'Gang Related' star Ramon Rodriguez really loves Lucy (also Cheetera)

The season finale of Fox’s Gang Related (airing Aug. 14 at 9 p.m. ET) is going to be a dramatic one, as Ryan Lopez (Ramon Rodriguez) and Sam Chapel (Terry O’Quinn) seek vengeance for the murder of Jessica (Shantel VanSanten), Ryan’s girlfriend and Sam’s daughter. But Rodriguez’s mood was considerably lighter when he stopped by EW to reveal his first celebrity crush, what he used to act out as a child, his junior high jams, and his prized pop culture possession.

Watch the video and read a full transcript below.

EW: Who was your first celebrity crush?

RODRIGUEZ: My first celebrity crush…I had a huge crush on Cheetara from ThunderCats. And I know it’s an animated cartoon. I mean, she wore like a spandex onesie that was like a leopard thing, and she could run incredibly fast. I loved cheetahs at the time. I was a big fan of cheetahs. She was fulfilling all those—[laughs]. Yeah, she was great.

What TV show or movie did you act out as a child?

I played a lot by myself. I remember one time, I’ll never forget: I was a big fan of G.I. Joes, and I had these G.I. Joe figures, and [I’m] playing, and I was doing all these sound effects of war, and my mom screams from right next door—we lived in this tiny apartment. She was like, “Turn off the TV!” I was like, “Ma, the TV’s not on. That’s just me.”

What was your junior high jam?

Oh, there’s a ton, but the one classic is “Poison.” (Poison, poison.) Oh, that’s such a goodie. That was my classic. If you don’t know what I’m talkin’ about. What was the other one? [Sings] “It takes two to make a thing go right.” That was a classic. Rob Base. I don’t even know why I’m singin’ it.

What’s your most prized pop culture possession?

I love I Love Lucy, and I have the DVD set of I Love Lucy. Who doesn’t love I Love Lucy, man? Lucy and Ricky Ricardo. That’s classic. She’s amazing. And also, he was such a big figure for the Latino community. Being a Latin guy and producing the shows, he was amazing. That and The Honeymooners, actually, is another one that I love.

Final Score: All About the Classics.

Bonus: Watch Gang Related costar Terry O’Quinn takes the EW Pop Culture Personality Test.

And here’s a sneak peek of the Gang Related season finale.