Sometimes an actor pops up on my radar almost by accident (but of course, I don’t believe in luck and coincidences), and I am pleased to present an actor who is still relatively new to me but may be about to explode on the film and TV scene. Rhys Wyn Trenhaile is a Toronto actor who will be seen tonight in the premiere of Love Alaska (October 26th) on  both UP and Super Channel Heart & Home. In anticipation of this premiere, I am thrilled to introduce Rhys to my readers today! And heads up, Hallmark Fans, you’ve probably seen him in a favorite Hallmark movie!!

RH: It is so nice to chat with you today, Rhys. Thank you for making the time.

RWT: My pleasure, Ruth. Thank you for reaching out.

I was trying to figure out exactly how we got connected, and all I can figure is that someone tagged you on Instagram because they were in a movie or show with you, and then I noticed all these other projects you had coming up, including tonight’s premiere on UP, Love Alaska.

Well, I got active on Instagram around six months ago because it’s become a necessity now in this business. I’m doing my best to boost my engagement level with the fans, so I’m glad you found me.

Photo by JB Photography

That’s great, Rhys. As I looked through your credits, I don’t know if I saw the episode of Dark Matter you were in. I watched a lot of the show, but that was season three, and I missed a few of those episodes. 

Well, I was there for four days of work, and unfortunately, due to time restraints, most of it ended up on the cutting room floor. I was playing a starship commander.

I also know you were in a Hallmark movie, Very, Very Valentine. I know that movie quite well. But could you remind me of your character?

Sure. My character’s name was Peter, and I was Danica McKellar’s mistaken love interest.

Of course! I remember you now!

With that movie, I have a huge regret. The day that we were shooting together, I was with Danica McKellar and Cameron Mathison. So Cameron attended McGill University. He’s an engineering graduate. Danica is a math and science graduate. I have a double major in science/biology and geography. More than likely, you will never ever again get three actors on set that are all STEM grads. I didn’t do enough research up front to realize that they were both science grads. I think we all three would have gotten a big kick out of that had we known it.

Well, that just means that Hallmark should have a sequel to the movie and bring all three of you back together. You could be the secondary character, and they could find a love interest for you. 

{laughs} I would be all for that, Ruth.

Peter
Very, Very Valentine

Oh, so would I! I bet the fans would be for it too. And speaking of that movie, it’s still a very well-loved movie. Those two were amazing together on-screen, and I know the fans would love to see a sequel to Very, Very Valentine. 

I think it sounds like a great idea, and if Hallmark does it and wants to bring me back, I’m ready.

Now, you have another premiere coming up on UP today here in the States. 

Yes, Love Alaska premieres on UP on October 26th. And it also premieres here in Canada on Super Channel Heart & Home on the same day.

That’s great news! That doesn’t always happen.

I hope that both the U.S. and Canada will tune in tonight.

So you mentioned that you have this double major in science. So how did acting come about for you?

That’s a weird story. After my undergrad work, I was still one of Canada’s top middle-distance runners. The American term would be…I was a “miler.” But in Canada, of course, we don’t use miles for measurement.  I was really fast, and I needed a fifth year on the track team to get five years of eligibility. So I ended up in law school to stay in school. I became a lawyer, but I never went into practice. Instead, I ended up getting into real estate sales and development.

Although it turned out to be erroneous thinking, I thought real estate was going to be lacking in mental challenges. So without telling anyone, I began quietly writing. I was writing down ideas and all sorts of daydreams on little scraps of paper. I literally did that for about a year and a half without telling anybody. I figured out a story I could write from that. For whatever reason, I tend to dream and think in terms of movies and TV scenes. My stories are not book-related or play-related at all. So to make a very long story short, after many revisions, I ended up submitting it to one of the largest screenplay competitions, and I scored really high. It was a soccer sports comedy, which is something that would not normally do well in a screenplay competition. I thanked everyone for all the feedback and critique. I said how this was my first screenplay and I how I really appreciated everything everyone had said. This was all done through email. So the guy that critiqued my screenplay replied and carbon-copied all the other judges and organizers of the competition and said, “On behalf of all of us, you’d better keep writing if this is truly your first script ever.”

After all that, I was like, “Wow, how do I market all this?” That’s the business guy in me. I had an acting friend up in Toronto, and he said that I needed to get into acting. In fact, his words were, “Dog, you need to get into acting. You have straight teeth.” And this would give me a chance to be around the producers and directors that might want to buy my scripts. All of that made sense to me, but I probably wouldn’t have acted on it (pardon the pun), but that very week, one of my best friends confided in me that he had always wanted to be an actor. So the same week that my actor friend in Toronto tells me out of the blue to get into acting, one of my other friends is confiding in me that he always wanted to be an actor. I mean, what are the chances of that happening just that way?

I was living in Windsor, Ontario at the time, which is right on the border of Detroit, Michigan. We looked up what the best acting schools were in Detroit. We ended up at the Actor’s Workshop in Detroit, and my friend, who I was mostly doing this for, lasted one class and disappeared. So they were asking me if I was coming back and I couldn’t find my friend! I was like, “I was doing this for him, and now what do I do?”

Thankfully, I had learned the discipline as an athlete that told me that if I was on the fence about anything like this, the best thing to do was to go ahead and do it. I think without that background, the whole thing would have died right there. But I went back and got sucked into the whole acting thing. I became a part of the Detroit acting scene. I was doing plays in the theater district in downtown Detroit, and that led me to look into acting in television and film. Now, because I was a Canadian citizen, I had to look to Toronto. So that meant I started going up to Toronto all the time. I would literally drive for hours in one direction to do a two-minute audition, and I would drive for hours back. I started getting gigs. Non-union gigs led to union gigs. It’s been a slog, but it’s been a lot of fun, and it’s so worth it.

You know, Rhys, I think this one is going to come up as one the most unique stories I’ve ever heard about how someone got into acting. I mean, I hear a lot of unusual stories, but this one takes the cake.

{laughs} I’m non-traditional, that’s for sure.

And I think that’s great. I know some go the traditional route, and it works for them. I’m a bit of a non-traditionalist myself, so I  fully get this story and I think it’s great.

I think part of it is I have wanderlust. I’m curious about life in general. And acting is just so different from business. I’m totally the black sheep of the family. Everybody else is a schoolteacher, an engineer, or a professor. And I here I go and get into sales and the arts. So go figure.

You were a part of Designated Survivor, weren’t you?

Yes, I had a recurring role on the show for a short while in the first season.

Then I definitely would have seen you because my mom and I loved the show. We got into it, and we never missed it. 

Designated Survivor

I was only supposed to be a day player and be on only one episode. If I can give any advice to actors just starting out…when you’re a supporting actor, take the word “supporting” very seriously. You’re there to support the stars. That means you’re supposed to make the stars look good. Without boring you with specific details, Kiefer {Sutherland} picked up on the fact that I was quite good at this sort of technical side of acting. He’s the guy that wanted me back. And that’s how it became a recurring role. I had heard that he was very supportive of fellow Canadians and always tries to bring a couple of them into his productions when he can. And I think I got to experience that a little bit. He’s a great guy.

You know, I’ve heard that from others who have worked with him. I’ve also heard that he’s quite collaborative. 

Yes, he was very good to work with. After that experience, there have been other sets I’ve been on where it was a huge letdown. I think I sometimes go to other sets expecting the same kind of thing to happen that happened on Designated Survivor. And it doesn’t always happen that way.

Well, hopefully, most of the experiences you’ve had on set are positive. But I know that sometimes things happen and that’s just the way it is. But I’m hoping your Hallmark experience was exceptional.

Oh, I was treated very well on Very, Very Valentine. I knew a lot of people on set already. In fact, Cameron was a bit confused. {laughs} He kept asking how I knew everybody, and I explained how I’m a producer as well. There were a lot of people there on set that I had hired for other projects. And the First AD on that set is also my first AD on the projects I do. I also got to know the director quite well during that time. I knew a lot of the gaffers and electricians since I had hired them for other productions. And really, the Toronto scene is small enough that if you walk onto any set, there’s already a lot of people you probably know. Whether you’ve hired them or worked with them as an actor, it’s fun. You get to see old friends, and you get to make new friends, and you get to work together to make a story. I like getting comfortable with people. I don’t try to force any kind of friendship or anything like that, but I come from team sports. So I like the team camaraderie. I think it creates a better project when everybody is happy and fired up and working towards a common goal.

I always like to hear that. I mean, I would like to think Hallmark is always like that and that most sets are. But it’s nice to have it confirmed that things went well for you on the Hallmark set.

Absolutely. There are sets I’ve been on that everybody was miserable, and the show only lasted one season.

Yep, I’ve definitely heard those kinds of stories. 

Something you really can’t overcome very easily is crappy screenplays. If your project happens to have bad writing, it doesn’t matter how happy and jovial and professional everybody is inside. It’s not gonna turn out well in most cases.

Now, I am not familiar with your movie A Perfect Romance. 

That is a Netflix movie.

soccer buddy reunion

I tell you, it is one I should have seen, but I haven’t yet.

You know, when it was released back in 2018, I was told it was one of Netflix’s top twenty movies for its first month of release.

Oh, I have no doubt. Netflix has been releasing these rom-coms and they’re doing very well. When they have a strong cast and writing, the ratings are always off the charts. 

It’s amazing. Of anything I’ve done…you would think it would be Designated Survivor or another sort of big-time movie that I’ve done that would create the most buzz and the most feedback. But the most buzz and feedback I got was on My Perfect Romance. I had friends overseas sending me clips dubbed in Spanish, Italian, and even one in a Scandinavian language. It was hilarious! These are all soccer friends, and who would think they would be the ones watching? It’s so funny the reaction to romantic comedy because when you’re shooting it, it’s formulaic. It’s of a certain budget. But man oh man, do they travel well!

Sometimes I am not as tuned in to what is coming out on Netflix. I am trying to do better, but I still miss a lot. I’m usually caught up on what’s been on Hallmark because that’s where my focus is. I can imagine that when some of my friends find out that I haven’t seen My Perfect Romance, they’re probably going to be shocked and say, “What’s wrong with you? Where have you been?” {laughs}

with Jodie

Well, you can’t see them all. But it was a great set to work on. I’ve worked with that production company a couple of times now. I’ve also kept in touch with a lot of people from that movie. Jodie Sweetin was a lot of fun to work with. I didn’t realize what a cult following she had! She is amazing! I had people falling over themselves about the fact I worked with her. She shares a lot in common with my wife, so we had a lot to talk about.

Now, I can tell you that I will definitely be watching Love Alaska. My DVR is set, and I wouldn’t miss this one. I have been supportive of Victor Zinck Jr, and with this being his first lead role, I have been very excited about this movie for a long time. And now you are a part of it too, so I’m even more excited to watch.

That’s great, Ruth. I play Dwight in this Love Alaska. I think I’m considered one of the supporting leads. Dwight owns the cafe where a lot of the story happens. He also gets married in his own cafe, which I guess is an Alaskan thing to do! {laughs} And I have to say it was really funny how art imitates life. I actually got married three weeks after we shot that movie. So I’m playing a guy who gets married, and then three weeks later, I got married in real life.

Where did you guys shoot this film?

We shot it in a small town outside of Barrie, Ontario.

That’s great. So you’re playing a character that gets married, which means that you aren’t playing “the other guy” or the guy that doesn’t get the girl.

That’s right. I had my only little happiness going on as the character. I think the idea is that our happiness becomes the inspiration for the eventual happiness between the two lead characters.

And since this movie is based on a book, I find that those movies are often better than those that are completely original stories. 

Yeah, I absolutely agree with you. Somebody else has already done the work of creating the character and the story arc. It tends to be a lot easier for a screenplay writer to convert that book into a three-act story arc that’s gonna run for about ninety minutes. That’s way easier than creating from scratch.

Well, I’m anticipating the movie greatly, and I’m sure many Hallmark fans will hop on over and watch it too. Victor is well-liked in the Hallmark world. 

You know, it’s really funny that when I work with an actor like Victor–and Victor and I have kept in touch–but it’s funny how it works because you discover you have mutual friends. And it can be very random at times. Victor and I have a very random mutual friend. So even though he’s half a continent away out in Vancouver, we have that connection. Once you’re in this business, you realize just how small a world it is. For anything getting shot in Canada, it’s the same circle of maybe five hundred actors of various ages, creeds, colors, etc. There’s not too too many of us.

So I understand you’re still a realtor.

Yeah, I’ve got a team of seven real estate agents, and they do the heavy lifting. For me, it’s sort of in between the filmmaking  and television gigs. If you are familiar with the A-list actor Jeremy Renner…much like him. In between his acting gigs, he was doing a lot of real estate turnaround projects. He would buy properties, fix them up, and resell them. And those projects got bigger and bigger. And you’ll find that I do a lot of that stuff between my acting gigs too.

Personally, I think that’s a smart thing to do. In acting, you never know when your next job is going to come along. 

Yes, that’s so true. And you’re constantly vying to be an A-lister. You’re trying to be the leading man. At least I am. And that means there’s going to be gaps in between roles. Are you going to fill those gaps with something small? I mean, it’s you’re life and you’re totally entitled to do that. But I think there have been more than enough role models for me to follow in this business.  I’m not reinventing the wheel. Lots of actors have other jobs to bridge the gaps in between jobs.

And I would think that by being a realtor, you would have more flexibility than if you were a waiter or bartender.

Sure, and it’s been a very successful venture for me. I’m very proud of what I’ve done with that, and it allows me to really enjoy the art of performing because I don’t have pressure on me to put bread on the table all the time from my acting career. I’ve had a lot of top people in Toronto film and television who have given me strong words of encouragement to keep doing it the way I’ve been doing it. I feel like I’ve got a good approach to the industry. Love it. Do it. Pour your heart and your soul into it. But I’ve been told to keep doing what I’m doing until the paychecks match my passion. Plus there are tons of examples of people in acting who have poured all their profits into real estate. In fact, there are all sorts of examples of actors who have gotten into other businesses very quietly because they don’t want it to affect their brand. Whereas for me, I’m proud to call my real estate part of my brand.

This is all just awesome, Rhys, and I thank you so much for your time. I can hardly wait to see the movie tonight!

My pleasure, Ruth. I hope everyone does tune in tonight and I hope to hear from a lot of people about what they thought of Love Alaska.

Rhys is easily distinguished as a pleasant, charming anomaly in the world of film and TV, and I am very grateful that he not only took the time to chat with me, but he was extremely understanding when I completely missed our scheduled interview due to my mom’s surgery. I regularly watch pretty closely how those in this business respond to real-life situations, and when I witness unreserved grace and heartfelt sympathy, that is when I discern that I have uncovered not only an industry professional with undeniable talent, but I have found a person of upstanding character who is not arrogant, rude, nor egotistical. When a person actually cares about his/her fellow human being, then I know I have found an actor behind whom I can throw all my uninhibited support. Of course, the fact that Rhys is a savvy businessman, an unapologetic unconventionalist, and one who has unearthed his own “Hallmark” love story in real life only makes him more euphorically engaging and absolutely relatable. 

I hope that everyone makes a point to watch Love Alaska tonight (premiering October 26th concurrently on UP and Super Channel Heart & Home) and watches for Rhys, the young man whom I believe is about to make a giant splash in the film and television world. Additionally, make sure that you follow him now so that once he earns that coveted title “A-lister,” you can say, “I followed him BEFORE he was famous!” While I have no idea of the actual trajectory of Rhys’ career, there is one thing of which I am one hundred percent persuaded. As long as he remains humble, kind and personable while challenging the status quo and honing his skills, I doubt anything can stop him on the way to his ultimate dreams, and I greatly anticipate watching his star steadily climb towards every vision and desire within his heart and mind.

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