Meet Tobias Forrest | Actor, Singer and VO Performer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tobias Forrest and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tobias, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I was born in San Francisco, raised in Hawaii and have lived in several states. After graduating Valley Forge Military Academy, I attended Northern Arizona University to focus on music and art. A few months after my final year, I had a C5 spinal cord injury diving into shallow water at the Grand Canyon. Following rehab, I began painting and got an MS in psychology. I then had the opportunity to move to California for research at UCLA and soon after was encouraged to try out for a Christopher Reeve Acting Scholarship. It was my first audition and I ended up winning the award which changed my life and direction. 20 years later, in 2023, I won the first Christopher Reeve Acting Award at the Media Access Awards for my role as “Patrick” in the film “Daruma”. Since moving to California, I have also become an accessibility consultant, started playing music again and found work as a performer. I have been featured in the “Academy Awards” choir and some credits include ”Law & Order: Organized Crime”, “How To Get Away With Murder”, “Queen Sugar”, ”Good Trouble”, “Special Unit”, “Wisdom of the Crowd”, “The Sessions”, “Weeds”, “Coffee Wars” and more. I also starred onstage in the Pulitzer Prize winning play “Cost of Living” as well as “Colossal”, “Pyretown” and others. Plus, my short film “Dead End Drive” has won several awards including best short film at CIFF. I have been the lead singer for the band Cityzen, done audio description for tv shows, characters for animation, narration for audiobooks and an MC for nonprofit events. I consider myself very lucky not only to have survived my accident but also to have had so many amazing experiences. I think that my background and supportive family impacted who I am by helping me become someone that easily adapts to change.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
DARUMA is coming to theaters and streaming on November 15th and it is my first opportunity to have a lead role in a feature film. Executive produced by Oscar winner Peter Farrelly, CNN said it was the first film in US cinematic history to star two leads with disabilities in a narrative not about disability. The film took almost two decades to make because the filmmaking team held their ground and authentically cast the roles with disabled actors, both of whom have now won Best Acting Awards for their performances. Writer/producer Kelli McNeil-Yellen and director/cinematographer Alexander Yellen also cast John W. Lawson, Abigail Hawk, Barry Bostwick and Victoria Scott in a story that everyone can relate to, one about friendship, fatherhood, and found family. Getting to the point where I have the lead role in a film has definitely been a long journey with many obstacles along the way, both as an artist and as a wheelchair user. There have been many failed auditions, inaccessible places, and unseen barriers or prejudices, but I have never focused on them. Adversely, I have also had incredible experiences and opportunities to become a performer and collaborate with wonderful artists. There have been award-winning highs and challenging lows but I don’t believe in placing much value in either. I guess the lesson that I’ve learned and the story I hope to tell is to always enjoy the process because we can never control the result.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My friend already knows that nature is at the top of the list so we’re probably going to the botanical gardens or the beach. They are also probably a bit creative like myself so we have to explore some art and music either by making it ourselves or finding it somewhere. Fortunately, I live in Los Angeles, so no matter what environment you want you can just head in that direction to get it. There are countless museums, parks, clubs, restaurants and any type of social group you could imagine.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
https://www.christopherreeve.org is an incredible resource and community for people with spinal cord injuries. They provide education, assistance and so much more to benefit folks and their families. Plus, they have a profound effect on the lives of people like myself by continuing the legacy of Christopher Reeve in supporting the arts as well as SCI research and awareness. And on a personal note, I would like to thank both Chris and Dana, who I was fortunate enough to meet. They encouraged me to pursue acting and I never would have found this path without them.

Website: https://www.darumamovie.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tobiaseasyforrest

Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2574603