Rickey Thompson Dishes on His Role in 'Swarm,' Partying With Beyoncé, and More (EXCLUSIVE)

Though he's known for his comedic videos on popular social media apps such as Vine and TikTok, Rickey Thompson's skyrocketing career is certainly nothing to laugh about.

The internet personality has seamlessly transitioned from a viral social media celeb to appearing in major international fashion and beauty campaigns — and Rickey is not stopping there.

The 27-year-old is now taking his talents to the big screen, landing acting roles in Machine Gun Kelly's 2022 film Good Mourning as well as a role in Donald Glover's highly talked-about television series, Swarm.

In an exclusive interview with Distractify, Rickey — who partnered with Tequila Don Julio Rosado for their PTO aka "Party Time Off" campaign — opened up about landing the role in Swarm, his favorite party moment which, of course, includes meeting Beyoncé, and more.

In the hit television series, Rickey plays a customer service rep named Kenny, who has a tense scene with Dre — played by Dominique Fishback.

The model told us that he auditioned for the role and after he got it, flew to Atlanta to shoot the scene. However, he was unaware of what the series was about or who else was starring in the show.

"I didn't know what was going on," he said. "They had changed the name of the series. A lot of times, I was like, 'Oh my God, what is this about?' And I didn't know what the project was about until I saw the trailer." After watching the trailer, Rickey told us that he was so "thankful and so happy to be a part of this project," adding, "it's like it's the number one show to watch right now in the world. And it makes me feel so good about myself."

Prior to its release, Donald Glover's project was being kept on the down low, including its all-star cast.

"It was so secretive like when I got on set, everything was so private. Everything was like so closed off," Rickey said. "I didn't know Billy [Eilish] was a part of it until the premiere."

Aside from its shocking guest stars, fans love decoding the Beyoncé nods throughout the series.

Was it fate or just a total coincidence?

Rickey landed a role in the popular Amazon Prime series Swarm, which gives several nods to A-list singer, Beyoncé. In 2022, Rickey was invited to attend the singer's "Club Renaissance" event in Paris, and he was able to meet and party alongside the star.

"That is something I will never ever, ever forget," Rickey told us. "Like literally her saying my name was the most amazing moment ever."

"The only thing I was saying was like, Oh my God, I love you. I love you," he continued. "And that's all I could say. [...] When she hugged me, I felt like every problem, every stress I had in my body just released, honestly."

When he's not rubbing elbows with A-list stars, Rickey is encouraging his followers to take their own PTO days, in partnership with Tequila Don Julio Rosado.

If you'll be in Los Angeles or Miami on Friday, March 31, 2023, you can RSVP to the PTO launch event where you can experience the brand new Rosado tequila. Rickey will be taking his PTO in Miami and hopes to see some of you there. If you'd like to attend the event, make sure you RSVP at RosadoPTO.donjulio.com.