This is how Theo Iyer is shining bright on the small screen
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In Hollywood, South African-born actor Theo Iyer is gaining attention for his role in the popular show "The Morning Show" on AppleTV+.
He plays Kyle, the assistant to Cory Ellison, who is the CEO of the UBA broadcast network. Iyer's performance has earned him a nomination for a SAG Award in 2024.
The story of Iyer's rise to fame began in New York City, where he pursued his passion for acting.
Despite facing challenges as a member of marginalized groups, he has become a strong advocate for diversity in the arts.
From his humble beginnings as an immigrant to his success on stage and on screen, Iyer's journey is filled with creativity, determination, and a belief in the power of storytelling.
Reflecting on his journey, Iyer shares with GQ, “My journey into the acting world was shaped by many factors, starting with my upbringing as an immigrant in America.
“Being creative became my means of navigating the world. From childhood, I immersed myself in imaginative play, often landing me in trouble as the class clown.
“High school drama class ignited my passion for acting, which deepened in my junior year when I began performing in school productions.”
Thanks to the encouragement by his teacher, Mr. Blake Gould, and the support of his parents, Theo pursued acting at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.
“Training in NYC, surrounded by artistic inspiration, solidified my commitment to the craft. After graduating, I dove into a career spanning film, TV, and theatre,” he elaborates.
In Theo Iyer, we witness not merely the ascent of a performer, but the unfolding of an advocate, a beacon illuminating pathways to inclusivity and authenticity within the cinematic universe.
GQ’s Luthando Vikilahle catches up with the star to talk about his SAG Award nomination, love for acting and more.
GQ: How did your hometown influence your career path?
TI: Durban has brought purpose to my career from the very beginning. The idea of “home” is something that I’ve always grappled with and still grapple with because there are so many layers that compose my identity and I’ve often felt like I don’t have just one “home.”
However, Durban will always be “home” to me mainly because that’s where I was born and there are five generations of my family there.
Most of my extended family still lives in South Africa, so I’ve always considered myself South African over anything else. When it comes to being an artist, I take South Africa with me wherever my career takes me.
Even though I grew up in America, I visited Durban often during my childhood and it was apparent to me that living in America was a privilege.
I know it isn’t common to be a South African actor, working in “Hollywood,” and there’s only a handful of us, so I don’t take it for granted.
My intention has always been to use any resources, platforms, or opportunities to give back to South Africa in whatever way I can.
GQ: Who were some of your inspirations at the time?
TI: I always say that my first inspiration came from the first memory I have of watching a TV show which was ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.’
I can vividly remember watching the show in my family’s first rental house when we moved to America and just falling in love with the story and the characters in the show!
I think that show made a major impression on me because it centred around a character who was thrown into a foreign world and he had to trust his authenticity as a means of survival.
Even though I was around 4 years old when I first watched the show, it both consciously and subconsciously resonated with me.
When I first started taking acting seriously as an art form, I started to study actors who had a wide range of work- the likes of Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, Daniel Day Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio, etc.
I always gravitated to actors who could immerse themselves in various types of imaginary circumstances, with a dedicated approach.
GQ: Tell us a little more about your role on The Morning Show, how did it come about?
TI: When I first auditioned for the role, it was mid-pandemic and I wasn’t even sure it was for The Morning Show because they were using a code name for the project.
My character, Kyle, was originally written as a recurring role, meant to appear in just a couple of episodes. Kyle has appeared in the majority of episodes since I joined the show which has been an incredible experience for me.
I’m grateful that the writers and producers of The Morning Show have kept Kyle in the storyline for 2 seasons now because I think one of the best indicators that an actor’s work is being validated is when their storyline expands.
GQ: Early in the year, you were a nominee at the Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG Awards), how did you feel when you first heard about it and what do you think this meant for your career going forward?
TI: It’s truly an honour and incredibly gratifying anytime your work is being recognized and validated. The SAG Awards are a peer recognition award show so to be nominated by your peers couldn’t be any more validating.
Although The Morning Show didn’t win in our category, it was a great experience to attend the show alongside my castmates and represent South Africa!
On a personal note, I was fortunate to work with an incredible stylist (Enrique Melendez) who sourced a unique piece from an African-inspired designer, Kwasi Paul, who made a few of the “best dressed” lists of the night!
GQ: Most of our readers love Kyle’s patience and allegiance to Cory. Therefore, tell us, is there anyone else you've acted with aside from Billy Crudup, if yes were they great to be in any scenes with?
TI: Firstly, getting the opportunity to work alongside Billy Crudup is incredible. I regard him as a true master of the craft and watching him work and observing his process has greatly benefited my approach to the craft.
It’s funny because sometimes on set people call me Kyle instead of Theo and then apologize for not calling me by my real name. But I take it as a compliment because it means that the relationship that Kyle has with Cory parallels the one, I have with Billy.
In addition, I’ve been fortunate to share scenes with Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Greta Lee, Stephen Fry, Mark Duplass, and Holland Taylor (just to name a few), all of whom I’ve stolen nuggets of wisdom from!
GQ: What does it take for you to play such a role?
TI: When I first started exploring the life and circumstances of Kyle’s world and the world of The Morning Show, the first element of Kyle that resonated with me was his empathetic awareness of everything around him.
Kyle is someone who harbours a lot of the chaos that surrounds him in the storylines of other characters because he has to keep an even keel to be of the best service to his boss, Cory.
Kyle often has to deliver unfavourable or disappointing news to Cory and it requires a certain restraint and even-keelness so as not to add to Cory’s existing challenges. It’s challenging because as an actor you always want to “do more” but for this role, finding a balance is key.
GQ: What other roles have you played besides Kyle?
TI: I’ve been lucky to be working as an actor for almost a decade now. I’ve been able to continually hone my craft while nurturing relationships with casting directors, directors, producers, and executives in New York and Los Angeles.
In addition to my role as Kyle on The Morning Show, I recently played a supporting role in Randall Park's directorial debut, Shortcomings, which is streaming on Netflix.
I’m an alumnus of the Disney Television Discovers: Talent Showcase. I have TV credits on CBS/ABC/NBC and I’ve worked Off-Broadway and commercially.
GQ: For some reason you barely have any social media footprint, is this a deliberate thing on your part or you are still building your career?
TI: I would say it is deliberate on my part. I don’t have any issue with social media or people who build their following via their social platforms - however, for me, resonating from my authentic truth is a major core intention for how I live my life as a whole.
I’ve seen many artists fall into the trap of having to play the “social media game” and I’ve always been very wary of being creative for the sake of gaining followers.
So instead, I choose to use my social media platforms as a medium of true self-expression- mainly sharing acting-related tidbits and little glimpses into my personal life.
GQ: What are the two most fundamental things that make you good as an actor?
TI: If I had to dilute what I believe to be two core tenets of what makes a good actor, I’d say an unwavering dedication to the craft, striving to get better day by day, and treating your work as an offering.
When you have a consistent intention to improve, you inevitably welcome deeper and greater artistic challenges. And when you approach your work as your offering, you take yourself out of the equation, no longer concerned with the fruits of your labour, and instead create space for you to be a vessel for humanity and artistic inspiration to flow through you.
GQ: Share with us at least 3 tips on how to be successful as an actor?
TI: Here are a few pieces of perspective I’ve gained along my journey that have helped me sustain and optimize my life as an artist.
One - make your peace your number one priority, without it being dependent on whether you are being paid or gaining recognition for your art.
Two - keep your “why” or your purpose at the forefront of your experience when you are doing your art.
Three - recognize that your career and your life are not separate entities and that you only have one, holistic, artistic life. Stella Adler, the great actor and teacher whose studio I trained at during my time at NYU, once said: “Growth as an actor and growth as a human being are synonymous.”
GQ: What is next for Theo Iyer?
TI: Well, The Morning Show has been renewed for Season 4 and I hope Kyle’s journey continues but we’ll have to wait and see what the writers have in store. In addition, I am constantly auditioning for new projects deepening my craft and evolving as an artist.
On a personal note, my fiancé, Elissa Bonito, and I are getting married in Cape Town in January next year and we are currently in the midst of wedding planning!
It’s going to be a true fusion wedding, melding my fiancé’s Italian-American culture with my South African-Indian traditions by having two different types of ceremonies.
It will also be a full circle moment for my family as I return to South Africa to get married, 27 years after we moved to America!