Ronnie Warner

Ronnie Warner is an American actor, writer, producer and director. He is best known for his roles as Rico in the stoner comedy Puff, Puff, Pass and the gangster, Dude, in This Christmas.

Early life Warner grew up in Hillsborough, North Carolina, 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, he worked as a waiter in a local comedy club in North Carolina, which he bought a year later. He brought Martin Lawrence to town and opened up a show with Ken Jeong, who was then a med school student.

Warner eventually earned televised spots on BET's ComicView and Showtime at the Apollo. In 1999, he moved to Los Angeles and landed acting gigs on shows such as The Shield, Joan of Arcadia and Threshold, in addition to minor writing assignments for BET.

In 2006, Warner collaborated with actor Mekhi Phifer and penned the script for Puff, Puff, Pass, 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, a deal with Universal Studios for a television pilot and a project with Overture Films.

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 Year Title Role Notes 2001 Murder in Small Town X Sunset Club owner Drew Chambers 2003 Rock Me Baby Movie Patron #2 2004 Joan of Arcadia Street guitarist/God 2005 The Shield Terrence 2005 Cuts Bruce 2005 Threshold Tazz 2006 Puff, Puff, Pass Rico Also writer, producer 2007 This Christmas Dude Also executive producer 2007 Grindin' Unemployment rep 2008 Nora's Hair Salon 2: A Cut Above Producer #2 Also producer 2013 The Love Section Peewee Also director, producer 2015 American Bad Boy Pump 2015 Reconcilable Differences Sebastian Sterling Also director, producer