“Hit The Floor” ICandy Rob C Riley is a cutie with a lot of personality, smarts and talent. Born a first generation American from Brooklyn NY, Flatbush raised buy his Trinidadian mother and grandmother, Rob was first introduced to acting during his spring semester at Lehigh University playing Walter Lee in A Raisin In The Sun. The rest is they say history. Rob has been seen on the big and small screen in The Bourne Legacy, Nurse Jackie, For Better Or Worse, Single Ladies and more. We caught up with the actor to chat about all things Hit The Floor.

How were you approached for Hit The Floor?

I was in Atlanta at the time shooting Single Ladies and Hit The Floor was called Bounce. I initially auditioned for Derrick, sent them a video got a callback to come in for Terrance and that was it.

Was it an easy transition to play a basketball player?

I’ve been an athlete my entire life, playing football since 11 and played until my freshmen year of college. Basketball has always been on the radar, being from New York you got be able to play basketball even a little bit. I did have to brush up on my skills but I had 8 months to get it together.

Are there any similarities between yourself and Terrance?

There are a ton of similarities between Terrance any myself, we are both in relationships and love our girls very much. We are both very passionate people, distinguished gentlemen when in public and the people closest to us get to see our fun side. There is a responsibility that  comes with being a public figure and being an adult black male in America. Myself along with the character I play embrace the title of being a role model.

Is there anything you don’t like about your character?

There’s nothing that I don’t like about the character but I personally wouldn’t be with a Jelena type that is so vindictive if I was aware if it. Some of the things that go on are outside of his world as it pertains to the Devils and the Devil Girl’s…he has other things going on. I would like for Terrance to wise up a little bit and see that you can’t have the woman represent you in the world carry themselves the way Jelena does.

Did you think that Hit The Floor would be the hit it is?

I can’t say that I knew it would be as popular as it is, seeing there is so much to watch on television. We knew we had a good show and told some interesting, salacious stories…if we could get people to watch and take this ride with us they would enjoy it and that’s what happened.

How do you like being able to interact instantly with your fans via social media?

Being from Broadway, I’m used to the immediate response. Social Media has made film/TV like theatre, to see those reactions and to feel the fans enjoying the show is awesome. I love tweeting back at people…my twitter, FB, Instagram are pretty much devoted to Hit The Floor. Letting people know I(we) appreciate them watching the show commenting on pics, tweets.

Do you feel as though Hit The Floor has done a great job representing the NBA life?

I got a tweet from Royce Reed and said that the pilot was pretty much like her life. In that respect, we’ve received some validation from some of the stuff that has gone on in professional sports. It’s a drama and we’re telling fun stories and I hope we’re not hurting any feelings. We may not be holding up a mirror to the NBA but w’re giving you a nice high resolution photocopy.

What is your workout regime?

I workout 1 and half to 2 hours a day,  lift weights and cross train 4 or 5 times a week.

 

Below are a few Twitter questions that our followers asked.

What is your favorite fruit? Raspberry…it’s an underrated fruit

What is your hygiene regime? I wouldn’t call myself a meterosexual. I’m a regular dude, I use a face scrub and I hit the steam room after the gym. I’m not the type that you would find with mud on my face.

Have you ever modeled? I have in the past, I wouldn’t  really call myself a model.

Any love connections from the show? We are a tight knit group and I let people’s personal business stay their business.

It was a pleasure and delight to interview Rob. He is currently taking on a role in an independent film, working on some music (he plays the guitar) and just finished a screenplay. Rob wants the world to know that he is a regular dude, child of an immigrant and a smart,respectable Black man in America.

“If you grew up like me, you can get here if you make the right decisions. I sincerely appreciate everyone taking out the time to tune in and reach out to support the show. Hope you all enjoy the finale.”

Season 1 of Hit The Floor comes to an end tonight on VH1 @ 9PM. (Per Rob, the finale is intense and dramatic) Last week’s episode was the highest rated with 2.5 million viewers watching the first run and 1.5 million viewers catching the rerun at 11PM. Make sure you tune in!

You can follow Rob on Twitter @robcrileynyc Like on FB and Instagram