Today we’d like to introduce you to Langi Tuifua.
Hi Langi, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hello, my name is Langi Tuifua. I’m an actor in Salt Lake city Utah. This is my story for how I got started in my lovely profession haha.
I started acting in college, but the story of how I got there is a little funny. I started BYU playing football on a scholarship, my goal with football was to be a hometown hero and make it to the NFL.(What football player doesn’t dream of that.) However, things don’t always go as planned and during fall camp, I got my first stinger(where a nerve gets inflamed and causes a part of your body to go numb.) due to a hit. I toughed out my freshmen year of college and still managed to find myself getting some playing time, but throughout that first season I experienced a lot of stingers and numbness, and the physical training staff couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong. It wasn’t until after my freshmen season that we got an MRI scan and found that there was a herniated disk in my neck causing everything. We ended up getting neck surgery where we removed the disk entirely and fused the top and bottom bone together.
The recovery from my injury was quite possibly one of the lowest points of my life. Going from playing on the field, and lifting the most weight I had ever lifted, to laying in bed and barely being able to move a muscle was a grueling and depressing process. However, the recovery process went really well and after just 3 months I was back in the weight room getting all my lifting numbers back where they needed to be.
Fast forward to spring of 2019, where I was feeling healthy and ready to prove myself in spring ball. Things where going really well until the hits started wearing on my body. I felt a few instances of numbness in my spine which caused a lot of anxiety and made me ask questions of how my body would be able to handle this for the next 4 to 7 years, If I did decide to chase my NFL aspirations. I had a lot of talks with my Physical Training staff, and coaches about where I want to be in life, and who I want to be. They offered a medical scholarship which would allow me to finish school and have it completely paid for. after a bit of thinking I decided to go with that option, and see where life would take me.
Upon making the decision to retire I personally haven’t been taking school as seriously as I should’ve. Being with the football team 24 hours a day tended to have that effect on me. I had to do a lot of soul searching to see what BYU had to offer in terms of majors, and what I was interested in. I had about 3 years until my scholarship, so I knew that whatever I decided needed to be able to be completed within that time frame. I also knew that I always loved film, my hometown buddies and I where always experimented with film when we were younger making short films about the most random absurd things, and that is what Inspired me to take one of my first film classes.
I took a film class, and a theater history class to start out. I personally didn’t like the film class, I didn’t have a great experience with it, but with the theater history class, the professor required that the students watch a few of the productions that the college puts on. The production that I watched was called “Wonderland” and I was literally obsessed. I asked myself “People are studying this here?” I looked into the major, and saw Voice acting, classes, Film acting classes. I saw an opportunity for myself and imagined myself on big stages just like the one I watched Wonderland on.
I talked to my academic advisor about doing the Acting program, and he got me signed up for my first classes, and the rest is history.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There were a lot of struggles learning a new craft that I had no idea about was incredibly foreign to me. I was so lucky that the mentors, and professors that I had were so willing to help. They took the time to teach me when I was fumbling around like an infant. It took a lot of time to get me out of my shell, and really learn how to dive into scripts.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m an Actor in Salt Lake City Utah. I do films, Theater, and Voice acting. I’m currently in “The Play That Goes Wrong” at The Ruth In Pleasant Grove. You can see me in Winter Spring Summer or Fall, in Jenna Ortega’s film as a day player named Connor Frisk, or you may know me as Captain Moroni in the Book of Mormon Videos. You can see me in upcoming films such as Kalamasas Revenge directed by Ka’eo Drumright, and #Indie directed by Ike Mauga.
What I am most proud of Is just creating awesome things with awesome people. I personally love collaborating with people who have dedicated their lives to their craft, and I get to add my own little flavor to their work.
What makes you happy?
Having time to hangout with my family and friends.(love em)
Striving to be better than I was yesterday.(old tendencies from football)
Creating damn good art.(it’s what I do!)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://langituifua.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/langi.tuifua/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SkyTuifua
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/langi-tuifua-0630a816b/
- Twitter: https://x.com/LangiTuifua
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@langituifua2351
