Ronnie Warner is an American

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles and techniques to communicate ideas. Writers produce different forms of literary art and creative writing such as novels, short stories, books, poetry, travelogues, p ...

, producer and

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

. He is best known for his roles as Rico in the stoner comedy ''

Puff, Puff, Pass ''Puff, Puff, Pass'' is a 2006 comedy crime film, also known as ''Living High'', directed by Mekhi Phifer. Plot The film opens with an infomercial, given by Dick Dupre (a parody of Don Lapre, played by John C. McGinley), which Larry (Danny Mas ...

'' and the gangster, Dude, in '' This Christmas''.

Early life

Warner grew up in

Hillsborough, North Carolina The town of Hillsborough is the county seat of Orange County, North Carolina, United States and is located along the Eno River. The population was 6,087 in 2010, but it grew rapidly to 9,660 by 2020. Its name was unofficially shortened to "Hills ...

, where he was raised by his grandparents. At the age of 13, he moved to Reston, Virginia, with his mother.

Career

After leaving the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

, he worked as a waiter in a local comedy club in

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

, which he bought a year later. He brought

Martin Lawrence Martin Fitzgerald LawrenceStated in interview on ''Inside the Actors Studio'' (born April 16, 1965) is an American comedian and actor. He came to fame during the 1990s, establishing a Hollywood career as a leading actor. He got his start playin ...

to town and opened up a show with

Ken Jeong Kendrick Kang-Joh Jeong (, ; born July 13, 1969) is an American actor, stand-up comedian, producer, writer and licensed physician. He rose to prominence for playing Leslie Chow in ''The Hangover'' film series (2009–2013) and Ben Chang in the ...

, who was then a med school student. Warner eventually earned televised spots on

BET Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los ...

's ''

ComicView ''ComicView'' is an American stand-up comedy show that aired on BET on Tuesdays and Fridays from September 1992 to December 2008. In May 2014, BET announced the return of ''ComicView''. The show has been the launching pad for such comedians as D. ...

'' and ''

Showtime at the Apollo ''Showtime at the Apollo'' (formerly ''It's Showtime at the Apollo'' and ''Apollo Live'') is an American variety show that first aired in syndication from September 12, 1987 to May 24, 2008. In 2018, the series returned on Fox with Steve Harvey ...

''. In 1999, he moved to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

and landed acting gigs on shows such as ''

The Shield ''The Shield'' is an American crime drama television series starring Michael Chiklis that premiered on March 12, 2002, on FX in the United States, and concluded on November 25, 2008, after seven seasons. Known for its portrayal of corrupt pol ...

'', '' Joan of Arcadia'' and '' Threshold'', in addition to minor writing assignments for BET. In 2006, Warner collaborated with actor

Mekhi Phifer Mekhi Phifer (; born December 29, 1974) is an American actor. He portrayed Dr. Greg Pratt on NBC's long-running medical drama '' ER'' until 2008 and had a co-starring role opposite actor/rapper Eminem in the 2002 feature film '' 8 Mile''. He was ...

and penned the script for ''

'', in which both Warner and Phifer starred. Warner then formed the company Facilitator Films, with Phifer; it produced two other films under its banner, including '' This Christmas'' which grossed about US$50 million at the box office. The company then signed a developmental deal with

Warner Bros Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

, a deal with

Universal Studios Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...

for a television pilot and a project with

Overture Films Overture Films was an American film production and distribution company and a subsidiary of Starz (then subsidiary of Liberty Media). It was founded in November 2006 by Chris McGurk and Danny Rosett. Through its affiliated companies Anchor Bay E ...

. Warner started Warner Lane Pictures in 2011, and made his directorial debut shortly after with the film '' The Love Section''. In 2017, Warner established Tribal Icon Entertainment, a production company that is also involved with global distribution of small and mid-sized budget films and documentaries. Through the company, Warner signed a deal with the Global Genesis Group to distribute projects across 75 international territories.

Personal life

Warner is a fitness enthusiast and occasionally participates in physique competitions. He is also a certified motorcycle mechanic who works on his muscle car and motorcycle collection.

Filmography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Warner, Ronnie American male film actors American male screenwriters Living people 1965 births