Richard Rossi is a multi-talented entertainer, actor, novelist, filmmaker, musician, singer-songwriter, comic, painter, and poet from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Born into a family of musicians, Richard began his performing career at a young age, playing guitar on stage at the age of 7 and impressing audiences with his jazz renditions of classic songs.
As a teenager, Richard acted in films shot in Pittsburgh, including "The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh." In 1980, he formed a duo with his best friend John Walker, and they began performing their original folk-rock songs on national TV and in a CBS documentary. Their music was played on the radio, and they toured for several years, performing at high schools, colleges, and churches.
In 1984, Richard met and married his wife Sherrie, and they moved back to Pittsburgh in 1986. Richard continued to perform and facilitate healing services as a guitar-playing maverick minister in Pittsburgh venues, drawing crowds of several thousand.
In 1988, Richard and Sherrie became parents for the first time, and their daughter Karis was born. Richard's ministry expanded to an international audience online, and he formed partnerships with African American ministers to combat racism.
Richard's celebrity in his hometown grew, and he became the target of tabloid stories and false accusations on a regular basis. He exposed political and police corruption on his acclaimed talk-show and soon he and Sherrie were targeted for retaliatory death threats, attacks, and accusations.
In 1996, Richard and his family relocated to Hollywood, California, where he became known as the "Renaissance Man." Richard took acting classes and soon began working as an actor, appearing on hit TV shows like Ally McBeal and Gilmore Girls.
Richard was granted permission to perform the Pulitzer Prize and Oscar-winning story of evangelist Elmer Gantry on stage, and he wrote, directed, and acted in his films on Sister Aimee, which he made as an allegory for his former life and experience as an evangelist in Pittsburgh.
The Rossi's took the lemons and made lemonade out of them, creating Eternal Grace, a ministry to actors and artists. Richard & Sherrie knew what it's like to be chased by paparazzi, so they minister to celebrities who are victimized by slander and media harassment.
Richard has penned and published multiple books, including his first novel "Stick Man," a self-help book "Create Your Life," and "Sister Aimee: The Aimee Semple McPherson Story." He has also written and directed several films, including "Saving Sister Aimee" and "Sister Aimee: The Aimee Semple McPherson Story."
In 2017, Richard started shooting his feature "Canaan Land," starring Richard as an Elmer Gantryish evangelist and co-starring Rebecca Holden as Sister Sara Sunday, a female faith healer. The film was released in 2020 and won Most Creative Feature Film at the New York premiere at the Great Lakes Christian Film Festival.
In 2021, Richard started filming his new feature film, "Lucy and the Lake Monster," based on the bestselling children's novel written by Richard and his lifelong friend Kelly Tabor. The film is in post-production as of 2024 with an imminent release.
In private life, Richard is said to be an avid reader and bibliophile.
