Achilles Devlin Verified listing

I am a filmmaker. I haven’t seen myself as anything else. In my mind, I’ve always been a performer, a creator.  

When I was twelve, I regularly watched Holby City, a storyline that stood out to me was the one that included: Dominic, Lofty and Issac. It was such an impactful story, and I remember sitting there and thinking; “Wow, I really want to produce a scene as powerful as this.”  

I’ve always created art. I would write stories and make characters a lot when I was little. The passion never faded. In year eight, I had the chance to audition for my school production, High School Musical. I auditioned for Troy Bolton, and I got cast as Coach Bolton, his father. I was ecstatic, as I read the script, I made annotations in my notebook, I remembered certain gestures I wanted to include, I gave him specific intentions and setbacks as well. Then I joined BOA Stage and Screen and started doing regular performances. I have never felt more at home than I do when I am performing. My name is Achilles, like the Greek hero. I felt it was a fitting name, since Achilles’ story is so theatrical, in every adaptation. I named myself after the song; “Achilles Come Down.” By Gang Of Youths. It is a beautiful song that could definitely be adapted into a movie, and I would love to have that project. My pronouns are He/Him and growing up as a transgender male struck a lot of challenges for me. There aren’t many trans actors in the industry, let alone writers and directors. I’m going to change that. 

Why the industry? Why acting? I want to put my art out into the world, I want to create and influence positively with my work. Acting has been an outlet for me since I first tried it. After growing up with a troubled childhood, I had a hard time understanding exactly who I was. Acting helped me discover parts of myself I didn’t know existed. When I’m acting, I get to explore different personality traits that don’t belong to me. I get to have moral dilemmas constantly and I’m always questioning myself. I have never felt more real and alive than when I am in the shoes of another person. 

Having my passion for a long time opened a lot of opportunities for me. When going to BOA Stage and Screen, I was put into many workshops for various things. Some of these were technical, like camerawork and editing. Others were more practical, like learning about acting techniques and screenwriting techniques. We put a lot of our time into practicing and learning Stanislavski and Meisner’s techniques. My most rewarding role was definitely “The Farmer.” For my college’s escape room. It was a really hard challenge, which involved a lot of screaming, running, holding a huge chainsaw and having to be in character at all times. It was also Incredibly fun. 

I am completely committed to this lifestyle and helping it evolve for the better.  I want nothing more than to bring diverse actors, writers and directors together to make impactful pieces of art. Unfortunately, there is not enough creativity in the industry, and we need to have a good reset to bring in some fresh ideas. I want nothing more than the industry to be a safe and open space for all performers and creators. I care immensely for the community, and I think the industry deserves a good reputation and if you tell someone you want to be an actor, their first thought isn’t “Do you have a Plan B?” and it’s rather “I’m happy for you”. 

Being a filmmaker has been my passion for years; I have wanted nothing more. This lifestyle should be open to everyone. This community should be diverse, and I am passionate about making it happen.