Our sources reveal… “Ricky Reidling was born and raised in the small southern town in Winder, Georgia, and never dreamed he would be living in California making films and a television series. He was raised by his father along with three other siblings and explains his childhood was not an easy one.
At one point (when he was in hight school), he and his father were homeless, living out of a car. Ricky states that it gave him a better appreciation for things in life and taught him to be kind to everyone regardless of their background or situation.
Michael and Ricky strike a pose
He and his husband Michael – they have been together for 18 years – moved to Southern California from their home in Atlanta and lived in Long Beach for 13 years. He was then able to pursue his dream of a career in the entertainment industry. He landed an agent from a referral of a well-known casting director and proceeded to work on different shows – including at E! Entertainment Television – and on several pilots and films.
When none of the projects he worked on got picked up, he decided to take matters into his own hands and wrote, directed and acted in his BoysTown, a low budget, gay television pilot. He “shopped it around” (as they say in the biz) to the gay networks, who showed no interest. He was pleasantly surprised (“shocked”) when his pilot played in the film festival circuit and when released on DVD, gained a cult following.
He then fostered connections with OUTtv, a Canadian-based network, and worked on a feature film, Heels, currently available on cable. He says, “OUTtv is like my second family. Such a great group of individuals.” The network has invited him to become an Outspoken Author, and in that capacity, he has interviewed Oscar, Tony and Emmy-award winners among others.
In 2012 he called on his actors from the original pilot of BoysTown to give it another shot. This time the show was picked up for a full season of 9 episodes and has been televised in Canada and Europe. The team is now completing production on season 2.
Ricky said, about show business, its just a job to him, and prefers to live a quiet life. He loves what he does, but it has it challenges, as he is pretty much a one man show, having taught himself all aspects of film-making.
Having such a large cast in BoysTown, the budgets are tight, and he would rather pay his actors than have a large crew, so he writes/directs/edits and fills most all other roles on set. He then jumps in front of the camera, which he states can sometimes be difficult, because his focus on so many other things happening around me. “But like everything else,” he says, “I’m learning to adapt.”
In November 2015 he and his husband Michael relocated to Palm Springs and have never looked back. In between seasons of BoysTown, Ricky works at Gay Desert Guide on marketing and promotions. He appreciates the opportunity, “a great experience that has connected him with so many wonderful people in Palm Springs.”
As an animal lover, Ricky became a Vegan three years ago with no regrets. He considers himself a health nut, except for occasional afternoon cocktails. He enjoys the outdoors, bike riding, hanging with friends and relaxing by the pool.”
So no wonder…
Ricky says, “PS I love you because…”
- of all the wonderful people in this town who have welcomed us with open arms. We have made some incredible friends and feel very fortunate.
- I love the weather. Being from the South, the summers do not bother me. I feel like I am on vacation everyday!
- I like seeing new faces, and I enjoy tourist season. Often, Canadians and Europeans recognize me for my work, and are always very friendly. I’m very appreciative.
- of your small town feel, with so much to do, there's no reason to take a freeway anywhere. I live just a 15-minute walk from downtown. It's amazing!
- There is so much art & culture here. I love the local theatres and art galleries.
Ricky has another TV series in development, set to film in Palm Springs, and is looking forward to involving the local community.
Congrats on all of your contributions, Ricky! We're thrilled you and Michael are part of our fabulous community! Keep following those dreams!
xoxo
BoysTown is available on Dvd, Itunes and Google Play, and in Palm Springs, at Q Trading Company. Learn more about Boystown at IMDB.
Want to be featured in the “PS I love you because…” column?
To be considered, email me (Nicholas Snow, SnowbizNow@gmail.com) your top five answers (they can be short or long) to the statement, “PS I love you because…” and/or “PS I love you because I enjoy…”, along with two or three biographical paragraphs. Also, send some photos of things you love about the area including, ideally, you doing something you love in the area. Your submission does not guarantee publication. Thanks!