IN CONVERSATION WITH RILEY DAVIS

interview by JANA LETONJA

Canadian actor Riley Davis is quickly building a résumé that moves effortlessly between romance, horror, history and high-stakes drama. Best known as Sean in Prime Video’s Off Campus, he can currently be seen as Noah Bainbridge, the sweet, kind and endearingly nerdy member of an elite high-school rowing team, in Netflix’s romantic sports drama Crew Girl. He also appears opposite Mckenna Grace in the horror-thriller The Last Kiss, joins John Travolta and Dermot Mulroney in the upcoming historical crime drama November 1963, and recently wrapped the 1980s-set horror film Lice. A Toronto native and former competitive hockey and baseball player who found acting through The Second City, Riley is now entering a particularly exciting, and eclectic, chapter of his career.

Crew Girl introduces you as Noah Bainbridge, arguably the sweetest and nerdiest member of the rowing crew. What was your first reaction to Noah when you read the script?
It was clear from the very beginning that Noah has a ton of love for his teammates, but he just can’t quite always express it in a way that they understand. I immediately connected with that and loved some of the humor in the early scripts, especially in Episode 6, the “murder” mystery episode, when Noah throws a party that doesn’t quite go as planned.

What did you recognise in Noah personally, and what aspects of him felt furthest removed from who you are
Noah’s desire to connect with his teammates and feel like a part of the group was pretty easy for me to connect to. I’d say Noah’s lack of awareness of what his teammates might want to do, or the types of parties they want to have, is probably the furthest away from me. 

You grew up playing competitive hockey and baseball. Did having that athletic background make stepping into the physical world of Crew Girl easier, or did rowing humble you?
I have been deeply humbled by rowing. Rowing is an unbelievably technical and challenging sport. It is grueling. We would train all day on the water and then our legs would be so sore that it would be tough walking up stairs after. My hands also got pretty cut up and blistered from the training. No sport can prepare you for the specificity and precision of rowing. I have so much respect for rowers. 

Without spoiling too much, what do you think Noah wants most when we first meet him, and how does that change over the course of the season?
Noah is a little different from the rest of the boys in that, although he’s athletic and takes rowing seriously, he also has interests outside of rowing, like classic art, vintage films, and drinking rosé. This makes him a bit of an outsider in the group, but he really wants to just fit in and feel like he’s a loved part of the team. As the season progresses, you see how much Noah loves rowing and wants to win, and that competitive side of him comes out more with each episode as the team is forced to come together.

You’re also known to audiences as Sean in Off Campus, another adaptation with an established fan base. Is there extra pressure when you know viewers already have a very specific idea of these characters and their world?
I think when we’re fortunate enough to make a show that already has a significant fan following, like Off Campus, there’s a certain pressure to create something that the fans will love and to do the story justice for them. That said, from conversations with our amazing showrunners Louisa Levy and Gina Fattore, I knew early on that TV Sean was going to be a little bit different than book Sean. I had more room to build some different parts of Sean that aren’t as highlighted in the books, so I think that freedom to bring some new parts alleviated some of the pressure of trying to be exactly what is written in the books. 

You’ve now worked on several very different kinds of horror, including The Last Kiss and the upcoming Lice. Are you naturally a horror fan, or has acting in the genre changed your relationship with it?
I was so not a horror fan. I get really scared during horror movies. But yes, acting in them has definitely made me into a fan. They are so fun to make. I’ve had amazing experiences working on them and really want to do more. 

Lice has a wonderfully wild premise—a parasitic outbreak, a 1980s high school and a military lockdown. What can you tease about the experience of making that film?
I am so excited for people to see that film. It was one of the most creatively fulfilling experiences I’ve ever had on a film set. And I also made some lifelong friends that I hang out with all the time. It is going to be a really fun movie. I can’t wait. 

With November 1963, you’re moving into historical drama and a story surrounding one of the most scrutinized events in American history, the assassination of John F. Kennedy. How did approaching a real historical setting differ from your fictional projects?
It meant doing a lot of research. I had to learn about the history of the events, the time period, the Chicago mob, and about the person my character, Turk, is loosely based on. Nicholas Celozzi, the writer of the film, is the nephew of Sam Giancana, who was the boss of the Chicago Outfit during the late 1950s and early 1960s. So Nicki had a lot of information about who these guys were and what they were like, with lots of stories to share. With this project, there was a responsibility to tell the truth about these real people and real moments that still exist, but in a different way when it’s being adapted to film and becomes fictional.

You started taking acting classes at The Second City after high school. What happened in those early classes that made you realize acting could become more than an interest?
I think early on, I just really liked making people laugh. Growing up, making someone laugh in my household was like a currency. And performing grew sort of naturally out of that. I really loved those early classes because it felt like a place where I naturally belonged. 

Your first credited television role came on Arrow in 2019. Looking back at yourself walking onto that set compared with the actor you are now, what has changed the most?
Almost everything. I think, back then, I really wanted to be an actor and now I am an actor. I’ve gained so much experience from working and practicing that my confidence has grown a lot since then. I’ve learned so much that it’s almost like I’m speaking a different language now compared to when I started my first job. 

Away from acting, you box, snowboard, read and play guitar. Which of those gives you the best escape from thinking about the next role or audition?
Boxing and snowboarding are both pretty great for escaping. Boxing is very meditative. It’s very difficult to think about anything else other than the present moment when you’re being punched in the face. Snowboarding is also fantastic because it gets you outside and in nature. I love going with friends, or sometimes just by myself, to snowboard. I put my headphones in, zone out, and ride all day. That’s very therapeutic. 

Between Off Campus, Crew Girl, The Last Kiss, November 1963 and Lice, audiences are about to see several different sides of you. What kind of role would surprise people most if you took it on next?
I hope to reach a point in my career where I am flexible enough to take on any role in any genre, and that no role is too shocking for audiences to see me in. I want to always surprise and challenge myself with every creative choice that I make and every role that I portray.

TEAM CREDITS:

talent RILEY DAVIS
photography JONATHAN BENSIMON
groomer SOPHIE HSIN
stylist CHRISTAL WILLIAMS
editor TIMI LETONJA
editorial director and interview JANA LETONJA