Words by Carol Wright | Photos by Ryan West
We got to chat with Evan Daigle about his experience playing Toby in the TNT comedic drama, Claws.
When did you realize you wanted to be an actor?
I didn’t realize I wanted to be an actor as a career until I was 20. I have always been interested in the idea of acting, but I never really knew how to even begin trying to be a professional actor. When I was in my second year of college, I decided I would give in to my desire to try it and so I started taking acting classes at my school. I really loved it and eventually added a minor in theatre. I was also taking acting classes outside of college with an acting coach.
How did the opportunity to be in TNT’s Claws come about?
After about a year of studying acting, I decided I wanted to really go for it and try to make a career out of it. The school I was attending was in New Orleans. A lot of films and TV shows shoot in Louisiana and they cast the smaller parts locally. I did a 48-hour film contest film with a director who was signed to a local agent. He referred me to the agent and they signed me. After about a year of auditioning, I got the call to go in for a small part in Claws. I got a call back with the producers of the show and found out two weeks later that I had booked the role.
What drew you to the role of Toby?
When I auditioned for Toby, I was just starting out as an actor, so I was willing to take almost any job just to get my foot in the door. After I got the part, I really loved exploring gender variance and identity through Toby. I love characters that are unapologetically themselves which Toby definitely is.
Each season of Claws gets crazier and crazier. What has been your favorite episode to shoot so far?
My favorite episode to shoot so far has been the ninth episode of the third season. I got to do a lot of really crazy emotional scenes that were really challenging and really fun to do. Another fun one was the fourth episode in the first season. I got to do a water ballet scene that was super fun to shoot.
What has it been like working with Niecy Nash? Does she give you advice on set?
I really love working with Niecy Nash. She’s very similar to her character in the show in a sense that she is very maternal and a guiding energy on set. She’s so talented, and it was amazing having the chance to be directed by Niecy this season!
What advice do you have for aspiring actors?
If you’re serious about having a career in acting, if you don’t have any connections, I would suggest maybe to try and get into a training program with a reputation for getting their graduates signed to top agents and managers in Los Angeles or New York. That way, you get training and possible representation. A lot of these programs are pretty expensive and very difficult to get into though.
I’d say, don’t try to immediately jump into the industry in Hollywood or New York if you don’t already have representation lined up. It’s just so insanely competitive. A better idea is to start in a sub-market as I did. New Orleans, Atlanta, Chicago, and Vancouver are all film production hubs. They have local agencies that are probably like 600 times easier to get signed to as a new actor than the top agencies in New York and Los Angeles. You can build a resume and get on set experience playing mostly co-star and under-five roles. I got a co-star role that turned into a recurring role that turned into a series regular role that has now launched my career in Los Angeles, but it all started with getting cast as a local hire.
A lot of actors I know have built up their resumes and demo reels in sub-markets and have an easier time pitching themselves to agents and managers in Los Angeles and New York. Some of them have gone on to get signed to great agencies and book awesome recurring and series regular roles. I even know a young actress who started in Louisiana a few years ago that’s gone on to become a huge star.
My number one piece of advice though would be to get as good at the actual craft of acting as you can. I’m a huge believer in training in between projects. Especially if you’re still an aspiring actor and you don’t have consistent work yet. Acting class is a total necessity in my opinion. I think it can take someone who has talent and make them even better! There are no limits to how good you can get at art, so I say never stop trying to be better and better.