If you’ve seen the latest comedy hit Ricky Stanicky, you might be wondering who is the actor behind JT, one of the three friends who hire a fake Ricky to cover up their lies. His name is Andrew Santino, and he’s not only a talented actor, but also a stand-up comedian and podcaster.
Santino was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1983, and grew up in a low-income housing project with his single mother. He graduated from Arizona State University, where he started doing comedy. He moved to Los Angeles to pursue his career, and landed roles in TV shows like Punk’d, The Office, Arrested Development, and This Is Us. Also he starred in Showtime’s I’m Dying Up Here, a drama series about the 1970s comedy scene, and FX’s Dave, a comedy series about rapper Lil Dicky.
Santino is also known for his stand-up specials, such as Home Field Advantage on Amazon Prime, and Cheeseburger on Netflix. He hosts two popular podcasts, Whiskey Ginger, where he interviews fellow comedians and celebrities, and Bad Friends, where he banter with Bobby Lee. He has a distinctive style of comedy, which is often sarcastic, observational, and self-deprecating.
In Ricky Stanicky, Santino plays JT, a successful lawyer who is married to Erin (Lex Scott Davis), a beautiful and smart journalist. JT is best friends with Dean (Zac Efron) and Wes (Jermaine Fowler), who have been using the imaginary Ricky Stanicky as an excuse for their bad behavior since they were kids. When their wives demand to meet Ricky, they hire Rod (John Cena), a former actor and celebrity impersonator, to play the part. However, Rod turns out to be more trouble than they bargained for, and the friends have to deal with the consequences of their lies.
Santino delivers a hilarious performance as JT, who is the most uptight and nervous of the trio. He has great chemistry with Efron and Fowler, as well as Cena, who plays a wild and unpredictable Ricky. Santino also shows his range as an actor, as he portrays JT’s emotional struggles with his marriage, his career, and his friendship.
Andrew Santino is a rising star in the comedy world, and Ricky Stanicky is his biggest role to date. He is also set to appear in several upcoming projects, such as Beef, a comedy series with Steven Yeun, Scrambled, a comedy film with Kevin Hart, and House Party, a remake of the 1990 cult classic. Santino is definitely someone to watch out for, as he is sure to make you laugh with his witty and original humor.
