Actor excited for return to Italy
Growing up in New York, actor Kirk Acevedo says he learned early on to be self-reliant.
“Having lived on my own since I was 16 in a big city taught me to be very self-sufficient,” says Acevedo, who portrays Ricardo Diaz — aka The Dragon — on the CW series “Arrow.” “I trust people very slowly. And then I suffer no fools. And for these skills I have to thank New York City. I always know who’s walking 20 yards behind me and then who’s 20 yards ahead.” The Los Angeles-based actor — who is also known for his work on “Oz,” “Thin Red Line” and “Band of Brothers” — is looking forward to spending this summer visiting Europe with his wife, actress Kiersten Warren, and their daughter, Scarlett.
An edited version of our conversation follows. middle-schooler puts down her phone would be a dream.
A: As a latchkey kid at 5, I learned to navigate the subway system and how to duck under velvet ropes with ease. For a couple of weeks, I played hooky from school — just walked out and caught the train to the American Museum of Natural History, where no one suspected anyone that little would be on their own. To this day, that museum is one of my favorite places in the world. But heads-up, kids: That kind of devil-maycare attitude will get you kicked out of kindergarten. I speak from proud experience.
QPort Douglas), Australia, for six months filming “The Thin Red Line.” Before I went, I read up on the deadly snakes and saltwater and freshwater crocodiles and killer spiders that hang out in your boots, jellyfish and great white sharks. So I got off the plane expecting “Land of the Lost,” but found it so peaceful and relaxing and the people so lovely that I almost let my guard down. Then I met the giant fruit bats swooping over our heads. The guys I was shooting with and myself were carrying pizzas, and that sustaining image of us screaming like little girls, while dodging those monsters, is a horror takeaway from an otherwise idyllic place.