Exclusive Interview: Tyler DiChiara Talks Relish, Gotham Knights, Trans Representation, and More

Tyler DiChiara has emerged as one of Hollywood’s brightest young stars. He’s bringing much-needed representation onto the screen with breakout roles in projects including Relish and The Virgin of Highland Park, making audiences and fans feel seen. He’ll next be seen in the highly-anticipated CW series, Gotham Knights. Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Tyler about his thriving career, Relish, and Gotham Knights.

PC: How did you discover your passion for the arts and storytelling?
Tyler: I didn’t start acting until I was sixteen or seventeen because when I was younger I never saw anyone portray a trans man or woman—until I saw Laverne Cox in Orange Is the New Black. She is such an inspiration to me. As I saw more people like me starting to come into the spotlight, I was like, “Oh wow. Maybe I can do it.” It’s such an amazing feeling to see people like you and your community represented on screen. It gives you the confidence to say, “Let’s try it.”

So when I was in high school, my friend put on a low-budget school production. We got people to come see it. That low-budget play sparked my love for it because I found a confidence in myself that day that I never knew I had. I became the character.

I was like, “What is happening to me right now?” This was a new path that I never thought I could ever go down. When the show was over, I was genuinely depressed. I was like, “I want to do more. I want more shows. This is so much fun for me.” Right after that, I got a message on Instagram to audition for Relish. I was like, “This is the universe throwing me many hints.”

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Tyler: Definitely that performance, but also Relish, which was the first independent film that I had ever done. I hadn’t been on film until that point. I went from theater to film. It was a whole 180 that I had to do. I took my time with coaches Dennis LaValle and Justin Ward (who also directed the film). He sat with me and was like, “This is what film acting is like. It’s more subtle: X, Y, and Z.” He really worked with me.

Thankfully, he saw something in me and so did his partner Laura Ward and Mateus (their son) because they’re a family team. They all saw something in me that I genuinely hadn’t yet. Relish was definitely a turning point for my whole career. Not only did those scenes portray things from my own life that were very real, but I was also able to show the public that this is what a majority of us trans folks go through. It’s not like we’re trying to hurt anyone. We’re just trying to stay safe and be ourselves.

To have someone portray us not as victims, I was so proud to be part of something like that. A lot of the time, trans folks are portrayed as victims who are weak and not able to stand up for themselves. But that’s all we did in history was stand up for ourselves and fight like hell to be who we are.

PC: Each of the characters is on their own journey. How did you create the space for yourself as an actor to dive into your character’s story arc?
Tyler: It was really easy to become that character because it’s me on paper. I just had to tweak him a bit because I did have my family’s support. But for this character, he’s very alone. He was shunned. He was put in a home because they thought he was mentally ill when in reality he’s not. He’s just a human being who is trying to be himself, but his parents couldn’t see that. Having to go from my mom who loves me so much and would do anything for me to playing a character whose parents threw him away like garbage was definitely a big 180 to try to portray emotionally.

That was something that I struggled with because I had my mom with me on set. But I was saying things like, “Screw my parents.” It was a test. As an actor, you need to go to those emotional points to get the story across. I wanted the audience to feel the pain that Kai was going through.

That’s what I want for the new character I’m playing: Cullen Row from Gotham Knights. It’s similar because Cullen was shunned by an abusive father along with Harper. They have to live by themselves as little thieves. It’s not their fault. They had an abusive father. I’ll always look back to Kai because he was my first ever character. I like to bring a bit of my previous characters to my future ones because they’re aligned. It also helps me as an actor get ready for a role. If I see similarities to past characters, I’ll bring a little spice from the past to the future.

Becoming the character is definitely one of the harder parts for me because I have to go to dark places to get the story across. But that’s what I want to do. I want the audience to feel what he’s feeling. I don’t want to just be a character actor and play myself all the time. I want to play Kai. I want to play Cullen. That’s my goal as an actor and what I continue to strive for.

PC: Relish was incredibly well received. What has that response meant to you? What do you think has resonated most with audiences?
Tyler: The response was beautiful. I got so many DMs from trans kids like me around the world. They were like, “I really connected with Kai so much. It was the most beautiful film that I’ve seen in a while.” I’m tearing up, but it’s true. They connected with a character that they hadn’t connected with before because it’s always cis men and women. You never see it.

I love the fact that there are more trans, especially Black trans women, out there in the spotlight. We need that. I’m so happy that trans men are also coming into the spotlight. I feel like we all deserve our stories to be told. It’s also educational for so many people out there who don’t understand it, especially for parents who have trans kids.

I’m so thankful that my mom was there for me. But I’ve heard so many stories after Relish came out about kids being kicked out or shunned. They’re literally homeless. They have nowhere to go. I was literally just a person in a film. That’s when I felt so helpless. All I could do was be in a film like this for us. I wish I could house them and fix all the problems. But I’m so happy that maybe families will see this and understand what they’re going through.

That’s always the goal for films. It’s that representation. We want people to relate to our problems and not judge us because they don’t understand. This is where you can finally understand us, so please watch it. I’ve had people reach out and tell me how they finally understood how much pain their child was going through. I felt less helpless at that moment. I was like, “A lot of good came out from this.” I hope the film leaves a big imprint on the world.

PC: You’re going to star in Gotham Knights. Is there anything you can tease about the series?
Tyler: All I can say is Kai and Cullen really do connect in terms of their abusive backgrounds and with trying to come into their own bodies and be strong-minded individuals. In the comic books, he’s very victimized. I loved that they changed certain characteristics for the series. He’s less of a pushover. I don’t see him that way.

The members of the LGBTQ+ community aren’t pushovers. You can’t push us around. You can’t. I’m glad they gave Cullen a backbone and thick skin. I’m excited to see where his story will go. Even just in the pilot, Cullen is tested. But Gotham is full of tests. I’m excited to see his progression and see where he goes.

PC: When you’re playing a character with such a rich history that exists in another medium, does that change your preparation? Is there an added pressure just given how beloved that whole franchise is?
Tyler: It’s very intimidating. I’m a huge nerd. I play video games. I’m a big DC and Marvel fan. I’m so honored that I’m now a part of the DC Universe. My little nerd brain can’t sit and just think about it. It’s definitely challenging because you have a fanbase looking at you. But this character is kind of buried in the DC Universe. I didn’t know about this part of the multiverse until I got the audition. I had to do my research. I fell in love with the whole universe, the characters, and everything.

I hope that I portray Cullen as the man that I know he’s supposed to be. I want Cullen to be the strong trans man that I know he is, especially when you’re in Gotham. You need to be strong. You need to have a backbone to you. There’s danger at every corner. I have a lot of work in terms of bringing Cullen to life on the screen, but I’m confident I’ll bring the justice to this character that he deserves.

PC: How did you celebrate landing the role?
Tyler: It was quick and so crazy. I used to work as a waiter at California Pizza Kitchen. I was balancing that and auditioning. I came home from a morning shift. I was trying to relax, and then I got a call from my agent, my manager, and the whole team. I was hoping it was good news, but I also knew that they would sympathize if it wasn’t. They called and were like, “Where do you work right now?” I was like, “I’m a waiter at CPK.” They were like, “Do you like it?” I was like, “It pays the bills.” They were like, “That’s great. You can quit because you got the part!”

I broke down in tears. I had just got off a really hard shift being a waiter during COVID. I love the company, but being a waiter to certain customers can be hard. Customer service is difficult. I give all props to anyone in the customer service industry. To hear that I could finally work on something that I genuinely love doing and be compensated for it, it’s what you dream of. I’m so honored to be a part of Gotham Knights.

To keep up with Tyler, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Watch Relish wherever you stream movies.

Photo Credit: Brad Everett Young