Today we’d like to introduce you to Tyler Toney.
Hi Tyler, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My acting journey started in my junior year of college in January of 2021. At first, I was just doing it for the scholarship money with no mindful thought behind it; then, a feeling of passion and love grew within me as I started landing roles. The crazy thing about it is that I was in the process of getting my Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice; with the simple thought that if it worked out for my family members, it could work out for me! My parents insisted I work a full-time job using my degree and maybe act on weekends. Sure, the money might’ve been great, but I know I wouldn’t be happy with myself if I went through with it. As time went by, I started getting more involved in theater and spending my free time learning more about this field. I remember feeling so easy-going and eager to learn when it came down to anything acting-related. This is when I started watching movies and TV shows differently. My perspective started to shift. I began paying more attention to detail when it came to actors and actresses I looked up to. I watched the actors that inspired me more and studied the quirks and styles they had in their acting. As this shift started to happen, a fine line was being made between doing what I was being told to do versus what my heart desired in those moments. The mental battles started arising. The thoughts of not wanting to disappoint my parents or following a career that is considered “not promising” or “unstable” began to wander in my mind day to day.
A year later, I graduated and started pursuing acting in Chicago. Mind you, I lived in the suburbs at the time so the drive to Chicago was an hour and 1/2 drive, 2-3 times a week. I took time studying my craft and booking student films and college industrials, but I decided I wanted to advance to the next level. I took the time to look at the pros and cons of staying in Chicago to pursue acting vs. going out of state. After debating what to do with my life and watching multiple actor/manager interviews, I woke up and decided I wanted to move to Atlanta (November 2022). Me and my partner flew out in January to look at apartments for the week with nothing but positive vibes, only to find out all the apartments we found would not work out for us. I was job hunting and called a few places of interest while in Atlanta. I even had two interviews scheduled on the same day WHILE we were apartment hunting. On our 2nd to last day, we were driving around and found the SPOT. After we went home to Illinois, I had an “oh shit… this is happening” moment. The next chapter of our lives was coming upon us a lot sooner than we thought it would. We rolled the dice, filled out our application, packed everything we could in our two cars, and left at the end of February. The hardest part of it was saying bye to our family and friends. In the back of my mind, I couldn’t help but think about the opinions of the people who matter most to us, expressing that we shouldn’t because if something happens, we are alone. But it didn’t surpass my excitement to discover what’s next for us.
The first month in, we had nothing but clothes, an air mattress, a TV, and a TV stand made of Amazon boxes. I transferred jobs from home to Atlanta (Olive Garden) and was making barely $80 a day working lunch shifts. I was very intentional about working early in the day because I didn’t want to miss acting classes or events taking place later in the day. Six months in Atlanta, I’ve booked my first feature film, two local commercials, got headshots, got an agent, met casting directors, and taken three classes. How? Simple. I was diligent and had the mentality to be better than yesterday. I budgeted, used my resources, wrote down my thoughts, met new people, listened to motivational speakers, and went to the gym. It’s funny thinking back. I was terrified to move away this far from my family and friends; I almost stayed because I was afraid of failing. I had mental battles of “what if” and “Plan B” but my partner helped me stay grounded and reassured me during moments of doubt, and I can’t thank her enough for it. My parents were not happy with the decision to move away, but they were supportive once we broke the news, and they are still giving us their moral support today! If there’s any advice I’d give to anyone wanting to take the leap of faith, 1) “Think big, trust yourself, and make it happen” and 2) “No risk, no story”.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely not. I had financial, mental, and emotional battles that I still deal with. Financially, I made a rookie move and spent quite a bit of money on anything acting-related. Because of that, I worked a lot to balance the output-input ratio. I had money saved up, but I was nervous that I’d somehow go broke. I always wanted to be prepared, so I always thought about the “what if” and “how can I…”. Nothing wrong with it; we all have those thoughts sometimes; but the amount of time those thoughts crossed my mind was mentally exhausting, and it was affecting my day-to-day life. I had full intentions that things were going to go my way when I came to Atlanta. I’m going to book left and right; I’m going to get with the best agent in Atlanta and make a lot of money. Nope. The SAG-Afrtra Writer and Actor strike started within two months of moving to Atlanta- Great timing 🙂. Things slowed down, and I was not booking at the time. I wasn’t fully aware of what was happening and why. I couldn’t help but think, “Is it me?”, “What if things don’t work out for me” and I criticized my every decision. This caused me to become very anxious, and I felt like I couldn’t trust myself. Over time, I learned that nothing in the business is personal if you’re accepted for a role or not. So keep pushing onto the next; what’s meant for me will come to me.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m an actor and aspiring stunt performer. I’m going to be a powerful actor who does his own stunts and fight scenes. Film and Theatre are my strong suits. I don’t know If I’m known for anything specific just yet besides the guy who works out a lot and loves Marvel. My most proud moment was my first out-of-state booking last year in 2022. I was flown out with a few other talented actors to Minute Maid Stadium in Houston for a 4-day theatre performance. I was the principal, had plenty of speaking parts, had VIP access to the Diamond Club, and free food and drinks. I felt badass. I even had my own monologue projected onto the MEGATRON at the MINUTE MAID STADIUM. It was an amazing experience. I feel what sets me apart is my positivity and drive/willingness to learn. I’ve always been told that I give off a very positive energy towards people and situations. I believe training your mind to see the good in any situation can shift your perspective on life.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
A migraine and a ½. I was very animated and hyperactive. I was the one who always got hurt doing something dumb but would always laugh and try again for the fun of it. I was a very kind and curious kid. I had a lot of friends growing up cause I always started conversations about god knows what, and it somehow worked out in the long run. I loved animals. I wanted to be a zoologist when I was a kid, so I watched a lot of Animal Planet and captured a lot of insects I’d find. I loved spiders, but I was terrified of ghats (nats)… Yes. I was very competitive growing up and still am. For example, my parents told me the only way I could get a dog was if I were to get straight A’s for a school year. I was in 4th grade, and one year later, we got a spunky boxer named Ali. I still rub it in their face today >:). I love superheroes and anime. I was that kid who woke up at 5:30 a.m. to watch all the banger shows that never came on later in the day. Teen Titans and Ben 10 were my FAVORITE shows to watch. Spiderman was and is my favorite Superhero. I loved running, baking, and cooking with my brothers, talking to people, and playing my upright bass. Oh yeah, I was an orca-dork growing up.
I love sports! I used to wrestle and run track throughout high school. Growing up, my family gave me two nicknames; it was either “Muscleman” or “Cups”. Cups is not what you think it is; it’s completely unrelated…
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/_tylertoney_?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@_tylertoney?_t=8fdJT3C4lEB&_r=1
Image Credits
-The photo with the green Background was taken by Tyler Core Located in Chicago -The shirtless boxing photo was taken by DeAndre at Slingshot Photography in Atlanta
