Rhys Wyn Trenhaile Using Romance, Action, Drama, and Sci-Fi to His Benefit and Our Entertianment: Rhys Wyn Trenhaile
Playing with and against type. Yes, that’s a dichotomy but in the film and television world it’s also a certainty. Canadian Rhys Why Trenhaile is not hard to look at. His years as a track and field athlete simultaneously taught him determination and discipline while crafting his corporal form into a vessel that is decidedly quite appealing. While his physical appearance attracts attention, Trenhaile prefers to use it as one of the many tools in his successful acting career. You’ve likely seen him in major network series like NBC’s Taken, ABC’s Designated Survivor, and films on TV and in the theater. In the entertainment world, looks might get you in the door but they most certainly do not keep you in the room. We asked Rhys to give us some insight about his experiences in the industry, specifically in the unexpected arena of Romantic Comedies. You might not expect an actor with such success in action and drama roles to pursue the Rom Com genre, which is exactly the kind of curve ball Rhys celebrates. For actors like Trenhaile, “type” is something which refers to their ability to become everyone.
This Canadian will concede that looks can be a part of one’s career but also notes that it’s not always in the way you’d expect. He remarks, “There’s really only two types of actors you’ll see over and over again; psychically attractive or someone who has a unique look like Steve Buschemi or Benedict Cumberbatch. Unique is just as strong as what society might consider pleasing at the moment.” While it seems that most of society is fixated on the validation of others that they are attractive, this actor’s perspective seems a pleasant deviation from the status quo. It’s likely a byproduct of actors seeking the experience and truth rather than placating one’s ego. Rhys continues, “Yes, in romantic comedies, you get a lot of the ‘prettier’ people but I honestly never think about it. I’m focused on the performance and the task at hand. I ran track and field at a high level for years, and there was no shortage of attractiveness there either but you’re focused on the race rather than the eye candy.”
The past two to three years have seen Trenhaile appearing in a successive list of major network series (the aforementioned productions as well as Sci-Fi network’s fan favorite Dark Matter) balanced by dramatic roles in films like The Performance. When he received a call about auditioning for the Rom Com movie Very, Very, Valentine (Hallmark Channel), it was a welcome chance to exhibit yet another color in his palette. Rhys plays Peter in the film; a man mistaken by a Helen (played by Danica McKellar of the Wonder Years) for her love interest Henry (Damon Runyon of Star Trek: Discovery, Degrassi: The Next Generation). Helen seems to be surrounded by dashing men, including her best friend Henry (Daytime Emmy Award Nominee Cameron Mathison) as she searches for true love.
Trenhaile’s character is what you might expect of a standard New York City businessmen in a professional fog about his career. Portraying such a person can often be more demanding than their appearance suggests. Rhys reveals, “The main thing about Peter is that he’s always in such a rush. While it’s easy to say that, it’s not so simple to display that in a believable manner. You had to give that rush great purpose to make it look believable to the audience. They should feel that not only was I actually being chased [by Helen] but that I was truly difficult to catch up to. By the time you reach the fifth or sixth take of a scene in which you are supposed to appear surprised…well, it becomes more difficult to honestly appear that way. If you don’t sell it then it’s going to be stale and the audience is too smart to buy into that.”
What is for certain is that The performance which Rhys Wyn Trenhaile, Danica McKellar, Cameron Mathison, Damon Runyan, and the whole star studded cast provides is magnetic and heartwarming. There’s a lot of talent behind the scenes as well, including Gemini award winning director and multiple CableACE nominee Dan McBrearty. Very, Very, Valentine is a modern day fairytale; that’s something we could use a lot more of in these times. Thanks to Netflix and Amazon Prime, you can experience it right now.
Author: Kelly King
