Trained with a hockey pro prior to the movie Goon (2011), and actually did the stunt where Liev Schreiber's character elbows him in the face -- he was injured for real.
In 2012, when auditioning for the role of Wisconsin-born "David" in Dirty Beautiful, Ricky arrived dressed for the part in a flannel shirt. Director Tim Bartell was impressed by his commitment, since it was one of the hottest days of the summer.