Rick Worthy

Biography

Filmography

Battlestar Galactica: The Plan (2010)

Duplicity (2009)

Holes (2003)

Collateral Damage (2002)

AntiTrust (2001)

Shrot'S Assistant

Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)

Biography

From breakdancing on TV with his brother to testing his limits on the Chicago stage and portraying vampires and aliens, Rick Worthy was the definition of versatility. He sidestepped his parent's initial disapproval of his acting ambitions by convincing them he was a media studies major at the University of Michigan, and honed his acting skills in the Chicago theater scene. At first, Worthy started out small; a brief appearance on "Missing Persons" (ABC, 1993-94) here, a background cameo in "Richie Rich" (1994) there. A voiceover gig in the computer game "Star Trek: Klingon" (Simon & Schuster, 1996), which he followed with a dramatic turn on "Murder One" (ABC, 1995-97), was just the first of many other-worldly roles for the self-professed sci-fi and fantasy geek. He appeared in numerous "Star Trek" projects, including 1998's "Star Trek: Insurrection," and portrayed a Cylon on "Battlestar Galactica" (Syfy, 2004-09) before morphing into a vampire on "Supernatural" (The WB/The CW, 2005- ). His clueless mayor on "The Vampire Diaries" (The CW, 2009-17) aside, Rick Worthy was always on the lookout for something new.

Born and raised in Detroit, Worthy grew up under the stern eyes of his father, a UAW executive, and his mother, a photo restorer. His desire to entertain revealed itself early, when he and his older brother Tim formed the breakdancing duo The Floor Masters and made an appearance on "Dance Fever" (Syndication, 1979-1987). After reassuring his parents he wasn't a frivolous drama student, Worthy graduated from college with a drama degree and promptly left for New York City. One too many crazy nights in the Lower East Side later, Worthy headed to Chicago and began performing on stage. He used a national TV spot he filmed for McDonald's as a calling card, and began booking film and TV jobs in L.A.; first on ABC's short-lived "Missing Persons," then in the comic-book comedy "Richie Rich." In 1996, the life-long Trekkie jumped at the chance to work on "Star Trek: Klingon," a PC game about the legendary warrior race. That same year the normally high-spirited actor appeared as a sullen murder defendant on ABC's "Murder One."

As the 1990s turned into the 2000s, Worthy continued his work on both the big and small screens, with the occasional stage performance thrown in. He re-entered the Federation universe with a memorable role in "Star Trek: Insurrection," and brought his sci-fi bonafides to his portrayal of secretive Cylon Number Four (also known as Simon) in the cult series "Battlestar Galactica." After a brief stint as the partner of super-powered cop Matt Parkman on the declining "Heroes" (NBC, 2006-2010), Worthy swapped species to portray Alpha Vampire, the first fanged one, on "Supernatural," the surprise hit centered on two demon-battling brothers. He later reprised his role as Simon in the made-for-TV film "The Plan" (Syfy, 2009), and returned to The CW to portray an anti-witchcraft mayor on "The Vampire Diaries."