He received Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in Children's Programming for performance in the made-for-television movie In His Father's Shoes (1998), and NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Youth Actor/Actress for the 1999 teen drama film, Light It Up.

He played Samuel on Touched by an Angel, a troubled teen whose brother is in prison for shooting a man.

His breakout role was in the TV adaptation of Anne Rice's novel, The Feast of All Saints, where he played the young Marcel who becomes a man within society.

He became popular in 2001 when he got the role of Arnaz Ballard on the UPN hit sitcom One on One alongside Flex Alexander and Kyla Pratt.

On November 16, 2011, it was announced that Robert Ri'chard was cast as Jamie in the CW series The Vampire Diaries.

He had the recurring roles during the final season of Fox soap opera, Empire, and the Amazon comedy series, Harlem alongside Cousin Skeeter co-star, Meagan Good.