Get a closer look at some of Hollywood's perfect pairs.

Hollywood Power Couples

Get a closer look at some of Hollywood&#39;s perfect pairs.

"The Gentlemen" and "Slow Horses" return this fall, while the "Reacher" spin-off series "Neagley" makes its debut. See our guide of the biggest Fall TV and streaming releases.

2026 Fall TV and Streaming Watch Guide

&quot;The Gentlemen&quot; and &quot;Slow Horses&quot; return this fall, while the &quot;Reacher&quot; spin-off series &quot;Neagley&quot; makes its debut. See our guide of the biggest Fall TV and streaming releases.

Get a closer look at these actors from their many TV and streaming series roles.

Streaming Stars, Then and Now

Shorty, grew up in two different worlds - one a middle/upper-class almost completely white suburban neighborhood of Los Angeles with his dwarf parents and the other in Nickerson Gardens Housing Projects in Watts, a section of South Central Los Angeles, where he lived with a family friend to avoid conflict at home. By the age of 15, Shorty was living on his own.

When he was 18 years old, he was involved in a gang-related shooting and convicted of several felonies. He was sent to a youth facility and later to Folsom State Prison to serve a total sentence of 10 years, 10 months and 10 days. While in prison, Shorty turned his life around, and by the time he was released, he was determined to make something better out of his life.

Looking to make a fresh start, Shorty turned to entertainment jobs and soon learned he could earn lucrative gigs as a little person. Shorty landed his first job in show business at Universal Studios Hollywood as "Alvin" for an Alvin and the Chipmunks stage show. Since then, he has appeared in several commercials and worked on several movies such as The Grinch with Jim Carrey; The Kid with Bruce Willis; Call Me Clause with Whoopie Goldberg; and ShowTime and Daddy Day Care with Eddie Murphy, among others. He's appeared on dozens of TV shows and has performed live on theatre for years. In 2000, Shorty founded his own company, Shortywood Productions, to provide and manage little people entertainers for all types of shows, private parties and corporate events.

But Shorty has a special passion that's been a major part of his life since he was a teenager - championing the cause of pit bulls. Shorty has owned pit bulls since he was 14 and credits them with "saving his life" for being such loyal companions through some of the roughest times in his life.

Because of this, Shorty took on another huge endeavor, forming Shorty's Pit Bull Rescue, a second business ;which rescues, rehabilitates and places neglected and abused pit bulls in loving, nurturing homes. Shorty's Rescue is not a shelter or a charity; its employees work tirelessly to help relieve the suffering of and prevent cruelty to pit bulls through education and activism. Through positive pit bull involvement in the community, Shorty's Pit Bull Rescue influences a healthy/much-deserved reputation for the breed. Shorty's Pit Bull Pet Stars have worked on several independent, student and short films as well as public-service commercials and various print ads. The group does volunteer work by visiting nursing homes, schools, functions and hospitals.

After injuring himself in a stunt, Shorty became interested in service animal training. He trained one of his own pit bulls to be a service animal, and he actively has been involved in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) community ever since. Currently, two of Shorty's dogs are registered service animals with one in training.

Shorty is a workaholic by nature; therefore, he doesn't have much spare time for socializing. When in social settings, he often surrounds himself with people of all backgrounds in his home in Los Angeles and his second home in Mexico, where he also spends a lot of time promoting pit bull awareness. Shorty has a special place in his heart for his employees Ashley, Sebastian and Ronald, who are all little people. Shorty loves cigars, wine and relaxing with friends and his five pit bulls.

As of September 2011, Shorty is working on new episodes of Pit Boss, producing a movie called "Hercules Saves Christmas" with his pit bull Hercules and writing a memoir of his life story which comes out in January 2012.

Manages a little person talent agency called Shortywood Productions, as well as a Pit Bull rescue called Shorty&#39;s Pit Bull Rescue.

He owns 6 pitbull dogs - Hercules, Valentino, Geisha, Domenico, Bebi, and Mussolini. All were rescued by a shelter or himself.

Working as an Talent Manager in Hollywood, living in Hollywood, CA and part-time in La Mision, Baja California, Mexico (June 2008)

October 31, 2016 living in Mision de San Miguel (La Mision), Mexico on tour for keynote speaking along with his Cigar company and promoting breed awareness and fighting BSL in the western hemisphere. When not traveling, he is home with his 9 dogs. www.shortywood.com.

Currently living in San Francisco working on
autobiography. (January 2007)

Star of, &quot;Pit Boss&quot; on Animal Planet (January 2010)

Trivia

Luigi Francis Shorty Rossi

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