From stage fright to TV actor - A Charlotte native’s journey to small screen success
Tyler Barnhardt dug in his heels. The 8-year-old was not getting out of the car.
The Matthews Playhouse of the Performing Arts was having an audition for “A Christmas Carol,” and Barnhardt’s mom had thought he would enjoy being in a play.
Traumatized by the very idea of performing, Barnhardt had his mother turn the car around. As the car drove away, no one would have thought this scared young boy would turn into a network television actor.
Finding his passion
Four years later, at Mint Hill Middle School, Barnhardt found himself placed in Paula Baldwin’s drama class. Drama was not his elective of choice.
“But Mrs. Baldwin was a wonderful teacher who was able to capture my interest in acting,” Barnhard said. My friends and I auditioned for the spring musical, ‘Guys and Dolls,’ as a joke, and I got a callback. The rest is history.”
Throughout middle school and high school, he continued to participate in every play and musical possible. At Butler High School, Barnhardt was taught by Barbara Mager and Dana Alderman. Around his sophomore year, he began to have serious conversations with Mager about pursuing a degree in acting.
Honing his craft
Barnhardt attended UNC-Greensboro from 2011-2015, and got his BFA in acting.
“I absolutely love my university and only have good things to say about the program and staff,” he said. “I go back as often as I can because my younger brother and sister are currently studying there.”
A post shared by Tyler Barnhardt (@tyler_barnhardt) on Oct 3, 2017 at 1:56pm PDT
Barnhardt’s rapid rise in the acting industry goes beyond his performances on stage.
“One of the best parts about his success is that he’s genuinely a great person,” Barnhardt’s college professor Michael Flannery said. “He’s come back to school a few times since he graduated and been incredibly supportive of those kids that are following after him in the BFA Acting Program.”
During his summers, Barnhardt participated in Theatre Charlotte’s summer program. He was an acting intern for two years and directing intern for another year. He also had the opportunity to be in two shows at Triad Stage, a theatre that often features professional actors from New York.
His big break
Barnhardt’s “big break” came when he booked the teen lead, Michael Cleary, in ABC’s pilot “The Jury”. He was just a few months out of college and was excited to have the opportunity to audition for a show being produced by Carol Mendelsohn, of “CSI” fame. Ultimately, the pilot didn’t get picked up, but the experience led him to his first manager and a move to New York.
Since then, the 24-year-old Barnhardt has landed several substantial roles, but acting does come with its issues. For one show, there was a miscommunication about his horseback riding abilities. The problem: he had none.
Since there was no stuntman available for the shot, Barnhardt was taken into the parking lot and given a three-hour riding lesson.
“I came to work that day never having ridden a horse and by the end of the day I galloped away in the shot,” he said. “It was awesome.”
Barnhardt’s aspirations are pretty simple.
“I want to make great art,” he said. “I am very interested in film and TV right now, but theatre will always be a passion of mine, as well. Within the next five years, I hope to be a series regular on a major network show.”
You can watch Barnhardt on the Oct. 14 episode of “Scorpion”, airing at 10 p.m. on CBS. He also recently appeared on the Oct. 10 episode of “Bull” on CBS.
He can also be found on Instagram, @tyler_barnhardt, and Twitter, @tyler_barnhardt.
Photos: Tyler Barnhardt
This story was originally published October 11, 2017 at 12:00 AM with the headline "From stage fright to TV actor - A Charlotte native’s journey to small screen success."