Tristin Mays’ (Riley Davis on ‘MacGyver’) Ethnicity, Net Worth

Known for movies



Who is Tristin Mays?

Tristin Mays was born on 10 June 1990, in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, and is an actress, best known for her work in the television series reboot “MacGyver”, in which she portrays the covert operative, Riley Davis. She’s also worked on other popular shows during her career, including “The Vampire Diaries”.

The Riches of Tristin Mays

As of mid-2020, Tristin Mays’ net worth is estimated to be over $1 million, earned through a successful career in acting, in the profession since 1996. She’s also worked on several feature films, as well as a few independent projects.

Early Life, Education, and Career Beginnings

While Tristin was born in New Orleans, her father worked in the military which meant that they had to move around a lot due to his work. They eventually settled in New York City, and she spent most of her childhood there. Her mother worked as an artist and helped inspire her interest in the arts. The family moved again and settled in California’s Moreno Valley. At a young age, she pursued her interest in acting, leading to her first professional role in the television movie “Harambee!” in 1997.

The same year she was cast in her first regular series role in “Guilah Guilah Island”, which is a children’s series that aired as a part of the programming of Nick Jr.

As the title denotes, it takes a bit of inspiration from Guilah culture, African Americans in the US who adopted most of their African roots. She worked on the show for a season as a regular, but eventually left to continue her education. She attended Vista del Lago High School, one of four high schools in her area.

Return to Acting

After a four year break from acting to pursue her studies, Mays returned and became a recurring guest in the television series “Alias”, playing the character Robin Dixon. The television series was created by JJ Abrams, starring Jennifer Garner playing the role of a double agent for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), pretending to be a spy for the criminal organization SD-6.

The show mainly focuses on her life as a spy, trying to conceal her true identity to her family and friends, while also uncovering secrets left behind by a Renaissance-era figure. The show is considered one of the best television shows during its time.

She then had guest roles in “True Jackson, VP”, “Everybody Hates Chris”, and “Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide”. In 2009, she was cast as a regular in the show “Private” which is based on the Kate Brian novel series of the same name. She worked on the show for its entire run, and the following year appeared in a recurring role in “Zeke and Luther”.

The sitcom aired on the Disney Channel, and tells the story of two best friends who want to become the greatest skateboarders in the world.

Film Work

In the early-2010s, Tristin put less focus on television as she started to take on more film roles, but some of her television projects during this time included guest appearances in “The Newsroom”, “Victorious”, and “Big Time Rush”. In 2011, she made her film debut in the short “Hot Dog Water”, which led to her first feature film the following year – “Thunderstruck”.

The film starred professional basketball player Kevin Durant and Taylor Gray, following the story of a boy who somehow acquires the ability of Durant and must then figure out how to give it back to him.

A year later, she was cast in “House Party: Tonight’s the Night”, the fifth installment of the “House Party” film series. It serves as a continuation from the third film, following two senior high school students who decide to throw a party while their parents are away on an out-of-town trip. The film was released direct-to-DVD. Her last film project so far was in a minor role in 2015’s “The Wedding Ringer”, a romantic comedy film starring Kaley Cuoco, Josh Gad, and Kevin Hart.

It didn’t fare well when it came to the reviews, but still managed to earn a profit at the box office.

Recent Projects – MacGyver

In 2015, Mays returned her focus to television as she was cast in a recurring role in the series “The Vampire Diaries, portraying the character Sarah Salvatore. The show is an adaptation of the LJ book series of the same name and was very popular during its run, known for elevating many of the careers of its stars, particularly that of Nina Dobrev who later left the show after its sixth season. Mays then made an appearance in an episode of “Supergirl”, before working on the television movie “Night of the Wild”.

The following year, she was cast in another main role with the start of the reboot of “MacGyver”; the series stars her alongside Lucas Till who plays the titular character. Like the original series, MacGyver is known for his ingenuity and engineering knowledge, employing these talents instead of using lethal force. The show has been running for at least five seasons, and is said to reside in the same universe as “Hawaii Five-0”. While working on the show, she’s also had a few other projects, namely “Switched at Birth” and “Impractical Jokers” in which she appeared as a guest.

Personal Life

Tristin is single and hasn’t revealed any past or present romantic relationships. She is a mix of Native American, African American, and Creole ancestry, which she is very proud of, adhering to several aspects of her heritage. During her free time, she enjoys playing video games, and loves animals, owning a pet dog. She is also a big fan of the 1980s, particularly its music. She is also a big fan of the boy band NSYNC, often posting videos about them during their heyday.

Finally – she is very fond of pineapples.

Source: IMDb, Wikipedia