Introducing Tucker Des Lauriers; A Creative Model/Actor Making Positive Contributions Within The Industry

In this highlight we turn our attention to Actor/Model/Filmmaker Tucker Des Lauriers. I asked Tucker a series of questions, here is what we discussed;

Tell us a little about yourself, where your from, grew up, what H.S./College you attended etc.

My name is Tucker Des Lauriers and I was born and raised in Franklin MA where I lived with my mom, dad and two older brothers. I went to Franklin High School and was a big sports guy, I played football and wrestled and captained both the teams. I was later recruited to Hofstra Universiry for wrestling, but suffered a broken hand, collar bone and a torn ulna collateral ligament in my left arm, my senior year from football games and a wrestling match. So I decided to not wrestle so I could focus on my studies in Television and Film production, while still modeling and acting.

What inspired you to be get into the industry? Early experiences worth sharing?

It kinda just fell into my lap. My dad always took pictures of my brothers and I growing up. Every Father’s Day my mom would take all my dads pictures from the year and make a giant collage and frame it and hang it up in our house. So having my picture taken and out on display was something I was super used to. After my parents split up, we went on a vacation to P-Town, where we had been before, and I was obsessed with this candy store there (I still am). I begged my dad and brothers to go to the candy store and when I walked out I was approached by Bruce Weber’s scouts for Abercrombie. They took some pictures of me and my brother Eric, a few months later Bruce and his entire team were in my house setting up shop to shootus for Kids Wear International. We got a 28 page spread. This is one of the largest publications for kids fashion in the world. It was crazy! A few months later I asked my dad if that was a real job, we went to some agency’s in boston, I signed with Dynasty Models with Gin and Joe, and the rest is history! Started booking jobs with them then came to nyc and have been working ever since as a model.

Talk about a time where you have faced adversity/conflict and have triumphed.

There’s one time I will always remember that actually has to do with me being discovered. I wasn’t raised very religious, but my mom and dad were. So I grew up believing in karma and the energies of the universe etc… So when my parents split up in 2006, it was because my dad came out as gay. This was a really really hard time for us because it was before it was as openly talked about as it is now. I didn’t know what it meant. I lost friends because of it, people started to not sit next to my dad at my baseball games. It hurt a lot. But my family was built off of unconditional love so we always knew we would be okay. But the funny thing is, and the reason I mentioned that I wasn’t raised religious, is because of the way things unfolded. I know this is what I am suppose to be doing. My dad came out, and my parents split. My dad wanted to take us to P-Town where we had vacationed before as a full family. Now my dad wanted to take us there to show us the other side of it (P-Town is a safe zone for the LGBTQ community in New England) so we went. All I remembered about it was the candy store. Again, After bugging my dad and brothers for a day or two to go to the candy store (I’ve always had the sweet tooth in the family) I ended up waling out and being scouted. It was just sooo surreal and unexpected and looking back, I’ve had a handful of these moments that have either told me I’m doing the right thing or these moments put me back on the right track when I feel something opposing it.

What do you believe sets you apart from other entertainers?

What sets me apart is me. I am my own being who has experienced things and taken out of those experiences what I felt helped me. It’s what makes everyone unique. I don’t have a favorite actor or an actor whose career I inspire to have. Sure I have actors I love but I don’t like to measure them in terms of success. If I set a tangible goal to reach, say to be like Leonardo in terms of his success, if I ever meet that goal where do I go from there? For me it’s all a competition with myself. What’s the greatest I can possibly be? I don’t know. So might as well push and push and never give up. Then I’ll know what I’m really made of.

Do you have other interests or hobbies?

Skateboarding, snowboarding, running, baseball, football, wrestling. One of my favorite hobbies is painting. My whole apartment is covered in my creations. I’ve been painting since I was in kindergarten and sold my first piece of art in middle school.

Any projects you have out or currently working on?

I’m currently working on a script. It’s from personal experiences of mine and the heroine epidemic in Massachusetts. I lost a number of friends in high school to that terrible drug, so I’ve been writing a film to remember my friends by. It’ll have a tone like the movie Thirteen but the main characters with be male skaters.

Where would you like to see yourself in 5 years?

To be a working actor with a studio space for me to endless create artwork!

What advice can you give to aspiring entertainers?

Believe in yourself and your craft and fuck what anyone else has to tell you. You know yourself better than anyone out there, and you know what you want to do and where you’d like to end up, so just never give up. It’s the law of averages. Those who give up on their dreams fold their cards of life when there’s hundreds if not thousands of possible combinations and ways for you to be successful, whatever that may be, in terms of your dream. Just don’t give up. Please. I’ve seen so many kids after high school lose that spark in their eyes and it’s the worst.

How can we follow along in your journey? Social media?

My instagram is definitely the best way to follow me and see glimpses of my goofy personality. You can follow me at @tsdeslauriers