Noah LaLonde Courtesy of Netflix
My Life With the Walter Boys is Netflix’s latest teen drama hit — and Noah LaLonde portrays one-third of a messy love triangle between a girl and two brothers.
The series, which is based on Ali Novak’s novel of the same name, follows Manhattanite Jackie Howard (Nikki Rodriguez) as she moves in with family friends following the death of her parents. While settling into her new rural lifestyle, she finds herself falling in love with two nearly estranged brothers: Cole (LaLonde) and Alex Walter (Ashby Gentry), who couldn’t be more different.
Filming for the series kicked off in Alberta, Canada, in March 2022 and wrapped six months later. Upon the show’s release earlier this month, LaLonde took to social media to reflect on his experience.
“These people are so damn special,” he wrote via his Instagram Stories in December alongside a photo with the cast. “Not in my wildest dreams could I have come up with a better group to make this show with.”
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He may have bonded with his costars behind the scenes, but on screen was a different story. When Jackie arrives at the Walters’ farm, LaLonde’s Cole is reeling over an injury that’s taken him off the football field and altered the course of his future. Walking away from a dream is something LaLonde could relate to as a former hockey player.
“I think the thing that initially drew me to the role of Cole in My Life With the Walter Boys was exactly that, those experiences that were so closely mirrored in my own life,” he told Bello magazine in December. “When I stopped playing hockey, those initial months — and even years — after was a journey of redefining and discovering my identity. For a long time, I was ‘Noah LaLonde the hockey player,’ and my character was always known as ‘Cole Walter the local star quarterback.’”
LaLonde noted that while he and Cole ended their careers differently — he walked away from the sport willingly — the “emotions” that came with that “redefining process” were a jumping-off point he used to connect with his character. “How do you take the next step in building who you are and the life you’re going to live? We both had to answer that same question,” he explained.
Keep scrolling for five things to know about My Life With the Walter Boys’ Noah LaLonde:
Noah LaLonde Courtesy of Netflix
Where Is Noah LaLonde From?
LaLonde grew up in Detroit, Michigan, before attending Grand Valley State University, where he studied theater. After a year at college, he dropped out to solely focus on his acting career. He has since moved to Los Angeles.
Where Have You Seen Noah LaLonde?
In addition to My Life With the Walter Boys, LaLonde nabbed roles in both Criminal Minds and the film Deep Camp ’86 in 2022. He’s also appeared in various short films, including 2021’s Summer Flings & Funerals and 2020’s Toby With an I and The Smile I Wear.
Does Noah LaLonde Have Any Hobbies?
Before kickstarting his career as an actor, LaLonde played competitive hockey for 17 years.
Now that he’s moved to Los Angeles, LaLonde told Bello in December that he enjoys “a few hours at a coffee shop with a good book” and “seeking out great local restaurants and sharing meals with friends” in his spare time. He’s also a big fan of going to the movies and taking long runs in new areas.
Has Noah LaLonde Won Any Awards?
LaLonde scored the win for Best Lead Actor (Student Films Category) at the 2020 I See You Awards for his role in The Smile I Wear, in which he played Hero.
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How Did Noah LaLonde Prepare for His Role on ‘My Life With the Walter Boys’?
LaLonde focused on getting to know Cole to prepare for the role, he told Bello.
“On the surface, I think it’s easy to fall into the stereotype that is ‘high school football stud-quarterback-jock,’ where all the guys wanna be his friend, all the girls love him, and everything is breezy as long as the team is winning,” he said. “But with Cole, episode 1 picks up on a time where he has just had that life taken from him. He’s in this weird place where people still sort of view him like that, but he doesn’t necessarily view himself like that. He’s in desperate need of something to keep him going, something to give him hope.”
LaLonde added that the arrival of Jackie is what changes the character, giving him a “light at the end of the tunnel.”
“[She’s] someone who has lost their entire family in a tragic accident but is somehow still persevering through a major, life-altering tragedy,” he said.