No American Gods? It's time to appreciate fit Ricky Whittle

Nothing little about Ricky Whittle! Pic: Instagram @rickywhittle

Neil Gaiman's American Gods came to Amazon Prime in a blaze of glory, with a sexy British star in Ricky Whittle, a killer support cast featuring Kristen Chenowith and Gillian Anderson... and hot LGBTQ characters and sex scenes.

Viewers and critics alike loved its supernatural themes as well as the artistic direction, music and soundtrack along with the acting. We were certainly tuning in for the very sexy Hollyoaks meets Hollywood Whittle. It’s not often you leave a UK soap and move across the pond to Los Angeles in order to ‘make it’ but that’s exactly what Ricky did.  

Whittle sure knows how to pose post workout. Pic: Instagram @rickywhittle

After 5 years on UK soap opera Hollyoaks, Whittle left the show in 2011 and made his way to Hollywood to try his luck on the notoriously difficult scene. Launching a career in the USA can be a highly lucrative prospect and Ricky certainly had the goods after working out and building up the kind of physique required to be a bona fide action star.  

Whittled down

Thinks started out a little slow for the Brit but he nabbed himself a plum recurring role in sleeper hit The 100, the post-apocalyptic sci fi series that ran from 2014 to 2000.

Clearly his work was appreciated and he won the part of Shadow Moon in hugely anticipated series for Amazon and Starz American Gods which was adapted from the iconic novel of the same name by Neil Gaiman.  

That beard and those abs are true body goals Pic: Instagram @rickywhittle

The show opened to rave reviews and huge viewing figures with Whittle in particular receiving special praise for his portrayal of the enigmatic lead character. After the first season though the show hit something of a snag with both the showrunners leaving the production and with them, some of the first season’s stars.

After just three seasons however, Amazon/Starz are calling time on the aeon-spanning fantasy epic about gods, both ancient and new. While the relationships in the show were often fantastical, they highlighted representation in the queer Middle Eastern and Muslim communities as well as the trans community with the show also starring Pose's Dominque Jackson.

Next up for Ricky 

So what next for handsome British export Ricky Whittle? For now we’re happy to ogle his thirst trap Instagram page displaying some fine gym honed torso, hot briefs and thigh snaps. This last year has been hellish for actors so we are keeping our fingers crossed that his sterling work on American Gods will stand him in good stead for the next wave of killer US movies and TV series.