Tristan D. Lalla is a multi-award-winning actor, born and raised in Montreal. He caught the acting bug at the young age of six, inspired after seeing a black actor performing in a play. He attended Dawson College, graduating with honors from the Professional Theatre department. Tristan can be seen as Damien Sanders in the new medical drama series ‘Nurses’ premiering this month on Global. The show follows five young nurses working on the frontlines of a busy downtown Toronto hospital, dedicating their lives to helping others, while struggling to help themselves. We had the pleasure of speaking to Tristan about the role and his career to date.
Hi, Tristan! Thank you for granting the interview. Congratulations on your career to date. How did you get into acting?
I’ve always known that I wanted to be an actor. I come from a family of talented musicians and performers, so intrinsically I caught the bug. I went to theatre school for three years and upon graduating (with honors) I landed my fir set of gigs.
You currently star as Damien Sanders in the new medical drama ‘ Nurses’. Please tell us more about your role and what audiences should expect?
My character Damien is a hard-ass, but he’s full of love. I’m the head charge nurse at St. Mary’s Hospital where I take care of who will be on what station, and lots of charting. During season one Damien has a connection with each of the five rookies. Think of him as having the military rigidity of Gordon Ramsay mixed with the tough love of Iyanla Vanzant.
Your big break came when you were cast as Manny in the dance drama feature How She Move. (MTV FILMS). You worked alongside Clé Bennett and Keyshia Cole and the film was screened at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival? Please recall your experience working on this project
How She Move will always have such a special place in my heart. It was this hugely ambitious dramatic movie, with 14 dance sequences, choreographed by Hi-Hat (Missy Elliott’s choreographer!) and it was starring a whole bunch of us young actors who were now starting at the time. Many bonds made on that film last to this day! Rutina Wesley’s career took off from that (she went on to True Blood, Queen Sugar), as did Dwain Murphy who is one of my close friends.
You appeared in several popular programs including RED 2 (Summit Entertainment), Quantico (ABC), 21 Thunder (CBC), 19-2 (Bravo), Bad Blood (CITY), The Moodys (CBS), Long Shot (Lionsgate) and The Art of More (Sony). Which have been your most enjoyable roles to date and why?
I loved shooting Long Shot (alongside Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron)! Every single day was filled with laughter, and I got to travel to Colombia. Each project has some golden memories, to be honest.
You have lent your voice to over 45 video game productions including playing Adewale, the first black male lead character in the Assassin’s Creed franchise. Congratulations on receiving a Canadian Videogame Award nomination as well as an ACTRA Award for your efforts! How does voice acting differ from other projects you’ve worked on?
I like to think that “good acting” is good acting. Working in a motion capture suit for video games feels more like doing live theatre in the playing of it, but once you’re sitting with a game controller in your hands watch the screen, it’s a lot more like watching the coolest film. It all kind of goes together.
Are there any actors, directors, and producers you’d be overjoyed to work with?
I would love to collaborate with Ava Duvernay, Will Smith, Laurence Fishburne, Oprah Winfrey, Kid Fury & Crissle from The Read, Fran Dustin & Assante from The Friend Zone podcast.
What advice would you give budding young actors, looking to be successful in film and television?
Love what you do and trust your path. Lots of emerging actors start out looking for fame instead of taking the time to hone their craft. Know that the career of being an actor isn’t just getting jobs. A job will end, but a career can be for life. Go see live theatre, watch movies and TV, and study what new exciting work is being created. Spielberg isn’t going to just pick up the phone and come looking for you one day. You’ve got to be a creator. Put your thoughts in actual action and manifest the career that you dream of.
Away from acting, you paint and sing. Are you currently working on anything else you’d like to share?
I’m currently in the early stages of development for a television show and a podcast.
So where can we keep up to date with your activities?
@tdlalla on all social platforms, or tristandlalla.com
Photographs courtesy of Tristan D. Lalla & Project Four
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