Richard Bartlett Schroder Jr. entered the world on April 13th, 1970, in Staten Island, New York, as the son of Richard Bartlett Schroder Sr. and Diane Schroder. His parents, who shared a long-standing connection dating back to their junior high school days, worked together at AT&T, with Richard Sr. progressing from a telephone repairman to a management role.
After the birth of his older sister and himself, Rick's mother, Diane, decided to leave her job to focus on raising her children. As a striking child, Rick's mother began taking him to photo shoots when he was just three months old. According to Rick himself, he seemed to have a natural aptitude for the craft, as he started working immediately without ever having taken an acting lesson in his life.