Trivia

Winner of 2001 Angel Award and Golden Halo Award from Southern California Motion Picture Council.

His father was manic-depressive and was taken in and out of mental institutions by police, so Rossi was left alone much of the time as a child and often missing.

Richard has been tested as a genius level I.Q.

Richard Rossi is an ordained minister who conducted healing services for three years that drew crowds of several thousand people per event. He started a controversial church in 1986 with Jack Sims called "Matthew's Party" that was featured on CNN and USA Today. The church met in a bar, served wine and our-doerves, worshipped with rock music, was attended by movie stars, and gave the offering back to anyone in attendance who needed the money. The church was condemned by leading televangelists who said,"church was not meant to be a party," but today, the name and concepts are used by the nation's largest church of 20,000 members in Chicago. Rossi has since stated he believes artists are the true spiritual leaders of society and has left the church to focus on making films.

Richard has written over 1,000 songs including several for historical moments, including a song to inspire troops played in battlefields in the Persian Gulf War and a funeral song for Lady Diana that was a hit in London.

He teaches acting and guitar lessons in the Hollywood area.

To prepare for one role as a homeless man, Rossi lived and slept outside on Hollywood Boulevard with the homeless for a month.

As a 9-year-old boy, Rossi was chosen my legendary painter Joseph Fitzpatrick to study art personally with him after he saw drawings by Rossi he called "astounding." Thirty years earlier, Fitzpatrick chose another boy to mentor artistically in the same fashion named Andy Warhola. (Andy Warhol).

Richard has founded several charities, including "Welcome Home" for abused women and children, "Multi-Cultural Community Coalition", to combat rascism, and "Eternal Grace" - a Christ-centered community for artists.

He and his wife Sherrie recently started Eternal Grace Church in Hollywood. The church has been growing due to positive word of mouth in the film industry.

Announced his long-awaited feature "Aimee Semple McPherson" will be finished with post-production by February 15th, 2005. (January 2005)

His "New Wine" album won Best Inspirational Album and the concert film of his music (Live At Grafitti's) sells more today than when he recorded it ten years ago.

Richard's film "Sister Aimee: The Aimee Semple McPherson Story" was 2008 finalist for Best Feature in Milan, Italy Film Festival.

A former evangelist preaching to crowds of thousands, Richard has played a preacher on film or stage at least seven times. In 1998 and 2000, he portrayed the lead role of con artist evangelist Elmer Gantry at Stella Adler Theatre's production of Elmer Gantry. In 2008, he portrayed Reverend David Hutton in the film "Sister Aimee: The Aimee Semple McPherson Story." In 2009, Richard portrayed a preacher in the world premiere of the play "Modern Love" in Toluca Lake, California. Also in 2009, he played Reverend Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, (the writer of "Alice In Wonderland" under the pen name Lewis Carroll) in the world premiere of the stage musical "Alice" in Valley Glen, California. In addition to acting, Richard sang and played guitar in the production. In "Suing the Devil" (Release Date 2011), Richard plays the role of a TV preacher. In the film Canaan Land (2020) Richard plays Brother Billy Gantry, a con artist preacher.

Father of Karis Rossi and Josh Rossi.

June 17th, 2006, he will screen "Aimee Semple McPherson" at the famed Stella Adler Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. (June 2006)

Nominated as Writer-Director for Best Dramatic Feature Film in the prestigious Milan, Italy, Sabaoth International Film Festival for "Sister Aimee: The Aimee Semple McPherson Story." (October 2008)

Started production on his next film, "Aimee Semple McPherson." Richard is directing and acting in the feature, which is shooting in California and Pennsylvania. (June 2002)

Beverly Hills, CA. Released his new book on Amazon entitled "Create Your Life: Daily Meditations On Creativity." (June 2012)

Sold his first novel "Stick Man" to Savant Publications for a tentative worldwide release date of August, 2010. Stick Man is a coming-of-age story set in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (September 2009)

"Aimee Semple McPherson" voted #1 Spot on IGFA List of 100 Greatest Guerrilla films (Films shot for under $75,000.00). (May 2006)

Finishing his first soon to be released novel, and in preproduction on his film about baseball great Roberto Clemente. (October 2007)

Los Angeles, CA, USA: Appearing in Tom Topor play "NUTS" playing the role of Art Kirk through May 2012 in the Horsehoe Theatre at L.A. Valley College. (April 2012)

Hollywood, CA, USA: Starring in lead role of "Marcus," a mentally challenged idiot savant, in Christopher Durang play "Funeral Parlor" at the Black Box Theater. (December 2012)

Appearing for six-week run in the play "Modern Love" at Sidewalk Studio Theatre in Toluca Lake, California. (January 2009)

Nearing completion on his first novel, "Stick Man," and has been appearing at venues in Los Angeles reading excerpts. (November 2007)

In preproduction on "Baseball's Last Hero: The Roberto Clemente Story," his latest feature as writer-director. (July 2009)

Appearing in "Alice," the world premiere musical based on Alice In Wonderland, as the author and narrator Rev. Charles Dodgson and the White Knight, at the Horseshoe Theater on Fulton Avenue in Los Angeles. (April 2009)

Started shooting "Baseball's Last Hero:The Roberto Clemente Story." (October 2010)

Pittsburgh, PA, USA: Premiering his feature film "Baseball's Last Hero: 21 Clemente Stories" at the historic Strand Theater. (August 2013)

(October 31, 2014) Performing live on stage for Halloween show at Sierra Madre Playhouse.

Richard Rossi was honored with a Commendation from Governor of Pennsylvania Tom Corbett for his Roberto Clemente film "Baseball's Last Hero: 21 Clemente Stories.".

Richard Rossi started preproduction on his upcoming feature dramatic film "Canaan Land: The Saga of Sister Sara and Brother Gantry." (August, 2015).

Favorite actor is Marlon Brando.

(May 3 and 4th, 2019) Performing monologues based on the words of a homeless man in "Homeward LA" benefit to raise funds for the Midnight Mission.

Attended Sonny Bono's funeral.

Wrote the final episode of Columbo (1971) for Peter Falk, which was not finished due to Peter's failing health.

Directed the last movie of Carl Ballantine, who he met weekly to smoke cigars and listen to jazz.

February, 2021 - As reported by Variety, Hollywood Reporter, and The Wrap, Richard Rossi's film "Canaan Land" makes the finalized list for Oscar consideration for Best Picture, and five of Richard's original songs made list for Best Song Oscar consideration.

July, 2021 - Richard Rossi's film "Canaan Land" is screening at the Marina Del Rey Film Festival in Southern California. Richard will be introducing the film in person and doing a Q and A session.

Filming Lucy and the Lake Monster (2024) in New York. (July 2022)

An accomplished jazz guitarist as a child prodigy, he played with jazz musician George Benson in the Hill District section of Pittsburgh.

September, 2003 - Won Best Children's Author with co-author Kelly Tabor at Red Letter Awards for their book "Lucy & the Lake Monster.".

In private life, he is said to be an avid reader and bibliophile.

Richard is a grad student in the David Lynch School of Cinematic Arts. He is in the MFA in Screenwriting program, Class of 2026.

Mentored by David Lynch, Richard is with the David Lynch MFA in Screenwriting program.

Bonded with Michael Jackson over Richard's healing ministry to sick and disabled children. They shared their parallel experiences of being musical performers since childhood with fathers who were strict if they made any mistakes on stage. Richard was asked to give emotional and spiritual support to Michael during his trial.

As a boxer he competed in intramural boxing league's Light Middleweight division and won 80% of his fights by knockout, the rest by points. He was nearly undefeated, losing only one fight.

Richard's family film Lucy and the Lake Monster (2024) has won over twenty awards at film festivals and is streaming on Amazon, Plex, Freevee, Apple-TV, Roku, and Fawesome-TV.