Can you tell me about David Ramsey, who plays the mayor on “Blue Bloods” and Diggle on “Arrow”?
—Dorothy Farmer, Golden Valley, Ariz.
It remains to be seen if Ramsey, 41, will be returning as Mayor Carter Poole on “Blue Bloods” this coming season. Mayor Poole was shot in the season finale, which may leave him paralyzed. That could be used as a way to replace him if it becomes necessary.
Ramsey’s role on “Blue Bloods” is recurring and the series films in New York, while he is a series regular on “Arrow,” which shoots in Vancouver, Canada. So his role as Diggle, former military man turned tough-as-nails bodyguard to Oliver Queen, takes priority.
The Detroit, Michigan, native is very much enjoying his close working relationship with his “Arrow” co-star Stephen Amell and their characters’ friendship. “I love the romance between me and Oliver,” he says. “That’s been great.”
“Arrow” is also benefiting from the fact that in real life Ramsey is an avid practitioner of Jeet Kune Do, the martial art founded by Bruce Lee, which comes in handy in taking on the bad guys.
“I train a lot,” he says. “I have a fantastic school in Vancouver, [and] a fantastic school in Los Angeles. So I’m training a whole lot just because I love it. Working with weights, but a lot of JKD, a lot of mixed martial arts. I just love the culture of it.”
Before his roles on “Arrow” and “Blue Bloods,” Ramsey was best known for portraying Anton Briggs in “Dexter” and Al Druzinsky in the short-lived series “Outlaw.”
On the movie side, his credits include “Mother and Child,” “Nailed,” “Pay it Forward,” “The Nutty Professor” and “Con Air,” and he starred in the title role in “Resurrection: The J.R. Richard Story.”
Ramsey also has played a number of recurring roles on TV, including parts in “Hollywood Residential,” “Wildfire,” “Ghost Whisperer” and “Huff,” as well as the starring role as Muhammad Ali in the TV biopic “Ali: An American Hero.”
Born and raised in Detroit, Mich., he was bitten by the acting bug while performing in a church play. He later attended Wayne State University where he earned a degree in fine arts.
When not filming, Ramsey lives in Los Angeles with his wife and their two dogs.
