Theater

The Public Questionnaire: Rick Lattimer

by / Aug. 12, 2015 1am EST

Rick Lattimer is a true leading man. Handsome, with a sleek shock of black hair, a sturdy physique, and a manly face that can project passionate intensity or childlike innocence, the Buffalo State theater graduate has been in high demand since his return to Buffalo this year. He left for New York City in 2007 and appeared with DJM Productions at the L’il Peach Theatre in that city. Now that he’s back, the gifted actor has glided easily into a fast succession of prominent roles.

Currently he is starring as Bérenger, the flummoxed Everyman in the Subversive Theatre production of Eugène Ionesco’s absurdist comedy, Rhinoceros, playing the lone perplexed holdout in a small French town where the citizens all begin to turn into rampaging pachyderms. Earlier this year, he starred as the stable and practical partner opposite Matthew Crehan Higgans, Kerrykate Abel, and Sabrina Kahwaty in BUA’s production of Chad Beguelin’s Harbor, a play about a married same-sex couple living an affluent life in Sag Harbor. In September, he’ll shift gears and appear in a stage adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five, again for Subversive. Then he’ll begin 2016 appearing in the American Repertory Theatre of WNY production of John Guare’s House of Blue Leaves

Producers take note: That means Lattimer might be available in March 2016.

Without question, Lattimer has hit the ground running. He returns to this city eight years more mature, more seasoned, as talented as ever, and ready to take on some major roles. So who is this man with such boyish charm and vivid stage presence? Here, Rick Lattimer submits to the Public Questionnaire. 

What word would your friends use to describe you? Random.

What quality in your current character is most unlike your own personality? Whining.

What quality in your current character is most like your own personality? Nonconforming.

When and where were you the happiest? Took a year off from the world and enjoyed the area in and around Sleepy Hollow, New York and the Hudson River Valley.

What is your idea of hell on earth? Being very old and being the only one of my family, friends, and loved ones left. 

What is your greatest fear? Regret for not being braver.

Which talent do you most wish you had? To have an ear for other languages and to be able to pick them up and speak them with ease. 

What superpower do you most wish you had? Magic powers or the Force.

What would you change about your appearance? I would like to be a few inches taller. 

What trait do you most despise in others? Greed.

What trait to you most despise in yourself? Vanity.

What do you most value in your friends? Moral character.

What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment? I don’t think I can say what that is.

What is your guilty pleasure? Eating jars of peanut butter with a spoon.

What character from fiction do you identify with most? Doctor Who.

What person from history do you identify with most? Herman Melville. Moby-Dick brought no fortune or respect to Melville in his lifetime. Critics were not impressed and the audience didn’t become enthused by the novel. Yet, today it is arguably considered the one of the greatest pieces of American literature ever written. Good for him. Just keep doing and do not worry about the noise outside.

What do you consider to be the most overrated virtue? Dutifulness.

On what occasion do you lie? Answering questionnaires! 

What was the subject of your last Google search? Steve Jobs.

If you come back in another life, what person or thing would you like to be? Professional golfer or a falcon.

What is your most prized possession? My optimism.

What role, in which you will never be cast, is actually perfect for you? Lady Macbeth.

What is your motto? Never stop hitting the ball.

COMMENTS