The Pilot News - Langdon struck by acting bug

Langdon made his way to California after graduating in 2008 with a business degree from Notre Dame. In the spring of 2008, he was recruited by Hillstone Restaurant Group to move to Los Angeles and begin an intensive four-month training program.
He said, “I spent four years of college tailoring my business degree to best prepare for a life in the restaurant business. I even went so far as to create a 90-page business plan for a Western European restaurant I wanted to design, open and franchise across the country.”
But, after training in the various aspects of the restaurant business-management, accounting, server, host, bartender, cook, etc. — he realized that the restaurant business just wasn’t for him.
Langdon said, “I had made plans to try to break in to the entertainment industry after I graduated from college — but that was during my senior year in high school. I never thought I’d truly get the opportunity.”
He said, “Pressing on my mind was the thought of looking back on my life in 20 years and realizing that I didn’t jump on the opportunity when it had presented itself. The thought of ‘what if’ would always haunt me.”
In October of this year, he played the part of a German pilot during WWII in a TV pilot that was being created by a production company.
The acting bug really struck then and he signed up with a company called Central Casting that matches budding actors and actresses with shows and films in need of extras.
Central Casting sent him to the production “Pushing Daisies.”
He said, “That in itself was a pretty great experience; however, on the final day of shooting one of the lead actors didn’t show up in time for his scene so they pulled me from the background and used me as a picture double.”
Other work includes a lead in a student film that will be filming in January called “Everyone’s a Stranger”; played an arcade patron on a new Disney Channel show, “Sonny with a Chance”; was a featured bar patron on “Samantha Who” on ABC; was a featured US marine on a sequel to “Band of Brothers” called “The Pacific”; was a featured airplane passenger on “How I Met your Mother” on CBS; was a cross country runner on “Cold Case” on CBS; a 1946 bar patron in the new Collin Firth movie “A Single Man” and participated in a UFC promo for a big fight in January.
Langdon feels his business degree will be helpful in pursuing his acting career.
He said, “I’ve been told time and again that some of the most successful actors/actresses in L.A. have a great business sense. So, I’d have to say that my business degree, although I never assumed I’d use it for a career in the entertainment industry, will be very applicable.”
His high school speech coaches recognized his remarkable talents even at a young age. Langdon was a three-time national qualifier for the National Forensic League tournaments. In 2003, he won a championship at the Catholic Nationals with duo partner Sean Oakley. As a senior in 2004, he teamed with Fabian Guzman to win the NFL national tournament held in Salt Lake City, Utah in duo.
PHS Head Speech and Debate Coach Dave McKenzie said, “Tyler got off to a quick start as a freshman by advancing to the state finals in humor. While it would have been easy to rest on his laurels, Tyler continued to improve each year and expanded his skills to include both interpretation and public address events. He was an extremely serious academic student, but his decision to pursue acting doesn’t surprise me.”