked which reality show he'd like to appear on. But, hey...he's watching.



And he's not alone. Though the first season of the series drew a 30% Metacritic rating, the New York Times said it was "almost impossible to watch," and TVGuide's critic wonder aloud how it could be legal, it was in its second season when Josh Hutcherson confessed to being a reluctant fan. As of this writing, the fourth season just wrapped. IMDB user ratings stand at 5.2, and that's the weighted average--the arithmetic mean and median are significantly higher. Ratings are significantly higher from overseas users than Americans, and viewers aged 30-44 (male and female) posted the highest ratings.

Bottom line: say what you will..someone is watching this show. And liking it.

When Time Expires

I'll be honest: I chose When Time Expires to watch next because I also have a blog about Mark Hamill and I figured I could double up on my "homework".  I'm not actually a big sci fi fan, which creates a bit of a challenge for me in much of my research. I'm more interested in characters than complicated weaponry or learning to pronounce inter-galactic names.

I kind of enjoyed this movie, though. It opens amusingly, with Richard suddenly appearing naked in the middle of the desert. Though it's wide open spaces for miles around, the female lead (played by Cynthia Geary from Northern Exposure) is naturally present to witness his arrival.

She responds as any red-blooded American woman would if Richard Grieco suddenly materialized in front of her (naked) and pretty soon they're in his hotel room...except the whole inter-galactic dating thing turns out to be a little complicated.

The fact that Grieco's mission on earth turns on putting a quarter into a specific parking meter at exactly the right moment also adds a humorous touch, particularly when he and Hamill gather around the parking meter to consider it. It's pretty much like every other parking meter in the United States.

When Time Expires Pictures

Of course, there are additional complications involving assassins and the risk of altering the future and a double-cross or two and even one moment that took me by surprise. All in all, the plot was pretty predictable (for an intergalactic story about a parking meter), but that wasn't fatal. This wasn't a bad way to pass 93 minutes.

Reviews were mixed and the weighted average rating on IMDB came in at 4.7.  Once again, middle-aged women gave this film the highest ratings, followed very closely by both men and women aged 18-29.