Tristin Mays


Tristin Mays is an American actress and singer. Mays currently stars in the reboot of the MacGyver series on CBS. She plays the character Riley Davis, who works as a covert operative for the Phoenix Foundation.

Early life and education

Mays' parents, Viveca and Michael Mays, worked as an artist and in the military, respectively. She grew up in New York City until her family moved to Moreno Valley, California in 2003, where she graduated from Vista del Lago High School. Her older brother, Jeryn, is also an actor.

Career

While best known for her role as Riley Davis on the 2016 TV series MacGyver, Mays has played in television series including as Shaina in the Nickelodeon series Gullah Gullah Island and as Robin Dixon, the daughter of Marcus Dixon, Carl Lumbly's character in Alias.
Her other television credits include Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide, Everybody Hates Chris, True Jackson, VP, Zeke and Luther, Big Time Rush, Victorious and The Vampire Diaries.
As a seven-year-old in 1997, she joined the cast of Gullah Gullah Island replacing Shaina M. Freeman as Shaina. That same year she was cast as Nala in The Lion King on Broadway. She subsequently played Fan in Dickens' A Christmas Carol. In 2009, she was a series regular in the web series Private based on the novels of the same name. In 2011, she starred in the internet sitcom FAIL with fellow Gullah Gullah Island co-star Vanessa Baden. She also appeared in the TV show Impractical Jokers Season 8 Episode 4.

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1996Harambee!AngelTelevision film
1997Gullah Gullah IslandShainaSeries regular
2001–2004AliasRobin Dixon3 episodes
2006Ned's Declassified School Survival GuideBerniceEpisode: "Substitute Teachers and the New Kid"
2008Everybody Hates ChrisJenise HuckstableEpisode: "Everybody Hates Homecoming"
2009PrivateTaylor BellWeb series; series regular
2010True Jackson, VPHaileyEpisode: "My Boss Ate My Homework"
2010–2011Zeke and LutherMonica Lopez3 episodes
2010Big Time RushStephanie King4 episodes
2010Kelly Brook's Cameltoe ShowsHerselfFunny or Die skit
2011VictoriousSherryEpisode: "Prom Wrecker"
2011FAILAliciaWeb series; series regular
2011Kickin ItVanessa / M.C.Episode: "All the Wrong Moves"
2012The NewsroomKaraoke GirlEpisode: "The 112th Congress"
2015–2016The Vampire DiariesSarah Nelson/SalvatoreRecurring role, Guest 7 episodes
2015SupergirlMaxwell Lord's AssistantEpisode: "Childish Things"
2015Night of the WildRosalynTelevision film
2016–presentMacGyverRiley DavisMain role
2017Switched at BirthAlly3 episodes
2019Impractical JokersHerselfEpisode: "Full Mental Jacket"