Today we’d like to introduce you to Tyler Buckingham.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Tyler. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Growing up, my life revolved around playing sports. It’s all I (thought) I wanted to do. Then my freshman year of college happened and my whole world was flipped upside down. I suffered a very serious injury that ultimately ended my playing career and I no longer knew what I wanted to do with my life. But I was given a choice to take a theatre class. Would I choose ‘Theatre 101’ or ‘Stage Combat’ … Yeah, I chose the combat one! And my entire life changed in what now seems like a flash. I left my home state of Michigan to travel around the country learning how to knife fight, crack whips, throw hatchets, and sling swords and all of it was amazing!
After a summer of learning how to fight, I went to a 2-year Professional Actor Training Program where I studied Acting, Improvisation, Voice & Speech, Movement, and Production. And it was at this program where I was encouraged to pursue an acting career in Atlanta, GA, now that so much work was headed to the southeast. I was more than eager to test the waters and see what could happen and…
I have been here for over four years now and could not be more pleased with the way my journey has changed from where I thought I wanted to go. I have acted and done stunts on ‘The Walking Dead’ and ‘The Vampire Diaries’. I recently booked a recurring character on a new DC Comics show. I write, direct, and produce my own content. I won a ‘Best Leading Actor in a Play’ award this past August. I have been a part of so many wonderful independent projects created by local Atlantans: ‘Pageant Material’, ‘Americana’, ‘Three Ladies of Orpington’, ‘Burnt Offering’, and so many more. It’s projects like these that make Atlanta feel like home and I want to create and be a part of solidifying Atlanta as a place for artists to not only build their careers but to make a living here.
Has it been a smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road at all. When I started out, I was a stand-in on a TV show, but no one really took me seriously. 2017 and 2018 were extremely tough for me in the acting world, but they ended up being the greatest thing for me creatively. Without going too far down the rabbit hole of “woe is me and my acting career”, a lot of opportunities fell through the cracks, jobs were in my hands that seemed to just disappear, and I was even asked to compromise my integrity for a role. Eventually, the straw broke the camels back so to speak and I was fed up. I was tired of getting so close and never being chosen. Continually being told ‘no’ or not being told anything at all. And even when you get the job, you still have to audition for the next one.
So, I let all of that frustration light a fire under me and I started to create my own projects. I began writing like crazy and poured out project after project (typically one-off shorts, TV pilots, web series, or featurettes) and then decided to invest in myself and direct several projects, and each time I do it, I get better (at least that’s what I think is happening!). But financially that is extremely tough, especially when work is slow.
Ultimately, there are many obstacles in your path, the goal is to not let yourself become one.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I’m an actor, stuntman, writer, director, and producer.
What I’m most proud of is the team around me that I can go to and be an actor, or the stuntman, or bring them on board for a project that I’ve written and want to direct. The community that I’ve fallen into is filled with some of the greatest people I’ve ever had the honor of knowing and I cannot wait to create more with them!
The thing I appreciate most about myself is my desire to learn. I don’t know the most about a lot of things, but I’m always excited to learn something new and make myself a more-developed person and artist.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love the amount of opportunity that the city has to offer and the plethora of good people that I encounter on a daily bases.
Let’s be honest, has anyone said anything other than “traffic” for what they like the least? Haha!
Contact Info:
- Email: buckingham1t@gmail.com
- Instagram: _tbuckingham
- Other: www.imdb.me/tylerbuckingham
Image Credit:
Kurt Yue, Michael Shirley, Cathy Seith, Rachel Lamb
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