Rick Malambri Bio
Rick Malambri is an American actor, dancer, and model whose work spans film and television, with a breakthrough lead role in the dance film Step Up 3D. Born November 7, 1982, in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, he moved from modeling into on-screen acting and has since appeared in a mix of theatrical releases, television series and original movies.
Early Life and Background
Rick Malambri was born to Jeannie Marie Egleston and Timothy Michael Malambri in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. He began his professional career as a model, appearing in Abercrombie & Fitch campaigns in 2004, which established him in entertainment and led to screen opportunities.
Raised in Florida, Malambri developed skills in dance that later informed his casting in movement-driven projects; his early modeling work introduced him to industry networks that helped transition him toward acting. Public records and career summaries list his nationality as United States and show a shift from modeling to screen roles beginning in the mid-2000s.
Path to Celebrity
Malambri’s first on-screen credits date to 2007, when he began taking guest parts on established television series. Early television appearances included small roles that built his résumé and demonstrated his ability to work in multiple genres, from comedy to procedural drama.
The combination of his modeling visibility and dance background positioned Malambri for larger casting opportunities in film. By 2010 he earned a lead role in a major dance franchise entry, which raised his profile with general audiences and casting directors and led to recurring television work and a steady presence in made-for-television movies.
Following Step Up 3D, Malambri continued to pursue projects that leveraged his physicality and screen presence, taking roles in family comedies and network and cable television series. He maintained a steady acting cadence across independent films and television movies, broadening his credits beyond dance-centric material.
Rick Malambri Career
Early Career (2007–2009)
Rick Malambri launched his acting career with guest appearances in 2007 on series such as How I Met Your Mother, Criminal Minds, and Party Down. In the same period he appeared in the military science fiction film Universal Soldiers in a supporting role, marking his earliest film credit.
These initial screen roles established Malambri as a versatile performer capable of supporting both episodic television and feature projects. The mix of television guest work and film parts set the stage for a more prominent casting opportunity in the following years.
Breakthrough (2010–2012)
Malambri’s career breakthrough came in 2010 when he was cast as Luke in Step Up 3D, a high-profile entry in the dance film franchise directed by Jon M. Chu. The role placed him opposite lead performers in a production that highlighted dance and choreography, and it became the best-known credit in his filmography to date.
In the years immediately after Step Up 3D, Malambri expanded his résumé with roles in television and television movies. He played Will Dutton in the Hallmark Channel movie After the Fall and had a recurring role as Eduardo on ABC Family’s The Lying Game, where he portrayed a choreographer entangled in a romantic storyline.
During this period he also took smaller parts in projects such as Clear History and Surrogates, demonstrating a willingness to work across genres and formats. His casting in family comedies and TV movies during these years helped sustain visibility while he pursued a range of supporting and lead parts in independent and network productions.
Notable Works and Milestones
Step Up 3D stands as Malambri’s signature film credit and the most widely recognized milestone in his screen career. Other notable projects include television work on The Lying Game, the Hallmark Channel movie After the Fall, and recurring appearances in made-for-television films such as The Cookie Mobster and Change of Heart. In 2021 he starred in the Lifetime original movie Lethal Love Letter and continued to appear in episodic television, including a guest turn on TNT’s Animal Kingdom in 2018.
Rick Malambri Family
Rick Malambri is the son of Timothy Michael Malambri and Jeannie Marie Malambri, née Egleston. Public biographical summaries list his Florida upbringing and the influence of his family background on his early career choices.
Personal Life
Malambri married model and actress Lisa Mae in 2010; the couple had a daughter in 2013. Public accounts indicate the couple separated in 2023 and that their divorce was finalized in August 2024. These details appear in public biographies and media summaries tied to his career profile.
In June 2025 Malambri remarried, wedding Saffron Lanna; that marriage brought three school-aged step-children into his household. Family details beyond parentage, the daughter born in 2013, and the two marriages are limited to publicly reported timelines and remain those elements of his personal life that are consistently documented in available records.