“I’d never seen a more disappointed look,” laughs Langi T. Tuifua (BFA ’22), remembering his monologue for BYU acting program director Stephanie A. F. Breinholt (BA ’94, MFA ’99) when trying out for the major.
Tuifua was still a rookie. He had come to BYU as a four-star defensive lineman, but after an injury forced his retirement from football in 2019, he found a new passion: being on stage and in front of a camera.
Despite Tuifua fumbling his first audition, Breinholt encouraged him to work with a TA and take some intro classes.
“A lot of people started acting when they were 3 years old,” says Tuifua. “But acting is a skill, and it can be learned.”
Learn he did. A second audition won Tuifua a place in the acting major. After playing a few minor roles, he landed a part in a Lifetime movie (The Christmas Edition) and eventually in BYU’s production of Pride and Prejudice as Mr. Darcy, directed by Breinholt. “It was the first role where I really delved deep into character work,” he says.
His most recent role had him wearing five pounds of hairpieces and rallying Nephite troops. Keep an eye out for Tuifua as Captain Moroni in upcoming Book of Mormon videos, set to be released late next year.
“Langi has an exuberance and a work ethic that are really admirable,” says Breinholt. “He learned how to work hard in athletics, and that carried over into the acting major.”
Watch a Deep Blue video with Tuifua:
